Althouse: "Branding the US Presidents."

October 17, 2012

"Branding the US Presidents."

"I was kind of hoping that they were real brands, because I'd love to see that logo scorched into the skin on Nixon's flanks."

19 comments:

Shouting Thomas said...: The branding thing seems so over. It's a relic of the dotcom era, when you could get venture funding for just about any crazy idea.

So, the branding thing emerged as the answer to the South Park Underpants Gnome equation.

Branding was supposed to be the answer to what you were selling as a substantive product. In the midst of this downturn, nobody believes that branding will sell an empty product.

Except, perhaps for President Obama.; 10/17/12, 1:34 PM
Askance said...: What if you had to argue that Nixon was a good man and a good president?

(Oliver Stone's film is a good answer -- perhaps the best answer.)

It's an ongoing tragedy that people feel comfortable expressing this level of hatred toward Nixon.; 10/17/12, 1:34 PM
ricpic said...: Well, I didn't know that Grover Cleveland, our 22nd and 24th president, was known as Uncle Jumbo. That's so kewl.; 10/17/12, 1:49 PM
Curious George said...: Massengill will be bringing a trademark infringement claim against Obama.; 10/17/12, 1:58 PM
traditionalguy said...: I liked Washington's brand.; 10/17/12, 2:02 PM
Darrell said...: Oliver Stone's film is a good answer -- perhaps the best answer

Sure. Besides from it being bullshit, of course. But sure.; 10/17/12, 2:21 PM
edutcher said...: You can bet the Hildabeast would have liked to put hers on Willie.; 10/17/12, 2:34 PM
david7134 said...: Nixon kept me out of Vietnam, thus he is one of the greatest of presidents.

What was Nixon's crime? That he stood up for people who made a mistake? We used to refer to that as character. Now we have a president who lies whenever he opens his mouth and his administration is one huge fraud and criminal enterprise.

Nixon's major crime was the war on drugs. Otherwise, he was great.; 10/17/12, 2:46 PM
wyo sis said...: Askance
I was thinking the same thing.
It's pretty standard for liberals to express hatred in violent terms without anyone feeling that they're out of line. And the fact that they indulge themselves in violent and anti-social protest seems to be brushed aside easily. It's a precious little conceit from the left that only right wingers can actually be violent. The constant fresh reality of those who get a pass in the media I suppose.; 10/17/12, 3:01 PM
Astro said...: Looks like Warren Harding invented WiFi.; 10/17/12, 3:59 PM
Astro said...: Funny how James Madison's brand is very tall - when he was actually quite short.; 10/17/12, 4:03 PM
MarkD said...: I fail to understand why a law school professor would write something like this, even in jest.

Watergate was a fairly simple problem, resolved by honorable people. There aren't that many of them around any more. Or does Hillary Clinton's attempt to deny Nixon legal counsel escape you? Does "Fast and Furious" enter your consciousness? Mob Justice for that fiasco has Obama on a rope.

Let's not go there.; 10/17/12, 4:11 PM
furious_a said...: Rutherford B. Hayes is already branded; 10/17/12, 4:24 PM
Known Unknown said...: Hayes, branded.; 10/17/12, 4:40 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Astro said...
Funny how James Madison's brand is very tall - when he was actually quite short.

This happened just now. I'm out and about and a woman walked in wearing a coat, it's windy here and a bit cool, and I did not recognize her, then she spoke and I recognized her voice and I said so. We engaged in conversation as she removed her coat and showed the tiniest little body, she must be a size 1. I don't know what a size 1 is, I just made that up to empathize small. She's tiny and tight. With a profound voice. So I said that too, "get you! All vocce profundo coming out of your tiny body, it's surprisingly operatic." She enjoyed the attention rightfully acknowledging her two unique qualities.; 10/17/12, 6:01 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "I fail to understand why a law school professor would write something like this, even in jest."

When things are in quotes, it means somebody else wrote it.

Just a tip. Might help your understanding.; 10/17/12, 6:10 PM
Anonymous said...: Looks from the brand like this here President's strayed over from the Lazy O Ranch.; 10/17/12, 6:14 PM
Michael K said...: "What was Nixon's crime? That he stood up for people who made a mistake? We used to refer to that as character. Now we have a president who lies whenever he opens his mouth and his administration is one huge fraud and criminal enterprise.

Nixon's major crime was the war on drugs. Otherwise, he was great."

Nixon was the victim of a coup d'etat by Mark Felt who used Woodward and Bernstein as stenographers, sort of like Candy Crowley and Axelrod.

I'm not saying Nixon was innocent but he was about average for presidents in crookedness. LBJ was the champ.

I did a post on it several years ago on my own blog.

Conrad Black's book on Nixon is the best I've ever seen. One of the most interesting items is how close Nixon and De Gaulle were. They were close friends.; 10/17/12, 6:19 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Weird thing for that person to write.

Do fraternities still do branding? I remember seeing biceps with big scars of Greek letters when I went to summer camps on college campuses as a kid.

(I only went to the college campus ones after one stint at a cabin-type camp with a bathroom full of spiders.); 10/17/12, 8:40 PM