Obama Camp Drops Familiar ‘Presidential Seal’

Barack Obama’s campaign has canned its use of an emblem that critics had panned as a theft of the official U.S. presidential seal.The new seal was trotted out Friday at a round-table discussion with Democratic governors. It had a blue background and an eagle in the center clutching arrows and an olive branch, similar to the president’s logo.An Obama campaign spokesperson said the seal was “a one-time thing designed for a one-time use at the governors’ meeting.”But another campaign source told The Atlantic.com that the campaign decided to stop using the logo because it didn’t want to give the press a reason to label Obama arrogant.The real-life presidential seal and Obama’s image are not identical.The presidential seal has the Latin phrase “E pluribus unum”-“Out of many, one.”In place of that,Obama’s seal says,“Vero possumus”-a rough Latin translation of his slogan of “Yes, we can.”On podiums at the White House, the seal is encircled with the words, “Seal of the President of the United States.” Obama’s Internet-driven campaign lists his Web site address in that place. Where the presidential version has a shield over the eagle’s breast, Obama’s has his “O” campaign logo with a rising sun representing hope ahead. Still, many critics said the seal was an aggressive effort to imprint on people’s minds the idea that Obama is the president when that decision hasn’t yet been made.“Not only is this presumptuous, it looks like it belongs on a Mad Magazine issue. it’s completely silly...it’s a bit arrogant as well,” said Republican strategist Andrea Tantaros. “Independents, they look at something like this and they say, ‘He’s a manufactured guy.’...The more stylized Obama’s campaign becomes, the more he looks like an elitest Ivy Leaguer.He needs to keep this stuff on the college campuses and off Main Street.”But Democratic strategist Bob Beckel said it doesn’t matter if the campaign appears presumptuous.“The right wing bloggers don’t like it but so what? If this is the best they can do against him then he’s a more of a shoo-in than I think he is already,” Beckel said.Obama’s spokesman said the notice paid to the seal was a little over the top. “Is this really worthy of this much attention?” he asked.
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/06/23/obama-camp-drops-familiar-presidential-seal/
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