The US Candidate Meme
Until recently American politics required the distillation of a candidate into an easily digestible "Sound Byte" ("Read My Lips") but now it seems these little chunks of persona have been reduced even more. I'm calling this "Distilled Politics" where the only thing that matters to the voters is the easily identified "personality meme". Here's my stab at the current line up and what they want us to believe they represent.Obama: Change
Huckabee: Jesus
Giuliani: 911
Paul: Honest
Hillary: Experience
Edwards: Populist
McCain: Patriot
Ok, maybe I'm off here. What's your take?
posted by MBO at 10:11 AM
6 Comments:
Maybe you are quite right. Huckabee JESUS. Hahaha. WORD.
Can you explain Hillary: Experience?
Is it like a step into the unknown world of women?
Who do you think is the best one of those liars?
I don't know why, but I dig Hillary. She's kinda hot.
Just givin my Finnish point of view here.
Yeah, you know guys what? I met this awesome girl at new year. Her favourite book is Naked Lunch, just like mine. We both draw cartoons. And everything is like she is the missing piece from my puzzle. We had the most greatest couple of days here in Helsinki Finland and on wednesday she took the plane back home to ICELAND.
I'm not gonna give up. It may very well be that this little finnish bassplayer is gonna lay his funk down on Iceland permanently.
Don't wanna turn this into a dating chat. Just wanted to share my love with you freaks!
G Love
-Matti
Hi,
Yes, I guess you're right in your assessment of those "candidates" memes. Hillary's "experience" comes from her years as first lady (awful name, btw) and member of congress, I believe.
In the Netherlands there was a cartoon explaining why Hillary lost the first caucus: People found out she had given Bill a blow job!
Why do I alway get the impression American politics is only for the "happy few"? Is it because the elections have been commercialized as everything in that country. No connection with Big Business means no chance to win. Reading "The shock Doctrine", and mainly the chapter about South Africa, opens one's eyes about the difference between political and economic power. A critical reflection on what is/has been done with that economic power across the globe in the last 60 years is on non of the candidates agenda. The environment problems are tackled reluctantly. So to me these memes have little to no value, coming from "arrived" people. I believe it's only good to see America's hegemony over the world in decline. Maybe it will end up as a benevolent state among others. Maybe then also the cultural influence emanating to the western world will decrease to an acceptable. I mean, what have I to gain from knowing Britney Spears isn't allowed to see her kinds anymore, or that she was ushered out of hospital by Dr Phil of all people? Or that Paris Hilton misbehaves once again. That stuff only poisons my mind and distracts me from the only real issues (in my mind) at stake: what do we do to the people and the planet to allow a decent living for all of us, eliminating the excesses of greed and personal/corporate freedom.
There is so much more to say, but wow, what a tirade already...
Now to you Shakki/Matti: Great to hear you connected so well. Perhaps also physical? Good for you! And Iceland? Yes, go there. It's great.
If you're an outdoors man, you will feel great there. Is she from Reykjavik?
Whether it's love or lust, go for it!
Best,
Howard
Howard: It's LoveLust man! Yes all kinds of connections going on! She's from Finland but she's been livin there 2 years, in Reykjavik.
I'm kinda "out-of-my-mind" type of guy, but I'll know where ever she is, I'll have no problem being in the same place.
I believe that if we have children, they will all become the presidents of the united states, in the future where the sun shines on mcdonald's farm fields of Iraq.
Oh yeah the Experience. She's been there before! Wow, 50year old women connected with the word experience, that sounds sexy.
Goddamit, it was always easy follow the presidential race when Hunter S Thompson was alive.
To be clear, I don't think these political tags have anything to do with the reality (perhaps Ron Paul aside, I'm waiting to see) of the candidates, they are just manufactured media representations of character.
Hillary has done nothing but repeat about how much experience she had and how qualified she is to run the USA. I find this claim laughable/bordering on pathetic. In fact I think she and the republican front runners are so clearly in line with corporate, World Bank interests that she is behaving disingenuously by calling herself a "Democrat" (or perhaps I still think that word means something).
Hillary represents more of the same "middle of the road" dilution that her husband championed. At least Bush is honestly shilling for the corporate interests.
Howard, I agree with you that the Western World's (World Bank) interests in other countries has caused insurmountable hardships for countless people, and that the United States is certainly leading that crusade. You may find it interesting that none of the candidates (except Ron Paul) address this issue.
This is why Paul most assuredly wont win his bid for the President, and why I will most likely vote for him.
I wanna hear the opinios of the American MBO Army!
Only dudes talkin here are the Finnish dude and the Dutch dude. Incredible!
I believe that whoever it is that wins, there will be someone who could do the job much better.
Bush has a backup-plan, the white house is completely lost for decades, the killer bees are coming and we all wait for the nuclear holocaust.
At least that's what it looks like up here.
Damnit, where is Hunter S Thompson when you need one.
I think it's a sign of the times... sadly, our attention span is getting shorter and shorter these days... what with all these intrawebs and instant gratification and such.
The whole thing is a theater that I'm not really enjoying.
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