My presidential candidates are not only running for president, but they are also in a marketable war against one another. Their faces are smeared on soda bottles, coffee mugs, and t-shirts, and it seems like people my age (23) are buying up everything they can.
It seems this presidential race is a race indeed. It is a sporting event where people dress up and support their candidate.
There are countless more items for sale online and in stores across America .
Gene Pierce (25) works retail at a local clothing store which has Obama and McCain shirts and hats for sale. She says that Obama paraphernalia is pretty trendy among the 30 and younger crowd… and not much McCain stuff is actually sold in comparison.
But is this because there are more Obama items to buy? I saw shirts in a variety of colors with several slogans on them, and they were more than just your average Joe t-shirts. They were really cute! From polo’s to tank tops, Obama was everywhere. McCain… he had a white t-shirt and a navy one that looked like a carbon copy of one another... not one baby doll style shirt in sight.
How does this (the paraphernalia) relate to who is selectable? Pierce says she is normally a conservative voter, but this time around, she might jump on the Obama train. “Yeah, he (Obama) has better looking stuff, and he seems like he can relate to me. McCain, although I think he has some really good stuff to say, just seems like an old man. How old is he?”
Pierce went on to admit that there is more hype around Obama and she feels like she “knows” the candidate better because of all the coverage he’s getting. “If you look at pictures of the two candidates, Obama always looks powerful; his head is up… he has great posture. McCain on the other hand, looks goofy, like my grandfather, and like a deer in the headlights.”
Chris Kurtis (28), a shopper said he isn’t into all the clothes and goods produced by or for the candidates. He says, “Granted, I would never buy a halter top with Obama’s face on it, or a wrist band for McCain, I might buy a mug. No, I would graciously accept a mug if someone gave it to me… only if that person could explain why they picked that particular candidate to suit my beverage needs.”
Kurtis says he is voting for McCain this fall, hands down. He says he has researched McCain’s political stances, reviewed the candidate’s past, and he is happy in his decision. McCain is my man because I believe in what he says. I think he has more experience than Obama. Obama seems to be just the trendy thing to believe in right now… like Kabala or watching Cheer’s reruns. The excitement will fade.”
So as youngsters and voters root on their candidates in the head-to-head match up in November, I wonder if people will vote for whom they believe will be right for president, or if they will go for the trendier candidate who can coordinate with a sweater-set.