I just watched for the first time the McCain ad that derisively refers to Obama as 'The One'. From what I've read, critics of the spot fault the McCain camp for the dubius tactic - the nature of which seems universally agreed upon - of questioning whether someone of such celebrity status is, qua uber-celebrity, a fit leader for America. But regardless of whether one is critical or praiseworthy, all seem agreed that the purpose of the ad is to prod viewers toward a fear that Obama is a hollow shell painted in neon shades of excitement and adoration alchemically constructed from one part hype and two parts newness.
But there is something more subtle going on in this ad - something that appeals particularly (exclusively perhaps) to born-again Christians, raised, as I was (though I have long shed such beliefs), to fear the 'End Times,' as conveyed by God through John in the book of Revelations. Born-again Christians (and many mainstream Christians as well) believe that, when such times are finally upon us, an Antichrist will come. That he will be beautiful in the eyes of the masses, who are thirsty for redemption; that he will convince them that he is, in fact, the messiah - that he is The One, as Jesus was The One, come again to salvage a wrecked and lost mankind.
With regard to Celebrity, Jesus Christ was arguably the biggest celebrity of all; and Christ returned would surely seem the only rival to the celebrity of Jesus, the son of Mary. Moreover, the Antichrist will come as lucifer, the bringer of The Light - it is by this 'light', essentially, that He will trick mankind into following him. True and good Christians, of course, know better; and they will resist the light by any means possible. Etc, etc. You get the gist, surely.
The point is, the McCain ad touches unmistakably (for those 'in the know') on all these traits of the Antichrist - the redeemer; the One; the bringer of The Light; a supreme celebrity who fools the masses mankind and moves them - seemingly by some magic - to enthusiastic adoration. The rhythmic, seemingly hypnotized chants of "Obama, Obama" in the background bring one right back to childhood warnings of fire and brimstone, of being condemnded to hell for following the antichrist and his ways.
For a campaign that a) needs to secure its evangelical Christian base; and b) decided long ago (as seems plainly clear) to invest in a strategy of fear-mongering, an ad with these very undertones would seem almost too perfect a solution.
But there is something more subtle going on in this ad - something that appeals particularly (exclusively perhaps) to born-again Christians, raised, as I was (though I have long shed such beliefs), to fear the 'End Times,' as conveyed by God through John in the book of Revelations. Born-again Christians (and many mainstream Christians as well) believe that, when such times are finally upon us, an Antichrist will come. That he will be beautiful in the eyes of the masses, who are thirsty for redemption; that he will convince them that he is, in fact, the messiah - that he is The One, as Jesus was The One, come again to salvage a wrecked and lost mankind.
With regard to Celebrity, Jesus Christ was arguably the biggest celebrity of all; and Christ returned would surely seem the only rival to the celebrity of Jesus, the son of Mary. Moreover, the Antichrist will come as lucifer, the bringer of The Light - it is by this 'light', essentially, that He will trick mankind into following him. True and good Christians, of course, know better; and they will resist the light by any means possible. Etc, etc. You get the gist, surely.
The point is, the McCain ad touches unmistakably (for those 'in the know') on all these traits of the Antichrist - the redeemer; the One; the bringer of The Light; a supreme celebrity who fools the masses mankind and moves them - seemingly by some magic - to enthusiastic adoration. The rhythmic, seemingly hypnotized chants of "Obama, Obama" in the background bring one right back to childhood warnings of fire and brimstone, of being condemnded to hell for following the antichrist and his ways.
For a campaign that a) needs to secure its evangelical Christian base; and b) decided long ago (as seems plainly clear) to invest in a strategy of fear-mongering, an ad with these very undertones would seem almost too perfect a solution.
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