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Street Art, Pop Culture, and the Rise of Ted Cruz
Conservatives like to talk big about taking back the culture, but generally they suck at selling freedom. Having ruled pop culture for years, liberals tell their story by infusing everything from movies to visual art and music with their propaganda. Then, this happened:
Created in 2012 by the Republican street artist, Sabo, the “Ted Cruz with Tattoos” poster became culturally iconic for its frank and sexy message, and the fact that the liberal media tripped all over itself to promote it before they figured out that conservatives actually loved the image.
Shortly after, a secret confederacy of right-of-center marketing professionals in Los Angeles began producing their own political art. At first, the posters and paint jobs were confined to LA, but independent activists in other states began to use the posters locally, and one of the latest designs features Ted Cruz’s name with the Mockingjay style symbol made famous by the Hunger Games series.
The posters have made headlines from LA to Boulder, and most recently, Michigan State University students plastered 60 all over campus on the same day Mockingjay opened in theaters, inviting a direct comparison between the fictional Panem capitol and Washington D.C.:
So what’s going on here? An unabashed admirer of Cruz, Sabo creates many works to celebrate his favorite candidate, regardless of whether they will sell or not, and the “Mockingjay movement” operates outside of the structure of the Cruz political campaign. In other words, Cruz seems to be leading by example and inspiring something new to conservatism; rebellious fans and campaign volunteers are stepping outside the traditional norms, self-funding creative communications, telling their story and (with Cruz surging in Iowa) selling freedom very well indeed.
Published in Culture
That was really a dig a certain libertarians on this site. However, you have to admit, the thing people tend to most link to libertarians is legalization.
That and open borders.
Libertines want open boarders and national laws outlawing zoning?
Most people, if they know anything about libertarians, know that they want to make drugs legal. It is their biggest talking point. I am not the one to blame for my perception.
Thank you 6foot2! I’ve been a bit preoccupied lately, and was not aware that Cruz and Mockingjay had been linked. Nice pairing. I can see why it would resonate.
I think this the first time I’ve ever wanted to hug you!
I have to say that’s a great graphic of Cruz. I’ve been struck with it ever since I first came across it many moths ago.
Oh, I freely admit that that is the public perception of libertarians. Just as a giant swath of the public has the perception that to be conservative or Republican is to be old, white, greedy, misogynistic, racist, and intolerant of anyone who is different. Or put simply, Archie Bunker. But you and I know that that perception is incredibly off the mark.
It’s a shame people don’t understand that libertarians stand for a whole lot of values like gun rights, property rights, the right to take a job without being forced to join a labor union, and the ability to open a business without being drowned in red tape from government.
Although I’ve never received a Fred Cole hug, I hear they are outstanding.
The very link that started this side train, was someone being proud of the freedom in their state, and a loud libertarian being snarky about where said state landed on a libertarian’s idea of freedom. Which, once has to assume, weighs on the anti-libertine laws of the state pretty heavily.
Maybe my real argument should have been thus:
“Libertarians can not celebrate the freedom we have, as they focus so hard on the freedom we don’t have.”
Or, how about:
“Let the guy celebrate Texas in peace. It is not Illinois”
It’s a plain fact that the ladies of Ricochet line up for them.
http://itk.thehill.com/video/in-the-news/261112-clintons-dream-gop-opponents