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‘Jeb,’ He Exclaimed
John Ellis Bush, a.k.a. Jeb, tweeted out his campaign logo Sunday; an amuse–bouche before the big campaign announcement. The reaction was not positive, though I’ve yet to see presidential branding highly praised in the online fever swamps.
As a graphic designer, I’m often asked what I think of various campaign logos. Reactions usually span from “meh” to “that’s atrocious” and Jeb’s entry falls betwixt the two. I rather like the Baskerville Bold font for the “Jeb” and the Hypatia variant for “2016.”
But that exclamation mark.
In a company logo, this punctuation can imply playfulness, a la Yahoo! But adding an exclamation mark to a candidate’s name is a screaming admission he is boring. Worse still, adding !!! can’t generate excitement if the subject does not. “Cabbage!” doesn’t make me want to eat the stuff.
Granted, Jeb has used this formula since his first gubernatorial campaign, but it’s not 1994 anymore. And it’s not as if the punctuation is a winner electorally. Let’s review every presidential candidate who tried the !.
In 1968, Nelson Rockefeller ran a stealth campaign, hinting he was the best candidate for the Republican nomination! Richard Nixon won the nomination on the first ballot! | |
In 1972, Edmund Muskie was the strong favorite to win the Democratic nomination! After barely eking out wins in Iowa and New Hampshire, the party dumped him for George McGovern! (When McGovern is viewed as the exciting candidate, you have a problem!) | |
In 1996, Lamar Alexander finished third in Iowa and New Hampshire, after which he dropped out! In 2000, he took dusted off the exclamation mark and tried again, this time quitting after the Ames Straw Poll! | |
Sen. Paul Wellstone began touring early primary states to test the waters for a 2000 run! Despite the impressive punctuation, he didn’t have enough support to officially announce his candidacy! (Aren’t all these exclamation marks annoying?!) |
What unifies these four candidates is their dullness and their failure. It remains to be seen if Jeb’s exclamation mark can ignite the passions of a weary nation, but history indicates he’d have been better off using a period.
Published in General
Since he speaks Spanish perhaps he should have gone with: ¡Jeb!
Bloody marvelous!
The Hound of the Baskerville Bold.
No!
And does he really think we won’t remember his last name?
I wonder if more Mike Murphy would help?
Jeb$
I’m sure he’d love to use this as a campaign slogan: “The peasants are revolting!”
John, not Josh.
Fixed!
What the heck, I might as well toss my hat into the ring.
Are you even old enough?
Its slightly more unctuous than the simple description of the parts.
Its trying to be ‘everyday/everyman’ with the upper and lower case and then excited with itself for being so humble… give us a break.
And Jon… don’t make me get out my Trajan!
Somewhere on the interwebz today I saw signs made up like that.
If Jeb? has such awesome conservative bona fides he could do himself a huge favor with the conservative “base” by laying off sticking his finger in their eyes at every possible opportunity.
The exclamation point makes me feel like I’m/we’re being raped politically.
Yeb?
Yuck.
I feel the same way about cabbage…and Jeb!(?) Bush.
My submission was rejected by Mike Murphy.
Jeb the Next!
I thought it encapsulated the jist pretty well. But he’s the expert.
That font and color remind me of ‘Jiff’ peanut butter.
Why not an exclamation mark for each Bush that have or are seeking the Presidency:
Bush ! ! !
billy!
I dunno, it has a certain hook. Maybe I should run. Anyone have 100 million in start-up money for an exploratory committee?
Jeb* 2016
(*not to be confused with Jed or Jud)
Any that you actually like? Other than Obama’s, which I think I remember you praising?
I still get twitchy when I think of Murphy’s interview on the Ricochet Podcast a year ago.
Is the emphasis on the Jeb or the 2016? I’m more excited for the latter.
This kind of strikes me as a visualization of the Howard Dean screech.
Au contraire, an “!” does make me want to eat a lot of cabbage. But not vote of Jeb!
I’m watching that segment right now on Chris Hayes’s show on MSNBC. (Sound down. I’ll only go so far to bring y’all the news.)
They’re professionally done signs, obviously from Jeb!’s campaign. I’d say the ¡Jeb! angle was planned from the start and likely was the motivation for the logo.
Now Hayes is running a series of photos of the three Bushes. I just know he’s talking about the problematic dynasty aspect. I’m actually scared to turn the sound up now because I’d probably agree with him, and that’d just ruin my evening.
¡Arbusto!
Jeb honest: Jeb…
Jeb meta: Jeb;
Jeb & the young’uns: Jeb ;)
Does he go by JEB in Spanish, too? Or is he Juan there?
Yes, but he pronounces it “Heb.”