Posted by fústar in 
The "Campaign Poster Debaffler" next focuses its critical gaze on the kindly physog of Cllr. John Cronin. Here he be:
First impressions suggest a zero-tolerance approach to nonsense. A plain white background free of fireworks, fluffy clouds, chortling babies, or massed ranks of smug "Pope's Children". "Take me for what I am", Cllr. Cronin seems to be saying, "and let's all get on with the work of rebuilding this ravaged land – through gumption, rolled-up sleeves, and plain white background-y common sense". Frivolity and manipulative eye-catching design have no place on Cllr. Cronin's posters.
Neither, apparently, does a party name or slogan. From a modest distance (or even up close) it's by no means an easy task to work out who Cllr. Cronin is representing. A fair amount of persistent squinting and staring is required to find the relevant info – buried away in the bottom right corner, in tiny (almost apologetic) letters.1
If you ever needed evidence of a party battered, humbled and self-conscious then here it assuredly is. Writ small. Very small. Ridiculously small – like print at the end of a contract. A contract you sign without realising the terrible implications your agreement and endorsement implies.
Debaffling this one looks pretty straightforward. Our omnipresent overlords, Fianna Fáil – spat on, shat on & abused – are now so concerned about their brand's lack of potency & appeal that they've all but excised the brand name from their "product". The only tactic left them, it would seem, is to hope that myopic passers-by don't study the details of their promotional material too closely. Let them note the reassuring smiles and the subtle patriotic sweep of tricolour and let them move on – with favourable impressions of FF (sssh!) candidates impressed subliminally in their minds.
As a strategy it's either a stroke of diabolic genius or a tacit admission of inevitable defeat. New party slogan?
Fianna Fáil – Ye'll go mental when ye realise ye've accidentally voted for us!
In closing, I'm reluctant to hop on board the celebratory band-wagon that anticipates a long overdue slaughter (and cough-softening) of our eternal rulers. Great evil has a way of enduring. I mean, look at Sauron. The boys were all high-fiving each other on the plain of Dagorlad after Isildur lopped off his fingers. They thought him vanquished, but back he bounced. Or remember the smug and self-congratulatory handing out of medals at the end of Star Wars. Before they'd time to pat themselves on the backs Luke had lost a hand, Han had been encased in carbonite, and a new (bigger 'n' better) Death Star was under construction.
The Empire strikes back. Evil will out. Don't get your hopes up.
- Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party. [back]
Fústar,
In reference to “spat on, shat on & abused” I think it’s important to point out that it was FF’s own spew, their own double-jointed self-shafting and it was self abuse (same as the previous or a variation on the theme?)they did it to themsleves and to us. Does this go some way to explaining the small print? They say that you get the government you deserve and, in voting in these lads for long enough, we are guilty of the above mentioned self-abuse: they also used to say that if you abused yourself for long enough you could go blind: perhaps, FF are banking on both!
Cnuimh, I suspect that many of those who are currently expressing their disillusionment with the government, but who like dutiful dogs have given their votes to their FF masters in the past, will (when confronted with the ballot paper) opt for the path of least resistance and mechanically pop “1″ in an FF box.
This may be due to fearing change, or out of a sense of misplaced loyalty, or display a shameful. secret liking of being shafted and shat upon. You get the government you deserve alright – but what happens when you don’t think you deserve much?
But you’re right. Voting for FF is analogous to having a guilty wank. In public. Or a confessional.
We vote for them, they abuse themselves and abuse us, the country votes for them again and again, it’s self abuse! The slogan should be: “FF, take it and like it!”
I genuinely believe we really get the government we deserve. John Cronin looks mildly apologetic in his poster though… sure god help us
Nicely observed, fústar.
:) It’s, of course, about that voters look first for the personality (of a candidate) and then for the party he is representing.
Sean,
Thanks. Apparently there was a discussion on the Ray D’Arcy show this morn about the FF posters, in which the designers admitted they’d been asked to make the party name & slogan as small as possible.
Anyone have details?