Heard on NPR

[imperatrix]

"Overall, the [Obama] campaign's graphics and appearance have been remarkably consistent.

Graphic design expert Michael Bierut of the Pentagram firm marveled at that consistency in a Newsweek interview, and he said it's no accident. The uniform blue signs with their signature "O" logo serve as a reassuring symbol of dependability, just like the

Comments

[roadriverrail]

One of the areas in which I judge a candidate is in what I call "power skills". These are things that I believe show a candidate's capacity to build a base on which democratic political power functions and then to use that power in a sane, effective, and sustainable way. The skills involved here include (but aren't limited to) the ability to enforce discipline in one's campaign staff and among supporters and affiliates, the ability to bring in those from across the aisle, the ability to remain unflappable in the face of opposition, the ability to attack without sacrificing the high road, and...the ability to maintain consistency in the campaign's marketing.

Obama has been the clear leader on a number of these critical skills, and I think it speaks well for him and his people. These are the tools by which I personally try to deduce how a candidate will handle a tough negotiation, keep Congress behind him/her, etc. Those are as important as a platform.