I just read volcomelement34's blog about the Obama Chia, and it made me wonder why Chia Pet, or whatever the name of the company is that hawks that landfill fodder, would risk releasing a product that could so easily be interpreted as racist.  The answer came quickly: Because Obama merchandise sells like hot cakes.  Any backlash would be insignificant compared to the profit made off of dumbasses that actually buy this shit.

Seriously, I can't go down to the grocery store without being bombarded with Obama wares.  Every checkout line either has five magazines with his picture on it, bumper stickers, buttons, coffee mugs, beer coozies, hats and t-shirts.  All things that say to people that don't really care "Hey, I voted for the first black president!"  I'm not counting news papers, because that's the only really appropriate media to see his name and countenance printed all over.

The thing is I don't remember people my age being in this sort of craze since I was in the 7th grade.  Kids wearing band t-shirts and obsessively collecting merchandise of bands like Green Day and Nine Inch Nails.  Stickers, patches, hats, and posters to cover the walls of their room, so if friends came over, they'd know they were a true fan.  Some truly were into it, while others just went along to try and fit in with the cool kids' consensus.  The similarities between this and Obama T-Shirt-wearing people are striking.  You could walk up to a kid with a Pearl Jam t-shirt on, and ask him to name 5 songs that were not released as singles, and it was rarer than you think to get a correct answer.  Same thing with sports teams.  Ask a kid in a #23 Chicago Bulls jersey how Jordan performed in the game the night before, or what college he played for, and you'd likely be met with a blank stare.  Ask any of the posers wearing Obama t-shirts to briefly describe Obama's stance on issues other than the Iraq War, abortion, or health care.  It's stunning how many times you'll get a derisive answer, because the person doesn't have a clue, and is offended that you'd even have the nerve to ask.  These are the same people that shout "Bush Sucks!" at a music festival, because they know a dozen or so echoes of "Woo!" will be their reward of reinforcement.  It's cool to shout that out if that is an educated opinion, and when I ask you to explain why it is, you can reply with something other than mumbling "War in Iraq... mmmphrmm... bad... economy... mmmrphmm...911...inside job..."

This wasn't really meant to be a political rant.  It started as a response to volcomelement's blog, and ended up being a commentary on bandwagoning, and how pathetic it is. It made a second question come to mind.  Are we a nation of twelve year olds?  The answer for this one also came quickly:  Yes, we are!

Update:  Just wanted to quote a bumper sticker I actually considered buying (Naturally, it wasn't being sold at the grocery store next to the "Obama = Change" bumper stickers):

"Try being informed instead of just opinionated."