What do John McCain and Jean Michael Basquiat have in common?
The late painter, who made his name in the eighties, was famous for his paintings that resonated a frenetic, wild, and unpredictable style. His works appear to have been painted by a man on the edge and some have said often out of control.
When I see paintings by Basquiat I am reminded of John McCain’s disturbing and panicky campaign style during this election homestretch. It is a visceral response for me. In the early day of the financial crisis McCain’s behavior could be viewed this way: “Fire the S.E.C. chairman and replace him with Andrew Cuomo! Convene a 9/11 commission to save Wall Street! Don’t bail out A.I.G! Do Bail out A.I.G! McCain offered as many economic policy reboots in a month as President Bush offered ‘Plans for victory’ during the first three years of the Iraq War” (Rich).
McCain’s behavior in the second debate was also remindful of Basquiat. “He reenacted the troubling psychological cartography of his campaign ‘suspension’ by wandering around the stage like a half dotty uncle vainly trying to flee his caregiver. After the sneering and eye rolling voters could see the seething, impulsive nominee isn’t temperamentally fit to be president”(Rich).
Key words: “seething,” “impulsive;” perfect words to describe the work of Basquiat and the behavior of McCain. View this typical Basquiat painting: it is like the man’s brain is exploding. With an artist, such inner turmoil feeds the creativity of the artist. With a President it could be dangerous.
“He Just Can’t Quit” by Frank Rich , Op-Ed Page NY Times, September 19, 2008
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Assessed October 24, 2008
