Propaganda in Political Campaigns

Although propaganda seemed the most prevalent in the past, it is still widely used today. The most iconic example is the recent presidential election. Barack Obama coined a message of hope and change, which he asserted as his primary goal. Obama was a very controversial candidate because of his political beliefs and his proclaimed agenda. Change is a powerful word. Some embrace change and others resent it. This was the primary topic of controversy and spawned numerous campaigns for and against his candidacy.


This is Obama's most iconic image. It is a computer illustration of Obama, who is posed nobly and intellectually and emblazoned with red, white and blue. In bold letters is the word HOPE, his primary promise that he would bring America. The image symbolizes Obama as a symbol of hope, it almost portrays him as a prophet and a saint bringing hope to a dark time. It instills a sense of optimism into the viewer, as well as pride. It symbolizes are promising future. In my opinion, however, the most powerful message behind it is its connotation. The poster was created by Shepard Fairey, the founder and designer of Obey, which is a street wear company that is popular among the young generation. The fact that he illustrated this is very influential because Fairey serves as a voice and a leader of the youth. I think this piece of art was pivotal toward encouraging the youth into the election.
People opposed against Obama compared his political agenda and tactics to Hitler. In this image, Obama's iconic poster is reversed in the context. Obama is replaced by Hitler and the pro-Obama phrase YES WE CAN is displayed. It uses the same visual elements as the original Obama poster, which makes it artistically and aesthetically appealing. While his original poster attempts to instill positivity toward Obama, this poster aims to instill the opposite. This poster is more than just an attempt to stab at Obama, it actually asserts a powerful message. Hitler rose to power primarily for promising to revive national pride to the German people and to bring them out of the dark times that Germany was facing. In a historical context, America is in similar times. There is a general mistrust toward the government, an economic crisis and an uncertainty toward the future. The anti-Obama advocates assert that Obama is the same type of political figure as Hitler.