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Mike Gravel Has the Only Campaign Focusing on "Light, Heat, Warmth"
Remember this video of Mike Gravel staring into your soul and then throwing a rock in a lake? It had a companion that consisted of (1) Gravel gathering twigs, and (2) a fire made of those twigs burning for seven minutes.
Weird and inexplicable, right? That's what I thought too until I found on MSNBC, via Wonkette, Gravel explaining the videos in brazenly cantankerous fashion.
"What people like you don't understand — which I think is hilarious — is this is a metaphor," Gravel said Monday, lecturing guest host David Shuster during an appearance on MSNBC's "Tucker."
You didn't understand two videos that looked like they were made by two dudes who got hopped up on acid, read a bunch of Foucault, and decided to make a crazy dreamscape campaign video? Listen closely to Mike Gravel: this means you're dumb.
Anyway, here's the explanations for the spots. Of the rock one, Gravel says, "The point of the spot is not the rock but the ripples it leaves in the water." Gravel is making waves. That doesn't explain the several minutes of staring directly into the camera, but whatevs.
Of the fire spot, the candidate says, "Branches are what people acquire in the way of wisdom... And then he reaches down and acquires a little more experience, a little more wisdom. Reaches down, picks up a little more wisdom. And then goes out and starts a fire."
"What does a fire represent?" Gravel asked rhetorically. "Fire represents light, heat, warmth. It's the sustenance of life."
Makes sense, I guess. Except for the part about "branches are what people acquire in the way of wisdom." I always thought those were "degrees."
So, anyway, yeah -- how about Mike Gravel, everybody?
I really dig the ads, but like the Washington Post points out, as refreshing as they may be, Americans are much more likely to respond to "a slogan that can fit on a bumper sticker like: Gravel Rocks!"
Expecting the average voter to respond to metaphores and symbolism is like expecting 3rd graders to grasp existentialism. To many students would be left behind.
Since Mike Gravel's own party and major media outlets consider Mike Gravel a nuisance to be squashed or ignored, he had nothing to lose by releasing these videos. Short of coming on stage nude at the Democratic convention (thanks for not doing that might), what else is he supposed to do to get attention? Whoever arranged the debates made damn sure that Mike Gravel was shoved off to the side and pretty much ignored. Editors immediately called for his removal from the debates and told us we did not need to listen to the likes of Mike Gravel.
But Mike Gravel was the only one worth listening to. The "front runner" candidates wouldn't say anything of substance if they were subjected to electroshock. The job of the "front runners" is to not say anything that would get them in trouble and that makes them all disgustingly blah and obviously non-genuine. What media means by front-runner amounts to those who are at the front of gathering money. But in reality, front-runner means putting up a front. In the front runners, we get to see nothing but a façade. All their words about change can easily be seen through as no more than a continuation in the direction of government controlled by elite special interests. And we wonder why people are too disillusioned to vote.
Ya gotta admit, he's insane in a good way, unlike certain deciders we know...
I'll withhold judgement until I can see the Air and Earth videos, and see how the oevre holds together and creates a developing narrative arc.
Gravel is the best candidate out there. Is no one else moved by his complete honesty, his no-bullshit attitude? Who cares how weird his ads are. I would think that a publication like MOJO would love Gravel.
Mike Gravel is the only serious candidate in the entire field. This video represents the richness of mainstream political discourse in this country. Gravel is silent because it is impossible to get his message out while being overshadowed by the "politics as usual," Do-Nothing Democrats like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama who spend all their time courting big donors and failing to change our disastrous foreign policy. Power to the People---vote for Mike Gravel!!!
Mike Gravel is a little weird, but the fact of the matter is that he's a truth teller with good moral intuition and experience under his belt. He's certainly not an idiotic hipocrite like Bush and is more sincere in his hope to help America than most other candidates.
Oh no, so a guy actually puts out an ad that makes you think for a second and doesn't tell you what to think, how dare him. I can't believe MotherJones is joining the likes of MSNBC and FOX by putting this guy down for doing this. The guy above me had a good point as well. The mainstream media is doing all it can to either make you think that this guy is an "out there fringe candidate" or ignore him, so what does he have to lose by making these videos? Personally I find it refreshing, I wish more political ads were like this, maybe we'd be a smarter country if they were.
Add my voice to the chorus. I immediately understood what Gravel was up to in the "throwing stones/making waves" video. "Light a fire" isn't exactly a mind-bender of a metaphor either. Encouraging voters to take action is a good msg and the mix of humor and seriousness in the videos is refreshing.
Major Media is too infatuated with conventional tactics and playing it safe. They criticize Gravel because they don't understand what he's up to. The only thing I haven't figured out yet is whether Gravel is just wonderfully quirky or downright brilliant.
I remember seeing Andy Kaufman when he was first breaking in. Like most folks, my initial reaction was "what the f...?".
Sound familiar?