Silk Purses, Hog's Ears

Via TPM Election Central comes word that Barack Obama's presidential campaign is once again trying to create a new marketing theme, and this one will launch tomorrow.

Why this design?

According to an Obama aide, the new effort dovetails with a renewed push by the Obama team in Pennsylvania to poke fun at John McCain's recent claim that he would rather hear the roar of "50,000 Harleys" than the cheering of 200,000 Berliners.

As the Obama camp was quick to point out, McCain opposed legislation that would have forced the U.S. government to buy American-made motorcycles.

The Obama camp's push on the issue includes running this recent ad, which was running in the York market and mocks McCain's Harley quote while pointing out McCain's position on American-made bikes, in two new markets in Pennsylvania beginning tomorrow -- the Pittsburgh and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre markets.

Obama's Pennsylvania campaign, the aide says, will be hitting the ground this weekend in around five towns around the state with stickers and flyers bearing the above "Buy American, Vote Obama" logo.

The events will feature a few dozen actual Harley riders for Obama that have been recruited for the weekend's events.

"Harley riders aren't typically supportive of Democratic candidates," the aide says. "But we're making a play for them by saying that Obama's economic policies are the true patriotic ones."

They. Don't. Get. It.

Patriotic purchasing doesn't come from buying products just because they're made in America, but instead comes from choosing American-made products because you have faith that American companies such as H-D put the time and effort into building a quality American-made product you can be proud of, making you want to own it.

There is nothing patriotic about forcing Americans to buy specific products, but socialists like Obama are by nature anti-capitalistic, so should we be surprised that his campaign gets this wrong?

Perhaps progressives really think that bikers are bitter, clingy knuckle-draggers that can be influenced by such a half-hearted effort, but I think they are going to be sorely disappointed. The pandering is simply too transparent and insincere.

Should Obama need bikers, however, I think we can find some that are a bit more his speed.

To thine own self be true, Obamamessiah.