Inverted optics: DNCC wraps Obama in upside-down flag; A familiar look?
posted at 7:55 am on August 19, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
Share on Facebook | regular view
Maybe the DNCC has kept track of the polling this summer and figures the Democratic nominee is officially in distress. That’s the only explanation for a silly gaffe by the convention committee for the graphics on their credentials for those allowed to see Barack Obama’s acceptance speech at Invesco Field. The holographic image uses an American flag motif with the blue field at the bottom, with Obama’s head emerging from it in one of the two alternating images (via the Weasel Zippers):
The viewers say with the stars and blue field in the lower left corner, it looks like an upside down American flag. Published flag etiquette states the stars should always be displayed in the upper left corner. An upside down flag represents an international symbol of extreme distress.
Matt Chandler with the Obama campaign says the flag is not upside down. He says it is a stylized flag designed to blend the stars on Senator Obama’s shirt with the flag blowing in the wind.
Yes — a flag blowing upside-down. The DNCC would not even admit they used a flag:
“The DNCC community credentials incorporate patriotic design elements. They do not depict an actual American flag. The DNCC has full and complete respect for the flag and all rules of display.”
Take a look at the picture and see for yourself whether this depicts an American flag. Blue field …. check. Stars …. check. Alternating white and red stripes …. check. Looks like the flag to me. Maybe the DNCC isn’t familiar with Old Glory.
Flying a flag upside down is a distress signal. Creating a graphic for a presidential campaign that includes an upside-down flag is a signal of a different kind — that the DNCC needs better management.
Update: Maybe the DNCC got the motif from their last nominee:
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages: 1 2 Next »
They are just being honest. America will be in distress if BHO is elected.
Dawnsblood on August 19, 2008 at 8:00 AM
The symbolism of the upside down flag cannot be a mere error in graphic design. It is a subliminal suggestion implanted not all that subtly.
coldwarrior on August 19, 2008 at 8:00 AM
Well, he’s the candidate of “change”. Change we can believe in. And I’m believing he’ll change anything to suit his purposes.
atxcowgirl on August 19, 2008 at 8:04 AM
I’m just happy they didn’t use the ‘O’ logo in the stead of the flag.
carbon_footprint on August 19, 2008 at 8:05 AM
The graphic is appropriate. BO is going down.
forest on August 19, 2008 at 8:07 AM
I don’t think its intended to mean squat, other than the usual triumph of style over substance that characterizes this man and campaign. Text message the VP? This is the MTV aesthetic run amuck. Whatever you “create” has to be given a new presentation. This is about “art” man. You are helplessly uncool, and when the Dems win, we will at least be stylish.
JiangxiDad on August 19, 2008 at 8:11 AM
So Barry literally wraps himself in an upside down American flag. Is there a better metaphor for his candidacy?
Buy Danish on August 19, 2008 at 8:12 AM
Are there 57 stars on the flag?
bonnie_ on August 19, 2008 at 8:13 AM
CHANGE!!!! oh, and Hope! Who cares about you know, issues and junk? And presentation.
mjk on August 19, 2008 at 8:14 AM
JiangxiDad on August 19, 2008 at 8:11 AM
Yep, everything about Obama is stylized. Another eason I think the undecideds will go against him heavily when actual voting takes place.
forest on August 19, 2008 at 8:14 AM
Style over Substance says it all.
Dasher on August 19, 2008 at 8:16 AM
I have a great idea for a YouTube video poking fun at Obama. I think I have the skills and the tools, but I’ve never done it before and would like it to be of good quality. If anyone here has experience with this sort of thing and would like to collaborate on it, please give me a way to contact you.
Thanks.
Kafir on August 19, 2008 at 8:17 AM
Come now, you expect the Democrats to know how to fly an American flag? The hammer and sickle, however, is another matter.
rbj on August 19, 2008 at 8:17 AM
And thus, the amusement value of spotting examples of the Democratic Id alerting the rest of us just how full of crap they really are by leading them into situations where their public tap dancing is patently ridiculous once again provides a melancholy chuckle.
Wind Rider on August 19, 2008 at 8:18 AM
The lefties are in distress, but tis not the only explanation.
It doesn’t matter that it’s not a representation of a real American flag.
Perception is reality, and the obamanator can’t seem to grasp that concept. (I’m convinced it’s an ego thang…)
But this is S.O.P. for the obamanator’s swooning flock of democratic socialist myrmidons – they won’t admit anything is wrong because they didn’t know anything was wrong.
They are a clueless morass of amoral, relativistic, touchy-feely cognitive dissonance.
In Che they trust. The obamanator will lede them. And Geo. Soros will bank roll it all.
God save the Republic.
locomotivebreath1901 on August 19, 2008 at 8:20 AM
Anyone can make a mistake though this is a pretty obvious one but then to try and lie about it? Typical.
TooTall on August 19, 2008 at 8:23 AM
Flying a flag upside-down is also a gesture of protest. Guess the lefties just couldn’t help themselves!
Browncoatone on August 19, 2008 at 8:25 AM
There used to be a group of words to choose from, anyone of which would adequately define a lot of the people working on the Obama campaign at any given time. Clueless, incompetent, inept, unpatriotic, politically suicidal, disingenuous …
I am now at a loss for a descriptive term. I need an updated list!
Yoop on August 19, 2008 at 8:25 AM
I think I know where Obama got the idea:
http://www.olbermannwatch.com/archives/2008/08/msnbcs_flagging.php#comments
SoulGlo on August 19, 2008 at 8:26 AM
Vapid.
The young kids (children) who are developing the Obama image/message apparently are as vapid as the message they are promoting.
As we used to say in my old Army days, this is yet another in the litany of examples where the message machine of the ObamaNation has once again stepped on their d*ck.
coldwarrior on August 19, 2008 at 8:27 AM
Remember when the Democrat convention had a podium with a pastel-variant flag? The pastel colors were supposed to look better on television than red, white, and blue. A short time later the GOP keynote speech attacked the Democrats for “pastel patriotism.” Then Bush came from behind and beat Dukakis.
indythinker on August 19, 2008 at 8:28 AM
OK. Possibly the operative, descripive term from here on out might be SNAFU. !?!?
Yoop on August 19, 2008 at 8:35 AM
Hmmmm… I wonder if Olbermann will make as big a deal out of this as he did with President Bush’s flag “incident” last week. He’ll be sure to surpass his previous levels of outrage given that he has such love and respect for the flag.
*gag*
landshark on August 19, 2008 at 8:36 AM
SOS Obama’s coming.
davod on August 19, 2008 at 8:39 AM
Is there an image of Obama’s best buddy Bill Ayers hidden somewhere in this souvenir to audacity? Are both men dancing with/on the stars, so to speak?
onlineanalyst on August 19, 2008 at 8:39 AM
Considering Barry O launched his political career in the home of remorseless domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, who chose to pose for a photo stomping on the American flag to illustrate his disgust for the flag and what it represents, this latest depiction of the flag by the Obama campaign seems appropriate.
AZCoyote on August 19, 2008 at 8:40 AM
I think that’s pretty apt. Barack will turn America and it’s true ideals upside down. Sounds ’bout right.
Hootie on August 19, 2008 at 8:42 AM
Isn’t there a movie with Robert Redford about the upside down flag? My understanding is that it is a sign of disloyalty to fly it that way.
Somebody help me out here.
fossten on August 19, 2008 at 8:43 AM
Then again, this is the same party who, at the 1988 convention went with salmon, eggshell and azure because red, white & blue would look “cheap” on television.
We should just acknowledge them as our social betters and be done with it.
landshark on August 19, 2008 at 8:45 AM
fossten on August 19, 2008 at 8:43 AM –
Was a military prison movie, the title escapes me. But flying the Flag upside down is a recognized maritime signal of being in distress.
coldwarrior on August 19, 2008 at 8:46 AM
landshark on August 19, 2008 at 8:45 AM –
Perhaps Obama could have wrapped himself up in arugula?
coldwarrior on August 19, 2008 at 8:48 AM
The change Obama seeks is flipping the country up-side-down. This is an image that his supporters will identify with and rally the vote!
Grafted on August 19, 2008 at 8:53 AM
The last Castle
Tazz 55 on August 19, 2008 at 8:55 AM
Obama is, and is surrounded by morons.
ParisParamus on August 19, 2008 at 8:56 AM
Subversive, anti-Americanism.
They love to secretly wink at each other and think they’re smarter than everyone else. More childish nonsense from the Obamorons.
marklmail on August 19, 2008 at 8:57 AM
Of course it’s an upside-down flag. Remember, America is not the country it once was and Barry’s gonna fix it all. The flag’s simply another call to action.
Notice the white (if I can use that word) loop in the flag above The Obamessiah’s head is pretty much a halo.
eeyore on August 19, 2008 at 8:57 AM
Well, it does say “Change.”
drjohn on August 19, 2008 at 8:58 AM
Out of respect for the flag, all of these credentials should be incinerated immediately.
And with that, the Obama candidacy will go up in flames.
NoDonkey on August 19, 2008 at 9:03 AM
Nope, can’t imagine a better metaphor for the Blame-America left.
petefrt on August 19, 2008 at 9:06 AM
More ‘upside down’ flag video.
wise_man on August 19, 2008 at 9:09 AM
What’s the big fuss? They’re only taking style tips from MS-NBC!!
/sarc
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on August 19, 2008 at 9:14 AM
The Update is GREAT!
JiangxiDad on August 19, 2008 at 9:32 AM
Hilarious.
I guess that if you’re Olbermann, a flag waving in the wind from left to right is backwards, or something
Buy Danish on August 19, 2008 at 9:32 AM
It’s gonna be Kerry!!
JiangxiDad on August 19, 2008 at 9:36 AM
JiangxiDad on August 19, 2008 at 9:36 AM –
No. It’ll probably be Biden. Obama just finished his
speechserman to the VFW in Orlando. Biden was the only Dem name Obama higlighted.coldwarrior on August 19, 2008 at 9:45 AM
“The DNCC community credentials incorporate patriotic design elements. They do not depict an actual American flag.”
More revealing words are seldom spoken.
instead of
kind of says it all.
horatio on August 19, 2008 at 9:45 AM
serman = sermon dammit!
coldwarrior on August 19, 2008 at 9:45 AM
horatio on August 19, 2008 at 9:45 AM –
The Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, Our Flag…are just patriotic design elements? That’s nuanced, right? Guess this old rube has been misled all these years. Oh, the ignominy!
coldwarrior on August 19, 2008 at 9:48 AM
For someone who hates flag pins, he sure likes wrapping himself in the flag.
BohicaTwentyTwo on August 19, 2008 at 9:52 AM
I was just joking, because of the update. I think it will prob. not be Kerry also, but I don’t think it matters. All of the top names mentioned for Dem VP are nobodies or has-beens. It’s all the same to me who he picks. I think probably more have turned him down, or already made themselves unacceptable by some gaffe, than are willing to go with him.
JiangxiDad on August 19, 2008 at 9:56 AM
Oops.
That pesky flag.
If they could just get rid of that think they would always be embarrassing themselves with it.
Lawrence on August 19, 2008 at 9:56 AM
Biden would be a great choice for Obama. Most people I know who identify as independent voters would vote for Biden over Obama, McCain, or Hillary Clinton.
Lawrence on August 19, 2008 at 9:59 AM
Maybe that was the original intent, but the final product still looks like an upside-down flag.
Sorry, DNC, but you blew it again. Why can’t you just admit it instead of trying to justify it with more silly excuses?
Lawrence on August 19, 2008 at 10:03 AM
Yeah that sure looks like a shirt all right. With stars. An invisibility cloak is more like it. Which he’ll need after this gaffe.
“It’s Obama’s shirt.” They can’t even lie right. LOL
inviolet on August 19, 2008 at 10:04 AM
It’s not that the flag is up-side down,
You’re showing the credential up-side down.
egnahc
franksalterego on August 19, 2008 at 10:07 AM
That’s just pi*s poor graphic design. Get over your conspiracy/outraged pantsed selves.
Dave Rywall on August 19, 2008 at 10:10 AM
I just posted this story at a forum I post at that is more than slightly Left-leaning politically and the excuse are flying. “it’s only a depiction of a flag, not a actual flag” bla bla bla.
You can bet if the McCain camp did this….
Yakko77 on August 19, 2008 at 10:10 AM
At least Obama didn’t put a bunch of homos simulating a circle jerk in the image, even though I suspect Obama’s idea of “new soldiers” would be similar.
Buddahpundit on August 19, 2008 at 10:12 AM
Well that was weird.
wise_man on August 19, 2008 at 10:18 AM
errrrrr…
jerrytbg on August 19, 2008 at 10:19 AM
Oh, so Obama’s head is supposed to be upside down? I stand corrected.
You really should go back to bed, you’re not ready for the day.
fossten on August 19, 2008 at 10:21 AM
The Obama campaign in a nutshell:
Critics: Boy, you guys are really rude.
Obama: No, you misunderstand, we’re just careless and stupid.
I think Obama has defeated himself.
Merovign on August 19, 2008 at 10:21 AM
At least McCain knows what it means to graduate fifth–from the bottom–of his class. Biden thinks that graduating something like 73 out of 76 from a fourth-tier law school is in the “middle” of his class.
He’s like Kerry without the patrician manners, only more gaffe-prone.
Bring. Him. On.
horatio on August 19, 2008 at 10:21 AM
Another emphatic example of their confidence that they will win, and can do no wrong, and that we are just sheep. Sheer hubris. Look at all the new logos that have been foisted upon us. Talk about bad PR! And remember when Ocommie wouldn’t wear a flag lapel pin, or salute the national anthem? This guy is really reading the public wrong. I just wish there were more WWII vets alive and voting now.
fgmorley on August 19, 2008 at 10:22 AM
A bumper sticker: The only difference between Obama and Osama is BS
Someone sent me a bunch of pol cartoons and bumper stickers against the Obama. Funny stuff.
carbon_footprint on August 19, 2008 at 10:24 AM
“You really should go back to bed, you’re not ready for the day.”
--Dr. fossten
franksalterego on August 19, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Whine all you want, but you got caught saying something stupid.
fossten on August 19, 2008 at 10:45 AM
It looks to me like he is wearing a t-shirt with stars on it, sticking his head up next to the red and white stripes. Either way, it is a classless act.
btw, did you get your California Robo Call yet?
TimothyJ on August 19, 2008 at 10:47 AM
Rube indeed. I would go so far as to say peasant. *sniff*
What you unsophisticates fail to realize, despite your quaint insistence that “words mean things” and its logical corollary, “images mean things,” is that these treasured symbols of our shared culture are useful only as far as they can be manipulated to serve the correct progressive cause, as determined by the grand whims of your intellectual superiors.
American flag? Presidential seal? Red, white, blue, stars, stripes, eagle… forget all that patriotic baggage. In Obamerica, it’s all only clip art.
Gilda on August 19, 2008 at 10:48 AM
I think, displaying Obonzo up-side down makes perfect sense.
franksalterego on August 19, 2008 at 10:52 AM
Gilda on August 19, 2008 at 10:48 AM –
Now I know I should have spent more time in the pursuit of an education in art. Made my morning, Gilda, ya made my morning. :-)
By the way, being a mere peasant I must ask, what’s the French word for “merci beaucoup?”
coldwarrior on August 19, 2008 at 11:04 AM
and it flat out pi$$es me off..
jerrytbg on August 19, 2008 at 11:05 AM
If it was the first draft, sure. Clueless designers could, and probably did, come up with any number of reject-worthy ideas.
But this is the final, approved, distributed version. Obama’s got the largest campaign staff ever assembled and has emphasized visual branding more than any other candidate in history.
No way was this not passed by layers of management and lawyers before going to print. It’s deliberate – maybe deliberately stupid instead of deliberately un-American – but it’s not some little junior-level gaffe. Whatever it is it’s intentional.
Gilda on August 19, 2008 at 11:07 AM
The up-side down candidate
Now, do you geddit, fossten?
franksalterego on August 19, 2008 at 11:09 AM
This really is the “endless summer”. Every time you turn around there’s another O!bamination.
JimK on August 19, 2008 at 11:09 AM
of course…errrrr
jerrytbg on August 19, 2008 at 11:09 AM
clothspin…nose…McCain. Assuredly.
jerrytbg on August 19, 2008 at 11:13 AM
Since I am unable to come up with either a funny or logical response to this, I will accuse you of cheating by hearing the questions in advance.
And you stole that cross in the dirt story from Solzhenitsyn. I win!
;-)
Gilda on August 19, 2008 at 11:26 AM
Idk, doesn’t necessarily look upside down to me, just tilted to the left, appropriately enough. And the image is focusing on the corner where the blue field meets the stripes. A larger image would help (hint, hint).
JohnW on August 19, 2008 at 11:31 AM
As I think about it – I’m now thinking you’re probably right. The upside down flag represents a country in distress, but the hologram needs to be read as a sequence. Country in distress/Obama emerges to save us all (like Mighty Mouse – “Here I come to save the day!”).
Of course, alternative readings are possible: Here I come to save the day!/Distress… distress… distress.
Still, I’m not 100% sure about the intentionality. It may have been something as banal as the designer thinking that the hologram looked better with the dark-skinned profile emerging from a dark field (the blue). On the other hand, people who design materials like this tend to be very sensitive to semiotics – it’s what they trade in, and holographic art of this sort, though a lot more common than it once was, is still a lot more expensive and specialized than conventional printing. (It should be a highly collectible piece of political memorabilia.)
So: 98.43% that it was intentional to invoke the upside down flag as a sign of “protest” on the part of the designer(s), though who knows whether the “look” or the subtext was uppermost in his or her or their minds… As for whoever approved the design, I’d guess it was some combination of incompetence, poor judgment, and un- or semi-conscious approval, but probably not an explicit and intentional gesture.
CK MacLeod on August 19, 2008 at 11:45 AM
Armageddon it.
fossten on August 19, 2008 at 12:02 PM
It’d be so much simpler if the flag was just one solid color. Like red.
Gaunilon on August 19, 2008 at 12:20 PM
I know, humor seems to escape you on a routine basis…but don’t fault the rest of us because of it.
James on August 19, 2008 at 12:23 PM
It’s been my experience that the cluelessness tends to come from designers and the semiotics comes from creative directors, client reps and lawyers during the choice and approval processes.
Designers, especially working under time pressure, have a limited set of problems to solve and tools to do it with – get the headshot/logo in there, cram in all the text which is always too long, make it American-ish, use the brand colors, make it readable, etc. It’s easy to miss the forest when you’re on deadline with all these required trees.
By intentional I meant that this is the image they chose and vetted for distribution, not necessarily that they meant to convey either distress or Vietnam-era protest or anti-Americanism. Apologies for not conveying that clearly.
But the fact that no one picked up on the upside-down flag thing, so glaringly obvious on first glance by even casual observers, does make me wonder. Maybe they are that ignorant of traditional American symbols? Or… ?
I always thoroughly enjoy your comments, btw.
Gilda on August 19, 2008 at 12:45 PM
This is a sad post, rising to the level of Liberal nutter-ship.
But I guess conservatives need to take a crack at it once in a while as well.
PresidenToor on August 19, 2008 at 12:53 PM
I wonder if the DNCC knows that they just printed a Federal Offense?
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/4/ch1.html
upinak on August 19, 2008 at 12:56 PM
Pastel Patriotism was my first thought when reading this story. It’s such a great term I’m surprised it didn’t catch on as a phrase to describe showmanship over substance.
highhopes on August 19, 2008 at 12:58 PM
You had better NOT question their patriotism….
Sir Napsalot on August 19, 2008 at 1:03 PM
It is a distinct possibility, and in my opinion, is most probably due to a complete lack of knowledge about the US Flag. To believe this was a conspiracy or intentional act one must first assume the contributors are knowledgable on the subject.
I would love to see a copy of the print order or design concepts document, one that says “incorporate patriotic design elements”. My guess, and I hope someone at the printer can get it, is the “print proof” says to use the Pantone colors 193C (Red), 281C (Blue), and SAFE (White), which are the official colors of the US Flag.
How about someone doing a little “Smoking Gun” document gathering……
BobMbx on August 19, 2008 at 1:09 PM
Comment pages: 1 2 Next »