Barack Obama, in an attempt to appeal to as many niche political groups as possible, has splintered his support so much that -- in the end -- there is no single coalition of minds that leads to results instead of mere yearning. Here is one of the lapel buttons for sale on his website:
Here's the Obama button supporting Gay Pride.
Here's the button for African Americans:
This "Asian Americans Pacific Islanders" button seems like an overdone, politically correct, joke -- until you realize each button costs a serious $3.00USD:
If you're Latino -- here's your button!
If you fought in a war, Obama has a button for you:
Female? Button? Youbetcha!
Independent? Not any longer... if you're with Obama!
Obama Republicans? Uh... sure... as if...
I don't understand why one button can't be used to unite all of us.
What's the point in this splintering and "niching" of American political interests?
If you stand for everything -- then you mean nothing -- and all these buttons speak to a scatter-shot philosophy of uniting and that's bad for America and really bad for Barack in November if we don't all cast away out self-interested buttons in favor of a single semiotic.
Here's my favorite Obama Button. It unites. It speaks to everyone in a single image:
Here's the button for African Americans:
This "Asian Americans Pacific Islanders" button seems like an overdone, politically correct, joke -- until you realize each button costs a serious $3.00USD:
If you fought in a war, Obama has a button for you:
Female? Button? Youbetcha!
Independent? Not any longer... if you're with Obama!
Obama Republicans? Uh... sure... as if...
What's the point in this splintering and "niching" of American political interests?
If you stand for everything -- then you mean nothing -- and all these buttons speak to a scatter-shot philosophy of uniting and that's bad for America and really bad for Barack in November if we don't all cast away out self-interested buttons in favor of a single semiotic.
Here's my favorite Obama Button. It unites. It speaks to everyone in a single image:
Unfortunately, that great button is the last button on the last page of Barack buttons for buying -- and that's
precisely what Barack Obama needs to fix within himself before he can even begin to fix us as a nation.
Bring us together.
Don't separate us by lapel semiotics.
Bring us together.
Don't separate us by lapel semiotics.
Hi David,
I didn't expect this from Barack Obama - it seems childish and directionless - I wonder what prompted him to do it!
And I agree with you, the last one looks most significant - it should definitely go to the first page, or else people will lose interest before reaching there.
In fact, too many choices would leave all confused.
Those buttons do show a real problem with the Obama campaign, Katha: He's trying to be everything to everybody. He's gone mainstream, bland, and he lost his focus. It will be interesting to see if he can bring home a win in November now or not.
I wonder if they will have one button with Biden in tow?
Anne --
Let's hope the Obama-Biden ticket creates one button to unite us all.