media10-keyimages

Imagery: Key images associated with major candidates (Julia B & Anna)

http://www.eaas.co.uk/images/ atmospheric_optics/rainbow.jpg http://images.google.com/ imgres?imgurl=http://static. allergizer.com/allergizer.com/ imgname--wheat_and_milk_in_ mcdonalds_french_fries--- 50226711--french_fries.jpg http://www.watchmojo.com/ blogs/images/beer6.jpg []

What do these images mean to you? Do they mean happiness, strength, satisfaction? Images have the ability to evoke powerful thoughts and emotions. When connected to certain political figures, they can influence the way we view those people. We're all familiar with the symbols associated with Barack Obama, John McCain, George W. Bush, and Sarah Palin, but now it's time to take a closer look at the bias behind the bull.

Barack Obama: The Messiah—Both conservatives and liberals alike have mentioned Obama’s “messiah complex,” referring to the belief of thousands of Americans that Obama is a godly being, as well as the belief that Obama may or may not have about himself as the savior of America. Most references to this idea are negative, implying that Obama is adeptly fooling the masses into believing he’s something he isn’t and that Obama thinks much too highly of himself. Such bias cast a particularly negative light on Obama’s campaign in 2008. []

Che Guevara--Che Guevara, a radical Cuban revolutionary, represents change and the power of the masses to make government stand for its people. During his camapign for the presidency, Barack Obama used the idea of change to set himself apart from other candidates. As a younger and more modern figure, Obama, like Che, inspired the youth of the country to take part in the shaping of their country. The two young political leaders inspire a new generation of political innovation and idealism in their nation's people. Obama's famous "hope" poster is strikingly similar to the notorious image of Che in color, design, and stance. [] [] []

George W. Bush:

Bush the Cowboy--Everyone has heard of Bush's beloved ranch, his Texas background, and his Western-movie colloqialisms ("If you're not with us, you're against us," for example). Bush tried to paint himself as an old-fashioned Texas cowboy who doesn't play by the rules and never surrenders. With this image behind him, Bush convinced thousands of Americans of his sincere love for America and his willingness to fight to the finish, no matter what the cost. The cowboy is, after all, a traditional American hero, and what more could a president aspire to be? []

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Bush the Born-Again--Although Bush has never directly stated that he is a born-again, he often played up his strong Evangelical religious beliefs to appeal to Christians across the nation. In his campaign autobiography, Bush specifically refers to a mustard seed being planted in his soul, which shows how well he knows his Bible. And Bush is not only a good Christian--he is a reformed Christian, which is generally considered the best kind ("There is one thing they can never resist, and that is a reformed sinner..." --Chicago).

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Sarah Palin:

Small-town girl--Sarah Palin frequently reminded America that she was born and raised in a small town, where her parents were elementary school teachers. She married her high school boyfriend, who is of good old Eskimo heritage. Sarah Palin tried to get Americans to see her as a woman they might know in their very own small town, someone they would trust to watch their kids if they went out and maybe even water their plants. []

Pitbull/Lipstick- In Sarah Palin's self-introduction to America, aka her speech at the 2008 Republican National Convention, she coined the image behind a hockey mom-- a pitbull in lipstick. The adjectives used to describe pitbulls generally include fierce, fiesty, and mean. The adjectives used to describe lipstick generally include sexy, stylish, and feminine. Sarah Palin combines these two different images, the pitbull and the lipstick, to create an image of herself as a fierce and stylish woman, a candidate who could get the job done while wearing lipstick and heels. This image appeals to both men and women, to men as a sex symbol and to women as a feminist inspiration. []

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John McCain:

Maverick- Can you even think of John McCain without thinking of the word maverick? Maybe it is the fault of SNL skits and repetitive newscasts, but after the 2009 presedential election, the word maverick and John McCain are never far separated. The word, maverick, comes from Samuel A. Maverick, a Texas pioneer who did not brand his cattle so as to set them apart. Today's usage of the word stems from this early origin, and the ideas behind it (the old-school, out West, American, who does something differently from others) play into its connotations. While Barack Obama tried to tie himself to the word "change," John McCain tried just as hard to tie himself to the word maverick. Maverick. []

War Hero- We've all heard the John McCain war stories. Among the most famous is his story of the cross drawn in the dirt. Here is a brief telling of the story:

"It was Christmas day, we were allowed to stand outside of our cell for a few minutes, and those days we were not allowed to see or communicate with each other although we certainly did. And I was standing outside for my few minutes, outside my cell. He came walking up. He stood there for a minute and with his sadal on the dirt in the courtyard he drew a cross and he stood there and a minute later, he rubbed it out and walked away. For a minute there, there as just two Christians worshipping together. I'll never forget that moment" []

This story appeals to ethos and pathos in serious ways. It also conjurs some of the most powerful images in American society. First of all "Christmas day" is not something that can be mentioned without immediate thoughts of winter wonderlands, colorful wrapping paper and big mystery presents, and merry, jolly, ho-ho-ho things. By mentioning Christmas day, the receiver of this story is first presented with a whirlwind of happy thoughts, then quickly made sadder than sad at the understanding that someone is being held prisoner on this day. By this point in the story, the reader/listener is already in a sympathetic frame of mind. The next image that is congered is a cross, a cross on dirt, more importantly. The cross is the most prominent symbol of Christianity, but a cross drawn on dirt goes back to the absolute core of Christianity and Jesus himself. The dirt creates a setting of poverty and simplicity, concepts for which Jesus lived and died. With this one story, John McCain plays upon a spread of emotions and connects himself with the symbol of the cross (and therefore Christianity), the war-torn hero, and lastly, the hope that comes from two people sharing a belief and understanding. []

MLA citations:

Text: Baard, Erik. “George W. Bush Ain’t No Cowboy.” //The Village Voice.// 21 September 2004. [] “Barack Obama ‘Hope’ Poster.” //Wikipedia.// [] Hoffman, Claire. “Is Obama a (or the) Messiah?” //The Washington Post//. 18 February 2008. [] Johnson, Alex. “Bush—born again, or not?” //MSNBC//. 28 September 2004. [] “No ‘cross in the sand’ for McCain in 1973.” //Daily Kos//. 17 August 2008. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/8/17/15300/5629/128/569386 “Sarah Palin RNC Convention Speech.” //The Huffington Post.// 4 October 2008. [] Stickings, Michael J. W. “Lies, Damned Lies, and John McCain Claiming He Was Never a Maverick.” //The Huffington Post.// 6 April 2010. [] Image citations are underneath the images