Not sure about the view from ubercoolische Mitte or whatever simulacrum or observer-created reality this fey dose of Critical Theory 101 came from, but here in the States the ‘nightmare of truth’ has been going on for most of the 21st century.

But hey, if BO’s too full of truisms, there’s a candidate from Arizona and whole bunch of folks over here who’ll agree with Baudrillard, go ahead, join in the chant: The Gulf War Did Not Take Place.

Posted by nick on 25/07/08, 3:15 pm

“nightmare of truth”?

riiiiiight. So that’s your reality, is it?

Posted by kchicago on 25/07/08, 3:48 pm

I applaud CR in daring to raise any critical questions about senator obama and his policies (or lack thereof). It seems as though everyone in the creative community at large has uniformly thrown critical dialogue out the window in favor of the easier to digest bush=hitler/obama=savior dichotomy. Ahh, if only the issues were that simple. I must have missed the day in art school where we all traded in our brains for an unquestioning membership to the democratic party.

Posted by mike on 25/07/08, 9:48 pm

This post is what’s commonly known in interweb land as off topic. Since when did CR do low grade sensationalist political analysis with a few big words thrown in to sound clever? Call me crazy but I prefer the usual mix of high quality design and advertising…

Posted by Sleevelessness on 25/07/08, 9:56 pm

The post is fine as far as it goes: as a subjective account of being in the midst of a giant piece of political theater. Whether it is a massive, staged rally or a mediascape, the content is usually designed to take a back seat to the experience or image, respectively. Twas ever thus.

The fallacy is to conclude that this construction is the full extent of the reality worth considering. If it were, then the choice between candidates is as meaningful as changing the channel.

But related to nick’s point above, no one can seriously argue that after eight seasons of the Bush Show, the world’s in the same state as if we’d all been watching the Gore Channel instead.

But behind/below/alongside this simulacrum is actual policy, actual executive decisions, and exercise of real power over the apparatus of the state. No matter how unlikely, it’s incumbent on a citizen to look beyond the “soundbites” and study the “actual policies” herself.

It’s the kind of communication that’s better suited to a website than a concert-sized rally in front of a largely non-voting audience anyway.

Posted by greg.org on 26/07/08, 2:35 pm

Well… we all know there’s a bunch of f***ers waiting to fly over the White House searching for more Meat, but, Obama is not going to save the world either. The real problem is that a politician cannot fight the economic system that is responsible of it all, even of himself… He might avoid the Hawks from getting money from taxes to feed their “Security Companies” in Irak or wherever (and so on…), but they’ll still be speculating with our lives, our food, our energy, our environment… etc etc… Although, if Obama is the best among the worse, then welcome in man…

Posted by Javier on 26/07/08, 6:04 pm

First part of the article was good, and i was expecting a good article on how Obama has used design in his campain. THAT would be interesting, an article (although well-written) on how bad and mean Obama is.

Posted by Alyce on 26/07/08, 6:29 pm

oh yes critical dialogue -

seems like some people take it for deep thought

to mention “that we should be critical” as if they just had an epiphany

gues what i figured that one out in kindergarden, when a “friend” of mine stole my sand mold, while we were sitting in a sand box (he was my friend, you know?)

and i tell you - he is still my friend

why? because when i stole his sand mole, he did not start hitting me , but we argued .
both made our point, realised that we both made a mistake, and stayed friends -
JUST BECAUSE OF THE RIGHT RETHORIC

then he gave me a hug - just a symbol you know?, but works great! -

maybe Mr.O. lives a construct, but at least its not imsosmartism

Posted by c.flood on 26/07/08, 10:31 pm

Yes. I was just around the corner from this well constructed show too..
I don’t really get it. What the hell is he doing going on tour?
I mean, fair dues but - can’t he wait until he actually is ‘President’?

Posted by action man on 27/07/08, 4:10 pm

Whilst I can understand some Americans deep desire to be rid of Bush, the corporate duopoly that runs American Capitalism isn’t about to put up a candidate that really challenges anything, like Blair it’s all in the show with no substance behind it, or rather all show to sell the same old substance behind it…pro-Israel, pro-war (in Afghanistan if not Iraq) etc etc…it would be a simulacra if it were not frighteningly real.

Question is for those of us interested in design, what the f*ck is Shepherd Fairley and loads of other designers throwing in his weight with it all? I mean can you really be that stupid?!

The only hope with Obama is that he raises hopes to such a degree that when he doesn’t deliver that hope turns to anger and people do something.

Posted by noel douglas on 28/07/08, 4:10 am

Ho ho! Let’s not go into a frenzy here! This is a far cry from Gonzo journalism Mr. West!
What the dumb Child President and his criminal scum have managed to fuck up in those last 8 years can’t possibly be undone by 1 generation. So why bother!
No these are professionals after all and so are We! Thank god for choice Mr. West, we (well the american people to be precise) can always vote for War Hero McCain instead and let the Bush family reign the world as they did for the last 25 years.
Thank god for Choice, Chevy’s and Hot Dogs Mr. West!

Posted by Not Another Graphic Designer on 28/07/08, 10:37 am

Is Obama a socialist? Because the poster suggests he might be. Hail the new new left.

Posted by Jeremy on 28/07/08, 11:40 am

well said. I agree. Visually as well, he’s def the new left, which by that turns right. there’s no dif, really btn a ne0-conservative and a neo-liberal. That’s all the choices we’re given, pro-war, pro-globalism, pro-israel….Also, I heard there were no banners or posters allowed at the rally, just incase, which seems trange to me from someone who claims to be a democrat. Blue is the new red!

Posted by otomi on 29/07/08, 10:45 pm

I completely disagree with slevlessness. I’ve just found reading the article and the many comments very interesting and helpful (my dissertation is developing on this topic). I think it most certainly has a place on the CR Blog, purely because as visual practitioners ‘broader thinking’ is very important and simulacrum is something I feel we all need to be very aware of. Its inherence in mass visual culture is very apparent and to see its roots in a political sense is as interesting and as important, if not more. Also isnt it interesting how in the poster BO appears with his face lit directly from the front and in a tint of blue? I’ve seen this re-occuring in many photos that have obviously had their colours edited.. How about that for simulacrum? Thanks Daniel.

Posted by Steve Fenn on 31/07/08, 12:20 am

Great post.

I completely agree with Dan and I also agree with Steve. What’s also ironic about this, is that I was surfing around the web and I noticed an interesting t-shirt.

It was Obama wearing Mickey Mouse ears.

Posted by Greg Mihalko on 01/08/08, 2:49 pm