D?j? vu all over again?

[Smiling JOe]

Goofer, I hear you loud and clear. It is difficult to separate the audible from the visual. There is much more truth in non-verbal communication than in verbal, but the disguise of make up and clothing, makes the picture a little fuzzy. I remember hearing Al Gore in a debate, and he sounded good. I later watched the debate on TV, and I thought he was lousy, and it wasn't because of the clothes or make-up. It was in his facial expressions, which seemed to be extremely childish, when reacting to the other candidates. The difference between simply listening and watching, was 100% different. Unfortunately, this is election season, so it is difficult for me to believe anything coming out of the mouths of these candidates. They will say what is needed to be said to win the election, no matter if it has incomplete truths or outright lies. Therefore, the only thing I can rely on is their previous history in poliTRICKS, as for really knowing the direction in which they will take us as a Country.

I look no further than Hollywood to get an idea of what people want. All of the top-paid actors could double as super-models. There are many intelligent people in the USA who do go for substance, but the sad truth is that there are probably more people who go for good looks and charming nature when pulling the lever at the voting booth. That wasn't the truth as little as ten years ago, but now with digital cameras everywhere, scandal and lies on the internet, the race all comes down to money, appearance, and soundbites.

 

[scooterbug44]

Did you mean "substance", not "abstinence"?

It's not just a political superficiality issue - it has been proven that attractive people make more money and are more successful in many other areas of life.

Politics is a public relations and sales gig - so general attractiveness, good grooming, and speaking skills matter.

 

[elgordoboy]

Did you mean "substance", not "abstinence"?

It's not just a political superficiality issue - it has been proven that attractive people make more money and are more successful in many other areas of life.

Politics is a public relations and sales gig - so general attractiveness, good grooming, and speaking skills matter.

Sounds like life. I like it better as abstinence lol.

 

[Smiling JOe]

oops. I meant "substance." Thanks.

 

[rapunzel]

And let's not forget the whole 'branding' aspect. Overnight, McCain's website morphed from black with a star, Times New Roman/Arial text with a neo-fascist, oppressive feel to this...

Which is a blantant bit of plagarism/graphics theft...I'm not sure what to call it...

The non-traditional blue, the sun ray pattern, the red and white stripe....

Let's not pretend these things don't matter. Please understand, I applaud anyone who focuses on issues and makes their decisions accordingly, just like I applaud the shopper that compares materials and quality vs. cost and consults consumer reviews. But, I wouldn't want to own stock in company who's CEO paid no attention to branding, packaging, and marketing. Or one who just modeled his branding on the competitor's, for that matter.

 

[scooterbug44]

Obviously McCain ripped off Obama - he can't have thought up using red, white, and blue for a national political campaign all by hisself! ;-)

 

[traderx]

I feel like somebody found a Baby Ruth bar in the pool and everybody is pointing their finger at me...

Seriously, I am not advocating a campaign of superficial sound bytes and spin. I just believe it is here to stay.

Yes, SJ, Kennedy was a candiate of experience and substance and a bonafide war hero to boot. Today's Democrats are not your father's Kennedy. Kennedy was conservative on defense and moderate to liberal on social issues.

An alarming percentage of registered voters cannot read and write; we graduate many seniors from high school who cannot locate South America on a world map; our students score dead last on standardized tests compared to the other G8 nations and Obama has the likes of NBC, ABC, CBS and the AP in his corner. Which other presidential candidate could have called a reporter "sweetie" and get a free pass? Obama has energized many young voters to register. Many of these new voters are the same ones who get their "facts" from movies ("the CIA killed Kennedy") and from the internet. I also doubt that most can name their state's Senators and Congressman. It is no wonder that substance was left at the train station.

It is interesting to note that George Bush was elected twice and I think it is fair to say that he lacks superior speaking skills. But, on tv, he came across as sincere and next to the robotic, arrogant Gore, he looked pretty good. Same with that arrogant elitist Kerry.

If the media will give Obama a free pass on "sweetie" I suppose they will ignore anything short of a capital crime.

My own son shocked me recently. He is a scientist and smart as they come. He is an excellent critical thinker and logical to a fault. I asked him whom he like for President.

"Obama".

"Why?"

"It's time for a change."

"Where does Obama stand on key issues?"

Silence.

He had no idea. He is just ready for a change. Well, and presumably some new sound bytes.

I believe there is the inevitable Bush fatique which besets a presidency after eight years. We lived through Clinton fatigue as well. McCain faces an uphill battle against Obama and the press. How many times will Obama and the press utter the phrase "a vote for McCain is a vote for a third term for Bush? It will be a miracle if McCain wins.

 

[rapunzel]

Obviously McCain ripped off Obama - he can't have thought up using red, white, and blue for a national political campaign all by hisself! ;-)

Scoot -- you're a design professional, so don't snark at me...you can see the font style, the starburst effect through the blue, the departure from royal/navy blue that is standard in campaigns. ;-)

I'm sure, however, that he thought up the "Leader We Can Believe In!" all on his own, though. I

 

[Smiling JOe]

I don't mean to be pointing fingers at your Baby Ruth. lol. I think it is interesting that Obama's campaign is on "change." Many think that he will change Washington, but he will just add to the powers of the Federal Gov't, making it even more difficult for anyone to change Washington. The only way to change Washington is to lighten up on all of the powers of the Fed. Gov't. The only true change which will come, will likely be twenty years from now when a Libertarian takes a seat in the Oval Office.

On the copying of the fonts and look of the advertising, it is obvious that it is copied. I will point out that McDonald's spends millions and millions of dollars on selecting the sites for their restaurants. Wendy's and BugerKing, don't spend money on that at all. They simply find a McDonald's and buy in close proximity, getting much of the benefit for no cost. Many other fast food burger joints even copied the use of yellow and red colors for their signs, because it works. No need to reinvent the wheel, if it is already rolling smoothly. Businesses do this everyday. I will say that McCain's new colors look much better than the one star on the green background he had for the back drop at his recent speech. I guess everyone seems to be trying to "go green" these days, even if they aren't "green."

 

[Mango]

I wonder why he didn't put your "Your Friend Till the End" ?

That would have cinched it for me.