WTF ? Obama notebooks and pencils ? - U.S. Politics Online: A Political Discussion Forum

daddio · #1 (**permalink**) 12-07-2009

I read it and still cant believe it

how did the guys in the art dept get these iamages approved for sale and distribution to schools selling these things ?

unbelievable and yet it happened...

Quote:

Pencils and notebooks resembling President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign ads have been sold in at least one Columbia school and other public schools, causing the company that distributes the materials to travel around the state yanking the supplies out of machines.

“Don’t be mad at us,” said Greg Jones, a sales representative with Pencil Wholesale. “It was a total accident.”

Pencil Wholesale distributes supplies to six Columbia schools: Parkade Elementary, Cedar Ridge Elementary, Paxton Keeley Elementary, Mill Creek Elementary, Smithton Middle School and Hickman High School, said Linda Quinley, the district’s chief financial officer.

At Mill Creek, at least one pencil and a notebook with designs similar to Obama campaign advertisements have been sold out of a supply machine. Two families have complained about the politically tinged materials.

Three Missouri schools have contacted Jones since the beginning of the school year asking that the materials be removed, and Mill Creek Principal Mary Sue Gibson this week said she also planned to call Pencil Wholesale.

“I just don’t want to get into that political arena at all,” she said.

The bound three-ring notebook bears a photo of literal change — pennies, quarters, dimes and nickels stacked into piles. Above the photo, white text reads “CHANGE” over a navy background.

Below the photo, “WE CAN BELIEVE IN” sits above a logo similar to Obama’s campaign image — three red stripes separated by white stripes in front of a white circle with a blue background arching over the circle.

The supplies were designed by the art department of Harcourt Pencil Co., based in Milroy, Ind., Jones said.

“The art department was trying to be cutesy,” he said.

There was no response this morning to a phone message to Harcourt.

Jones delivers the supplies to about 800 schools. He remembers seeing the Obama-esque notebook when it was first designed, but “I didn’t think one thing about it,” he said.

Jones has agreed to go to schools that might have received the supplies and remove them.

“I wish I could do it over,” he said. “But, for now, I can just make it right.”

Harcourt plans to give Jones a refund on the supplies as well, he said.

Speakeasy · #2 (**permalink**) 12-07-2009

Sounds like the most unoriginal art department ever to exist. Someone needs to fire them. A change in staff that we can believe in.

Commodore · #3 (**permalink**) 12-07-2009

They are simply showing all we are going to have left.

iamwhatiseem · #4 (**permalink**) 12-07-2009

Before people get excited - the schools did not order the design. It was placed in vending machines the schools contract to sell supplies.
Now..the company that sells the supplies?? Bonehead move. No doubt they were trying to capitalize on Obama's popularity among young people to sell more notepads...but doing so inside the schools? Dumb. As shown here - people get excited about this kind of thing real quick. And now they have a big mess on their hands, they still have to pay the printer for producing the notepads - and they can't sell them, ad they have to pay the cost to remove the supplies.
Maybe they can sell them to the democrat party.

Speakeasy · #5 (**permalink**) 12-07-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamwhatiseem

Maybe they can sell them to the democrat party.

They still have boxes and boxes of "John Kerry: A stronger America begins at home" notebooks, though.

iamwhatiseem · #6 (**permalink**) 12-07-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speakeasy

They still have boxes and boxes of "John Kerry: A stronger America begins at home" notebooks, though.

Aye...you know Commodore has a point...this design could be taken in multiple ways that are not in Obama's favor.
So the entire idea was dumb.

TheLastBoyScout · #7 (**permalink**) 12-07-2009

More indoctrination......or is it reverse indoctrination?

Either way, it is an affront to any parent who lets their child watch CSI and access the internet unsupervised while thinking nothing about it, but believes that they might be corrupted by pencils and notebooks.

tsquare · #8 (**permalink**) 12-07-2009

But remember... it's not a cult.

Obama... you'll love living in a banana republic... the money is worthless and pictures of 'the great leader' everywhere.

pramjockey · #9 (**permalink**) 12-07-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheLastBoyScout

More indoctrination......or is it reverse indoctrination?

Either way, it is an affront to any parent who lets their child watch CSI and access the internet unsupervised while thinking nothing about it, but believes that they might be corrupted by pencils and notebooks.

Ain't that the truth.

So much gnashing of teeth and stomping of feet at the littlest perceived affront. It's more comical than anything.

iamwhatiseem · #10 (**permalink**) 12-07-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheLastBoyScout

More indoctrination......or is it reverse indoctrination?

Either way, it is an affront to any parent who lets their child watch CSI and access the internet unsupervised while thinking nothing about it, but believes that they might be corrupted by pencils and notebooks.

Or wear pants that are three sizes too big, with half their underwear showing...accompanied by an upside down visor, worn backwards so it looks like their head is a toilet bowl.

GravidMind · #11 (**permalink**) 12-07-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheLastBoyScout

More indoctrination......or is it reverse indoctrination?

Either way, it is an affront to any parent who lets their child watch CSI and access the internet unsupervised while thinking nothing about it, but believes that they might be corrupted by pencils and notebooks.

Perfect

GravidMind · #12 (**permalink**) 12-07-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamwhatiseem

Or wear pants that are three sizes too big, with half their underwear showing...accompanied by an upside down visor, worn backwards so it looks like their head is a toilet bowl.

Nice try. But these aren't the parents who become suddenly, ever-so-self-righteously offended by "All things Obama".