It would also be nice if they'd only attribute quotations to Obama that he, you know, actually said, but at this point I suppose that's a minor quibble.
I love how posters like these are so low-quality. As if no self-respecting graphic designer would ever sign onto them. That says more than I ever could.
Is it just me, or does anyone else think this looks a bit--obviously I mean this purely as a matter of graphic design--like a New York Review of Books cover? I think it's the color scheme, maybe also the font...
The font, yeah. It's not the same exact face, but close. To me it looks kind of retro, like a 20s Weimar Germany movie poster. This is a very bad example of what I mean but you kinda get the idea.
My favorite part of these articles is when they talk to who ever the local GOP head is, and that person is inevitably shocked, SHOCKED, that anyone would do such a thing.
Just goes to show that the Republicans have gone old and senile and have forgotten their history (insofar as the Republicans aren't old-style Southern Democrats in Republican clothing). Also goes to show how the Republicans willfully misunderstand who Obama is and how he got to where he is now.
The Hitler thing is back as a meme after the speech in St. Louis. Palin can't scare up 100,000 monkey-wavers. Ergo anyone who attracts a large crowd to hear him (or her) speak is an alien, like on The Tomorrow People.
Everyone should pop over to Marc's; he's been driven over the edge by a triple denial of reality which led to a wild blend of particle physics, poetry, and snark.
Ploeg, I'd never heard of them before. They sound kind of odd:
The standard Wide Awake uniform consisted of a full robe or cape, a black glazed hat, and a torch six feet in length to which a large, flaming, pivoting whale-oil container was mounted...
To appreciate the full screaming irony of this, you have to watch McCain on Letterman justifying Sarah Palin. He talks about her leadership, as shown by how well she can whip up a crowd:
Asher: They are kind of odd from our early 21st century viewpoint. Political campaigns were run differently in the middle of the 19th century to begin with. If you also take into account the increasing violence in the country over slavery and the expectation that there would be more violence to come, it would be a wonder if the Wide Awakes didn't exist.
We all know how ridiculous it is for these guys to talk about Obama in the same breath as Hitler, Castro, Stalin, etc. etc. etc., just as it is ridiculous to talk about Lincoln in the same breath as Hitler. And it probably wouldn't help to bring up the Wide Awakes with somebody who thinks that Obama is the second coming of Che. But I think that some historical perspective never hurts.
bab23 -- I just involuntarily imagined how a pieced-together tape of Obama saying each of those words individually would sound, and now I can't stop giggling.
Although I don't agree with this stupid Republican poster young people kind of are terrifying. I mean in comparative term, in particular young unmarried men.
It was young white guys who assaulted my brother and humiliated me at times. In virtually all societies young unmarried men commit a disproportionate amount of the violent crimes.
However Obama is more attractive, thus far, to young women than young men. Young women have never been as linked to totalitarian or violent movements. Yes I'm aware that sounds sexist, but it happens to be true. There were a few violent Radical Feminists in the 1960s and in Britain some of the suffragettes were actually fairly extreme. (Mostly arson of aristocratic summer homes and snapping telephone wires, no targeting of people) Mostly though movements of young women, or just where young women are more common than young men, are much less likely to get criminal or dangerous.
This is part of why Ron Paul was more legitimately creepy. His attraction with the young was about 70-80% male from what I can tell. If someone's rallies are mostly men under 30 this may be worth being concerned about. Well unless they're all like Quaker men or something.
"This is part of why Ron Paul was more legitimately creepy."
The "more" part might be implying I think Obama is creepy too, just less so, and that's not precisely what I meant. I meant Paul's youth appeal was more unnerving, to me, than that of varied candidates with youth appeal. This wasn't only, or even mainly, because it appealed more to young men. However that was a factor.
I hope this isn't the last one.
You haven't commented on the Obama Effigy. Plus, you know, before this election is over, some official Republican is gonna call Obama a Nigger. You must realize that by now. You can't stop now, Coates. Gotta see this through to the end.
The incessant conflation with Obama to socialism is becoming such an empty hunk of irony when taken in conjunction with the "elitist" tag; if anyone is sounding like they're hungering for a Maoist Cultural Revolution it's the GOP wingnut faction at this moment. Their thirst for the blood of the professional and the educated types sounds a hell of a lot more like the Khmer Rouge than a legitimate political party in the U.S. of A.
Obama is a muslim who is excessively influenced by his Christian pastor.
We won't vote for Obama because he'll force whites to pay reparations to decendents of slaves, and he's 2/3 arab.
Obama's an elitist who stirs up the masses.
Obama's a celebrity, and is just like Karl Marx.
Obama doesn't have enough experience to lead because he's a manchurian candidate who's been trained since infancy to manipulate the American political process.
Obama's not like us, he's unamerican. That must be why he has such a scary following among American youth. Youth just love unamerican people...
I look at this fear of change and I think that in four years time, people will be so much more relieved about what's going on, half of those who are fearmongering now will saying, "I knew that Obama guy was on to something."
The next few years will probably be pretty horrible no matter who's in office, so I wouldn't be too confident about that. If there are actually people who are literally expecting Obama to be the next Hitler than I guess they'll be disappointed, but my attempt at foretelling the future would be that Obama will be a lot less popular in four years than he is now.
I remember the Clinton years, and all the Right's craziness ("he's coke dealer and murderer, and will suspend the elections! His attacks on Bin Laden are 'wagging the dog'! His wife killed Vince Foster, and hung crack pipes and dildos* on the White House Christmas tree! They are going to mandate gay sex education! They are going to socialize health care!"). They were projecting of course.
We now have (as has been noted) an Administration that has suspended Habeas Corpus, can eavesdrop with impunity, has an appalling record of corruption, cronyism, and economic idiocy.
I'm supposed to think the Senator from Illinois is Hitler?
(And I'm an artist who actually had some of my work, along with some 300 other American artists, on that tree, in 1995. I didn't get to the White House to see it, but the in the photo I got with my nice letter from Mrs Clinton(and if you were so minded) some of the ornaments that were hung might have looked a bit weird, and could be interpreted as sorta, kinda looking like a pipe or vibrator. I know they weren't but that is just the mindset of the Clinton and Obama enemies. "never let the truth get in the way of a good story...")
Can't we just put a rubber stamped GODWIN across this poster whenever it's seen in the wild, and be done with it?
We've still got a couple weeks before the election. I'm waiting to see how much more shrill and crazy the anti-Obama folks can get. A few months ago, he was a secret Muslim. Then he was a terrorist. Now, he's Hitler. What's next? Maybe a poster with horns, a pitchfork, and a tail? ("Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a senator of wealth and taste....")
Here's a piece no one cared about. Meh, whatever, probably the most enjoyable article I did during my stint at TIME. Premiered a month before I got laid-off. The nail in the coffin? Ya think?
Here's me going after Al. I didn't so much have a problem with him, as I had a problem with media acting like this dude was the go-to guy for everything black.
This was my first real story at time. I was writing for the Business section, a real change of direction for me. At any rate, it's about Wal-Mart's attempts to colonize the inner-city. As much as I enjoyed this piece, I mostly enjoyed going out to Chicago, which is a beautiful, beautiful city.
This a piece I did about the cops just outside our nation capitol, in Prince George's County, a few years back. I wanted to offer a counter to the dumb, conventional wisdom that if you paint your police force black, you could eradicate police brutality. In fact, Prince George's--one of the richest, blackest counties in the country--also had one of the most brutal police force's in the country.
The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood 
You know, if you are going to criticize someone, at least spell his name correctly.
Also, they forgot to include Chairman Mao. If there is anyone connected with a cult of personality, it's Mao. They also forgot Idi Amin.
Sheesh, these people aren't even trying anymore. Stick a fork in them, they're done.
any idea who put this out?
It would also be nice if they'd only attribute quotations to Obama that he, you know, actually said, but at this point I suppose that's a minor quibble.
(Cf.)
Well at least this isn't racist, it's just really dumb. I don't really think it even belongs in your Thug-Life series.
Patricia,
It was in a Republican office in Pampano Beach, Florida.
I love how posters like these are so low-quality. As if no self-respecting graphic designer would ever sign onto them. That says more than I ever could.
And what about Putin? He's been a big campaign topic and he's getting his youth movement on big-time. These guys are just incompetent.
And 100% morally corrupt.
"Are you nuts?"
The stirrings of self-awareness?
Is it just me, or does anyone else think this looks a bit--obviously I mean this purely as a matter of graphic design--like a New York Review of Books cover? I think it's the color scheme, maybe also the font...
The font, yeah. It's not the same exact face, but close. To me it looks kind of retro, like a 20s Weimar Germany movie poster. This is a very bad example of what I mean but you kinda get the idea.
http://image.linotype.com/cms/filmplakat2_d12594i50.jpg
My favorite part of these articles is when they talk to who ever the local GOP head is, and that person is inevitably shocked, SHOCKED, that anyone would do such a thing.
Yeah, the point has been made. But that doesn't mean I want you to stop.
I don't blame you. This drains the energy from my mind completely. Too exhausting for words.
Ya know who else depended upon a youth movement to sweep into power? Abraham Lincoln.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide_Awakes
Just goes to show that the Republicans have gone old and senile and have forgotten their history (insofar as the Republicans aren't old-style Southern Democrats in Republican clothing). Also goes to show how the Republicans willfully misunderstand who Obama is and how he got to where he is now.
The Hitler thing is back as a meme after the speech in St. Louis. Palin can't scare up 100,000 monkey-wavers. Ergo anyone who attracts a large crowd to hear him (or her) speak is an alien, like on The Tomorrow People.
Everyone should pop over to Marc's; he's been driven over the edge by a triple denial of reality which led to a wild blend of particle physics, poetry, and snark.
Ploeg, I'd never heard of them before. They sound kind of odd:
The standard Wide Awake uniform consisted of a full robe or cape, a black glazed hat, and a torch six feet in length to which a large, flaming, pivoting whale-oil container was mounted...
Hahaha young people are terrifying! They might as well just say "Hey you kids, get off of my lawn!"
To appreciate the full screaming irony of this, you have to watch McCain on Letterman justifying Sarah Palin. He talks about her leadership, as shown by how well she can whip up a crowd:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/10/letterman-on-pa.html
If you never heard of the Wide Awakes, you should google the Know-Nothings. Same era, much more relevant today...
"It would also be nice if they'd only attribute quotations to Obama that he, you know, actually said..."
But he did say it; he's used every one of those words at one time or another. Fair game.
Asher: They are kind of odd from our early 21st century viewpoint. Political campaigns were run differently in the middle of the 19th century to begin with. If you also take into account the increasing violence in the country over slavery and the expectation that there would be more violence to come, it would be a wonder if the Wide Awakes didn't exist.
We all know how ridiculous it is for these guys to talk about Obama in the same breath as Hitler, Castro, Stalin, etc. etc. etc., just as it is ridiculous to talk about Lincoln in the same breath as Hitler. And it probably wouldn't help to bring up the Wide Awakes with somebody who thinks that Obama is the second coming of Che. But I think that some historical perspective never hurts.
bab23 -- I just involuntarily imagined how a pieced-together tape of Obama saying each of those words individually would sound, and now I can't stop giggling.
That poster is about the coolest thing I have ever seen. Does anyone know where I can get one?
"young people are terrifying!"
Although I don't agree with this stupid Republican poster young people kind of are terrifying. I mean in comparative term, in particular young unmarried men.
It was young white guys who assaulted my brother and humiliated me at times. In virtually all societies young unmarried men commit a disproportionate amount of the violent crimes.
However Obama is more attractive, thus far, to young women than young men. Young women have never been as linked to totalitarian or violent movements. Yes I'm aware that sounds sexist, but it happens to be true. There were a few violent Radical Feminists in the 1960s and in Britain some of the suffragettes were actually fairly extreme. (Mostly arson of aristocratic summer homes and snapping telephone wires, no targeting of people) Mostly though movements of young women, or just where young women are more common than young men, are much less likely to get criminal or dangerous.
This is part of why Ron Paul was more legitimately creepy. His attraction with the young was about 70-80% male from what I can tell. If someone's rallies are mostly men under 30 this may be worth being concerned about. Well unless they're all like Quaker men or something.
"This is part of why Ron Paul was more legitimately creepy."
The "more" part might be implying I think Obama is creepy too, just less so, and that's not precisely what I meant. I meant Paul's youth appeal was more unnerving, to me, than that of varied candidates with youth appeal. This wasn't only, or even mainly, because it appealed more to young men. However that was a factor.
I hope this isn't the last one.
You haven't commented on the Obama Effigy. Plus, you know, before this election is over, some official Republican is gonna call Obama a Nigger. You must realize that by now. You can't stop now, Coates. Gotta see this through to the end.
The incessant conflation with Obama to socialism is becoming such an empty hunk of irony when taken in conjunction with the "elitist" tag; if anyone is sounding like they're hungering for a Maoist Cultural Revolution it's the GOP wingnut faction at this moment. Their thirst for the blood of the professional and the educated types sounds a hell of a lot more like the Khmer Rouge than a legitimate political party in the U.S. of A.
Okay, I got it.
Obama is a muslim who is excessively influenced by his Christian pastor.
We won't vote for Obama because he'll force whites to pay reparations to decendents of slaves, and he's 2/3 arab.
Obama's an elitist who stirs up the masses.
Obama's a celebrity, and is just like Karl Marx.
Obama doesn't have enough experience to lead because he's a manchurian candidate who's been trained since infancy to manipulate the American political process.
Obama's not like us, he's unamerican. That must be why he has such a scary following among American youth. Youth just love unamerican people...
Did I get them all?
I look at this fear of change and I think that in four years time, people will be so much more relieved about what's going on, half of those who are fearmongering now will saying, "I knew that Obama guy was on to something."
The next few years will probably be pretty horrible no matter who's in office, so I wouldn't be too confident about that. If there are actually people who are literally expecting Obama to be the next Hitler than I guess they'll be disappointed, but my attempt at foretelling the future would be that Obama will be a lot less popular in four years than he is now.
I remember the Clinton years, and all the Right's craziness ("he's coke dealer and murderer, and will suspend the elections! His attacks on Bin Laden are 'wagging the dog'! His wife killed Vince Foster, and hung crack pipes and dildos* on the White House Christmas tree! They are going to mandate gay sex education! They are going to socialize health care!"). They were projecting of course.
We now have (as has been noted) an Administration that has suspended Habeas Corpus, can eavesdrop with impunity, has an appalling record of corruption, cronyism, and economic idiocy.
I'm supposed to think the Senator from Illinois is Hitler?
(And I'm an artist who actually had some of my work, along with some 300 other American artists, on that tree, in 1995. I didn't get to the White House to see it, but the in the photo I got with my nice letter from Mrs Clinton(and if you were so minded) some of the ornaments that were hung might have looked a bit weird, and could be interpreted as sorta, kinda looking like a pipe or vibrator. I know they weren't but that is just the mindset of the Clinton and Obama enemies. "never let the truth get in the way of a good story...")
Oops. I now know not to hit 'reload' when I get the "submission confirmed" screen...
Sarah Palin's stump speeches made me wonder if this is what it was like for the 'elite' Venezuelans to witness Hugo Chavez's rise to power.
Can't we just put a rubber stamped GODWIN across this poster whenever it's seen in the wild, and be done with it?
We've still got a couple weeks before the election. I'm waiting to see how much more shrill and crazy the anti-Obama folks can get. A few months ago, he was a secret Muslim. Then he was a terrorist. Now, he's Hitler. What's next? Maybe a poster with horns, a pitchfork, and a tail? ("Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a senator of wealth and taste....")