Sand sculpture of Obama built by Myrtle Beach SC for DNC convention.

[Tennessee Gal]

Last edited Sat Sep 1, 2012, 07:03 PM - Edit history (1)

What are your thoughts?

?w=590&h=392

EDITED: Changed heading upon finding out that it is a tourism promotion for Myrtle Beach and neither Obama or the Democratic Party had anything to do with it.

I apologize for the misunderstanding.

[malaise]

1. If a ReTHUG had killed Bin Laden

he'd already be on Mt Rushmore and every airport and highway name would have been changed already

[JoePhilly]

18. YUP ... Limbaugh would have carved it with his tounge.

[malaise]

40. ROFL

I'm trying to visualize that

[JoePhilly]

48. I do not recommend visualizing that.

[2pooped2pop]

2. Looks like some black guy.

but not Obama. Otherwise, very impressive work. Does not look at all like Mt Rushmore except the sand looks the color of stone.

[SaveAmerica]

4. Looks more like MLK than the DC monument does!

[Tennessee Gal]

3. Sorry, but I don't like it.

Not only does it not resemble Obama, but I think it is inappropriate.

[monmouth]

6. I so agree, it's awful..n/t

[nenagh]

21. Inappropriate... that it..

It's a target of ridicule already on some blogs..

[Voice for Peace]

36. + agree nt

[Nye Bevan]

5. They should add a statue of a prone, dead Osama Bin Laden at the base (nt)

[Whisp]

29. that's so monty pythonish...

love it.

[Voice for Peace]

37. lol

[taterguy]

7. Oh FFS

It's an imitation of the sculptures they do every year up the road at the NC BBQ Fest.

Know your local customs before you go spouting off half-cocked.

[Tennessee Gal]

9. Fine, then do a sand sculpture celebrating this country or our heroes.

But this one is not good.

[taterguy]

15. That's your thought, not mine

[demwing]

51. "a sand sculpture celebrating this country or our heroes"

You don't think the First Black President of the United States fulfills both requirements?

[Tennessee Gal]

53. I meant something farther back in our history.

And, yes, I think the First Black President is a historical event.

[demwing]

56. What I'm hearing you say

is that you think we will open ourselves, our candidate, and our president to criticism and mocking tones from the right.

EVERYTHING opens ourselves, our candidate, and our president to criticism and mocking tones from the right.

Even the stuff that Republicans normally love, now gets the shaft. If Obama suddenly changed parties and became a Republican--I mean a full on Social/Fiscal Conservative--he'd get criticized by the right for attempting a Socialist takeover of the Republican Party.

We will NEVER make them happy, so fuck them strenuously.

[gateley]

28. That's kind of cool -- local tradition. I like it!

[DearAbby]

8. Oh shit....rofl

and we are still hearing about the decor from the last convention acceptance speech..Imagine what the tealiban will say to this?

[Tennessee Gal]

10. They are already saying it.

I saw this on Facebook.

[Frustratedlady]

11. What's the purpose?

They are doing a good job, but it isn't as handsome as Obama and I can hear all kinds of comments coming from you know who...the RW will go ballistic.

Will Biden also have a sculpture? If not, I have to say "thumb's down" on this one.

[dipsydoodle]

12. Sorry but

it looks fucking awful to me.

Students did much of the work on Rushmore once it was mapped for them. They made a better job of it than this tragedy.

[WinkyDink]

13. It's awful.

[Enrique]

14. lots of goofy stuff at conventions

they must think it will psyche up the crowd. we can just laugh at it.

[Kookaburra]

16. It's supposed to rain every single day next week

I hope this thing is sheltered, otherwise it's just going to be, you know, sand in a short amount of time.

[alphafemale]

17. That is one of the stupidest....butt ugliest things I've ever seen.

That looks NOTHING like Obama. What's with that Step and Fetchit grin?

Shoulder pads?

AND out of....SAND. HELLLLOOOO????


I appreciate their hard work and all....but that monstrosity needs to come down....NOW!

[tularetom]

19. Well, it doesn't look very much like Obama and it doesn't look like Mt Rushmore either

but it will probably piss off every republican in the free world so I'm OK with it.

[lunatica]

20. By using sand they can't make it look like him at all

First of all, Obama has a neck. A slim and long one and his ears stick out which is very distinctive and his smile is also not just spread lips and big teeth. Here's my rendition of him, which I think is much better than than awful block of bad art.

[gateley]

32. I like this!

[KansDem]

66. Excellent work!

And you make valid points about Obama's physical features.

Perhaps sand is not the best medium for this kind of sculpture...

[Tennessee Gal]

22. As I said above, I think this is a mistake.

1. It does not look like Obama.

2. The convention should be focused on the problems of the nation.

3. The convention would be better off celebrating this country or our heroes like in the space program. Or it could have been a replica of some national monument. Or it could have been a celebration of some of our nation's successes.

4. The right wing will have a field day criticizing this.

[chieftain]

25. Where do you get that the convention is doing this?

Where do you get that this is Mt. Rushmore?
Here is an article which explains it as a tourism ploy by Myrtle Beach SC. I would be concerned if the DNC was sponsoring a replica of Mt. Rushmore with Obama's face added, but that does not seem to be the case. Here's the article,

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/09/01/4778665/myrtle-beach-sc-brings-obama-sand.html

When you fact checked your post what sources did you use?

[Tennessee Gal]

33. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

I tried to find something on who was doing this, but so far had not been successful.

That is just what I need and I am sure others here appreciate it, too.

[gateley]

34. So it's not the DNC -- that seems to have escaped those who rushed to judgment.

Thanks for researching the facts!

[Tennessee Gal]

38. Sorry if you think I rushed to judgment. I apologize.

I did attempt to find more info, without success.

I am glad to know that it is an attempt to draw tourists to Myrtle Beach.

[gateley]

59. You just asked for our thoughts -- and the misunderstanding is

understandable! AND, as soon as you learned the truth, you edited the OP. What fries me is those who become apoplectic about something like this (even if it had been DNC) that it's HORRIBLE, the RW will NEVER let this die, it's URGENT this be taken down IMMEDIATELY before irreparable harm is done!!!!!!!!

I'm paraphrasing, but again, if it had been an Obama thing, so what? We would have hated it and really really thought it was a bad idea, but ultimately it's not a deciding factor about anything important. The RW is going to tear us down regardless, so this would have been just another thing to weather. Even the Empty Chair didn't win or lose any votes for Romney, and that's what will count in November.

[SunsetDreams]

41. Here is a closer picture of it

It's clearly not what's being described by the blogger who is the source for that picture in the OP. http://citizenjournalistdotorg.wordpress.com/

[SaveAmerica]

61. Hey! @InvisibleObama is already in Charlotte!!

[Tom Ripley]

49. Typical of the Redneck Riviera

[Scuba]

23. Looks like Joey Bishop.

[Tom Ripley]

50. I really did laugh out loud

It does!

[nenagh]

24. Deleted..

[Whisp]

27. it can still be saved by someone who knows how to do likenesses

it's the face that is way way off.

[Whisp]

26. I appreciate that this isn't easy but mygawd, that's not the President!

in fact his smile reminds me of McCain's smile. UGH!

[Shankapotomus]

30. Anyone in Charlotte that can

turn a hose on that thing? Maybe take a shovel to it? That can't be allowed to be there when the convention starts.

[nenagh]

43. So the DNC is not creating the sculpture..

I hope it is far away from the convention centre...

It's like the Welfare lie, the Medicare lie.. Truth does not matter to repukes...

who are already comparing it to certain Greek columns that I don't even remember noticing at the time..

[SaveAmerica]

62. You got your wish, it rained today big time.

[Shankapotomus]

65. Yes!

So the sculpture is no more???

[pinboy3niner]

67. Rain damage to Obama sand sculpture from Saturday downpour is being repaired

From the Politics blog at the Moonie Times:

Rains wash away Mount Obama in Charlotte, N.C.
By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times
September 1, 2012, 04:15PM

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A torrential downpour that struck Charlotte Saturday afternoon damaged the Mount Rushmore-style sand sculpture bust of President Obama — an ominous beginning to what many fear is a plagued convention.

Workers were trying Saturday afternoon to reform the base of the sculpture, built from sand brought in from Myrtle Beach, S.C., pounding and smoothing out the sand that had washed off the facade of the waist-up rendering of the chief executive.

The sand sculpture was protected from above, and Mr. Obama's face didn't see too much damage. But the storm was so strong that its heavy winds blew the rain sideways, pelting the president's right side and leaving the sand pockmarked and completely erasing his right elbow.

...


http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2012/sep/1/rains-wash-away-mount-obama/

[Dalai_1]

31. They need another course

at the Sand Sculputre school!

[BeyondGeography]

35. Is that Sheldon Adelson with an afro?

[lilly-kate]

39. Ozymandias

The 19th century poem below was written by poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. If you have never heard of him, look him up. He was relatively popular during his time and continues to be read and studied today. If you are familiar with Shelly's poem, you will certainly understand the allusions to Obama's sand sculpture. Have Fun!

"Ozymandias"
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

[emulatorloo]

58. The sculpture was done by a hotel. Not DNC, not Obama

Shelley's poem does not

Wingnut blogs lie.

[SaveAmerica]

42. I don't see the fuss, it's a sand sculpture that's in front of a hotel in Charlotte

There is another sculpture made of chocolate inside another hotel. About the sand one, someone on my FB page is headed to the convention from Myrtle Beach and the group coming from there seems excited about it. I don't think the face is a good likeness of Obama (maybe when he was 6 and had more baby fat?) but I don't think it's anything to get too concerned about.

Here's an interesting article I found while looking for the chocolate one; the sand sculpture has been removed.

http://www.wbtv.com/story/19417349/giant-dnc-sand-sculpture-taken-down-for-security-reasons-hotel-says

[goclark]

44. Makes sense to me to take it down

I can see the protest Thugs messing it p.

[SaveAmerica]

45. I wonder if there were 2 sand sculptures in the works?

Here's a picture of the one that was taken down, I don't see Obama on this one though. This actually looks nicer.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/08/30/3489773/dnc-sand-sculpture-at-ritz-carlton.html

[pinboy3niner]

54. Yes--they are two DIFFERENT sand sculptures and the Welcome one was taken down

The Welcome sculpture was being built in front of the Ritz Carlton Hotel before it was taken down. The Obama sculpture is in front of the Blackfinn Saloon.

[SaveAmerica]

60. Hey, thanks! I tried to find locations, sounds like neither were DNC

sanctioned, just extra stuff that outside groups wanted to do.

[SaveAmerica]

46. If anyone is interested, "Madame Cocoa" completely made of chocolate for DNC

and the sand sculpture that got removed.

http://www.wcnc.com/news/dnc-charlotte-2012/From-sand-to-chocolate-and-honey-Charlotte-readies-for-the-DNC-167609285.html

[grantcart]

47. your headline is misleading, it has nothing to do with the convention.

It is being done by S. Carolina tourism to promote S. Carolina beaches.

http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/09/01/4229368/myrtle-beach-sc-brings-obama-sand.html

"The Charlotte market is very important to us in Myrtle Beach. We know that if we can get to Charlotte this easily, folks from Charlotte can get to our shores in just as little time. It's only a short drive across state lines," said Brad Dean, President of the Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We're excited to maintain a Myrtle Beach presence in the beautiful city of Charlotte in the coming week and hope everyone in town gets a chance to come see this fantastic sand sculpture."

Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/09/01/4229368/myrtle-beach-sc-brings-obama-sand.html#storylink=cpy

If people in the private sector want to do something like this its fine but please don't make it look like its part of the convention.

[Tennessee Gal]

52. Yes, I changed it. Thank you.

[emulatorloo]

57. Looks like a lot of people believed you. Now we will have to hear this shit

for days from DU's anti-Democrat brigade.

[onecent]

55. bad replica of Obama n/t

[WillowTree]

63. Excellent workmanship, but it doesn't look anything like Obama.

[JI7]

64. Doesn't look like him , but i don't really care