Judging Campaigns By Their Colors
I have election fever and everything else I had intended to write is out the window. It has been an all out Red and Blue assault — everywhere the eye can see. Not Prussian or Cerulean blue, mind you, but a pure, pungent royal blue. And the red — the purest cadmium deep, not a touch too orange or blue — is the color of a bulls eye, the color of blood.
These are the colors of our patriotism. Red is the color of power, passion, aggression, and war. It’s the id that overpowers all colors. Blue is the color of wisdom, calm, hindsight and thoughtfulness. In this light, I love the design of the American flag. Admittedly, I’d love to update it (another post), but it captures what I view as the colors of America. Furthermore, the colors assigned of Red=Republican and Blue=Democrat, undoubtedly by some anonymous graphics editor, seem totally apt.
“Three Flags” Jasper Johns 24″ x 16 1/2″
Artists are constantly thinking color: which ones to use and when, when to make one or two dominant, how they change next to each other. As a painter, the colors form an entire language both spatially and mood-wise–for example, warmer and darker colors push forward on a plane. Cool and lighter colors go backwards. They start to become friends with frequent use and then they hang around in your palette and the studio becomes a never-ending party.
For more than a decade in the nineties I didn’t own a television. Yes, I might have seen it occasionally at friends’ houses, but it wasn’t how I got the news. I read the paper in black and white — “Just the facts, Ma’am.” But the first time I saw BBC News on television I was traveling in Europe. I put my hand to my mouth in shock that its branding and backdrops were mostly bright blood red. In my mind’s eye, when I heard their cool objective accented voices on the radio I thought of blue! I wrote a letter to the president telling him it was all wrong, a terrible choice. Needless to say, they didn’t change it.
Even though blue is typically considered cool and recessive, there’s a hue that has essentially no right to be considered in the blue family. The closest I could replicate it with paint would be Pthalo Blue but it’s so obnoxious that even a drop would overpower any painting. It’s so hot it rivals red. It was synthetically created in the last century as a replacement for Prussian — a great deep blue pigment favored by Matisse — but Prussian is considered less reliable in that it changes over time. (They call pigments like this “fugitive” and I always picture the color escaping off the canvas and going into hiding.) As a painter, I try to stay away from Pthalo. That said, add a little white and you have something quite divine.
Unfortunately, TV video editors like to bathe themselves in it every morning and this makes my retinas bleed. Fox News is one of the worst offenders and given their hawkishness, it’s no surprise. They always use the strongest, most condescending ALL CAPS Pthalo blue and red together, their swirling graphics so spastic it more resembles a drunken peacock than a television station.
CNN, even if it can be just as hawkish (thanks to touches of Cerulean), seems a tad more objective and sobering.
Barack, who never voted for the war, is the candidate for peace and his website is in various shades of blues. The blue use is respectful and doesn’t talk down to us. Given the red hot passion he inspires, he’s smart to counteract it with his sensible branding. Though I do wonder if I can open a checking account.
Barack Obama’s website homepage www.barackobama.com
Clinton — a Democrat but slightly more hawkish — uses a Prussian blue. Note that jacket and the blue screen behind her. It’s not her fault, but once again, shame on those television editors!
Hillary Clinton’s Website Homepage www.hillaryclinton.com
John McCain, who rides the “straight talk” express, uses black and white and doesn’t want too much color getting in the way, although the effect has more in common with the console of a late 1990s video game with the handy logo serving as crosshairs. In case we might be blind, McCain’s website displays the branding not twice but three times, the ultimate sin. Bang bang! Fire the web designers!
John McCain’s website www.johnmccain.com
Let’s not talk about Bush. I think he might be colorblind. Too much red isn’t good for anyone.
The election isn’t close to over, but this artist looks forward to seeing green, yellow, brown and turquoise again.
Obama is a joke. HE promises change. That change is a president who will not get one thing done. THe change will be no laws or bills being passed. He will get us in huge trouble with terrorist and extremists. The man has the worst foreign policy ever. YOU CANT BE DIPLOMATIC WITH TERRORISTS.WERE THEY DIPLOMATIC BEFORE HITTING THE WORLD TRADE CENTERS. also his wife who is a healthcare expert goesfrom making 100K a year to 380K after obama runs for president. As a healthcare expert she should not be making that much money. That takes away from the ppl that need money for HEALTHCARE>>>
JOHN MCCAIN 08′ only logical pick
reply to obama sucks
“never negotiate out of fear, but never fear to negotiate”
By talking to the syrian, iranian, and other governments, we are showing we are not afraid of them. Again, the governments are not terrorists, there are terrorists within the country (but then again, there are also terrorists within our own country).
john mccain logical? the man who said that we could stay in iraq for 10,000 years? please.
The point you made about Obama’s wife is completely irrelevant. It’s not like right-wingers ever assault the left on unrelated personal topics *cough*.
I’m not gonna restate the point that matt stated about foreign policy, but I completely agree with him.
I don’t know what’s giving me more of a headache OBAMA SUCKS, the bright red that your post depicts or the amount of CAPITAL LETTERS in it.
How is McCain the logical pick, have you looked at this economic policy, it is so typically republican, it is scary. The biggest issue facing the USA is not security but the economy and Senator Obama is the only person who can fix it. McCain talks about fiscal responsbility, how can you cut funding when no money is coming in, you can’t. $12 billion is being spent on the Iraq war per week, when the defecit is growing, McCain is the totally wrong pick because he will truly screw the economy.
Wow, you know the combination of your horrible grammar, and mis-informed Fox News Propaganda proves your incompetents. Typical conservative. Let me explain to you in every aspect that your tiny mind can comprehend. You first say he promises change, but will not bring it. Please, please, please back yourself up — because your turning a rowboat into a freighter. You have no supporting evidence to even begin to say this. If anything I could say McCain would be the worst in getting anything passed because we have a DEMOCRATIC Congress. Jackass! You say Obama would get us in trouble — how is this? By talking? Maybe we would be in less trouble if we bomb, shoot, and murder their brothers, sisters, children, and family. Thats a way to do it! wow!
To touch on the ’she makes more money now’ comment — I’ve never even heard that statistic. I looked it up, and couldn’t find a thing. Did Fox tell you this….lol. Let me say this in defense though. If she did in fact go from making 100k to 380k — thats alright. She is a Harvard grad, i wonder if she got a promotion? hmm? It does happen. 380k is a decent middle management salary, especially for the Health Care industry. And don’t even try the ‘that takes money away from people who need health care’. I honestly think if any comment killed your arguement, it was that. Your nominee, John McCain, doesn’t care about health care, we will have the same thing later, as we have now if he becomes president.
Our country is slowly going broke. We spend $275 million a day on the war in iraq. It is expected to hit 2 trillion by the end of it all — that is if McCain does not win, if he does expect it to be higher. Let see what that does for the U.S. Economy. If we took $2,000,000,000,000 (2 trillion) and divided by the u.s. population 300,000,000 that comes to $6,666.00 per person. That is assuming every man woman and child in the U.S. That is enough money to give our economy a generous stimulus.
It is not a measure of how great our country to have the 38th best health care service in the world. It is not a measure of how great our country is to have people dying of diabetes, cancer, and heart failure because they cannot afford a doctor. It is not a measure of our country to portray such a disillusioned image of our great United State of America. We can be a great power, and a great leader if we would just step up, but we are not doing that. We are letting bad leaders be elected, we are not talking with the countries that we need to be talking with, we are letting our people suffer economically, and through bad health care. We are not showing the kind of leadership this country is capable of. And mostly, we are not acting as a world power should act.
Barack Obama ‘08 the only logical pick
William Evan Kasel
Interesting how the focus on our flags colors can be used as a catalist to unify our nation; reminding us of the importance of unity for a greater cause.
This past week, my heart has been heavy. We have gotten off of the message of hope and unity for division and separation. I have been made to feel ashamed of my gender and race. Let’s not lose heart or focus for what is possible. WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD, but not through separation. I have to believe that there are few ignorant people left in this world. I have to believe that in my children’s lifetime, they will have the chance to be free from being judged by the color of their skin… for in that is the message of HOPE. We need to focus on what matters. Unify, seek peace at all costs. Be careful in what you say, what you blog and even in your attitudes. The world is watching.
Remember, WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD… by winning over one person at a time through love and compassion. Race and gender is what makes our great nation. Celebrate diversity and respect those that have different views. There is room for us all.
I love America. I am a Republican. Never once have I voted Democrat for President. Barack Obama has challenged me to question my fundimental principals… and these past six months I have had to struggle with who I was and what I wanted. I am finding out that I am more of the white in the flag. I believe that Obama truly has the vision and the sound judgement to build bridges between party lines, race, income, religion, and education. But it must start with me… and in return you. WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD.
Hate no more… even if it is brocolli. The word hate is caustic, and transfers negative emotions. Substitute the word… you will find by watching the words you choose emotional transfers are less. We haven’t a clue what others have experienced in life regardless of color or creed.
I BELIEVE IN HOPE… WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD.
What an interesting analysis of the color schemes of political web sites and TV news sets. I love all shades of blue except for the one that you point out, and I do find that hue that you mention to be unpleasant and repelling. Your post has provided me with some insight as to why I find these TV news and sports sets so offensive.
I also wanted to mention how moved and encouraged I was by the comment above by Heather Ebert. It is people like you, Heather, that give me hope that we will choose to turn away from fear, anger, hate, and divisiveness toward love, compasssion, and hope. Barack is demonstrating to us a new way, a new path. A path that leads us into the light of understanding and seeing the ways in which we are the same, instead of focusing our attention on the ways in which we differ.
Our passion for our country, and our hope for a more just and prosperous future for America and the world are changing hearts and minds each and every day. Together was can. Yes we can!