T-shirt protest: Is Obama 'fading fast'?

last updated 8 January 2015

Though conservative websites routinely sell anti-Obama t-shirts, the news that Freshjive, a unabashedly liberal streetwear boutique, will be retailing its own wearable slam on the President has led some observers to throw an XXL fit. The Freshjive T-shirt — a riff on Shepard Fairey's famous Obama poster — combines the message "Hope is fading fast" with an image of the President's face that appears to be melting. Is liberal youth beginning to bail on the President?

Freshjive's rejection of Obama is significant: “Ouch,” winces Rachel Sklar at Mediaite. Expect a "conflicted reaction" from any Democrat who knows that Freshjive founder and "streetwear pioneer" Rick Katz once spoke of designing a "F*** off, Bush" tee. Now, "he seems to be sending Obama pretty much the same message."

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Funny you should mention Bush: This shirt reflects the way Obama has “maintained continuity” with his “disgraced predecessor,” writes J. Rosencrantz on Freshjive's own blog. We didn't vote for a “multi-tiered, state-always-wins version of justice” or broken promises to close Guantanamo or a “massive escalation” in Afghanistan.

"Continuites 5"

This is good news for Republicans: "On some issues," says Donald Douglas at the American Power blog, "Obama is trying to hang onto the political center (look at his Afghanistan decision to back McChrystal's troop search) lest his 'fading hope' turns out to be a political avalanche of dissatisfaction among moderates." If radical stunts like this can push Obama leftward, we'll see independent moderates shift rightward.

"Freshjive calls out Obama: 'A devastating take on the iconic Obama poster"