Hope vs. Abandon Hope

We were in a store, when I happened to notice what looked like an unpackaged Obama-bobblehead on the floor. It wasn't actually a bobblehead, but a statue with a disproportionately large head. Nothing wrong with that, except the surroundings were strange.

1) It was facing the corner
2) On its left was a giant red plastic devil mask
3) On its right a pile of plastic signs "Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here"

Every now and then, the doll would bust out with "Can we do it? Yes we can!" if you got close enough.

This felt... wrong to me. I mean, isn't it a fairly strong metaphor to put Obama in the corner, not facing anyone, even if only an effigy?

I point out to the clerk, and ask "don't you feel weird putting Obama in (and motioned to) the corner, especially with all this evil stuff?"

"No, it annoys the customers. It has no off switch. It doesn't shut up. ... Actually, it kind of reminds me of a 98 lb. version of O.J. Simpson."

I laugh my way out of the store. The sound of Obama's voice annoys the customer, juxtaposing his message of hope with Dante's Inferno. The sound won't ever stop, and after awhile the whole Obama message could be associated with a suspected murderer. But the real punchline?

This was an independant book store in the People's Republic of Berkeley, California. So blue they are indigo, possibly ultraviolet. Or more like red, and not Republican red. Green, and not money green. Too bad pink's not in the rainbow, because they've got that too. The only reason Obama would not get all of the votes in this town is because he's too central, too fascist, not true enough to the people's cause. Not liberal enough, not progressive enough.

I'm glad I saw this before I leave.