Tropophilia

I live in North Carolina. You might have heard about a little primary election we had on Tuesday. I actually voted weeks ago, taking advantage of my state’s one-stop early voting process: voters can show up at any early voting location in their county, register, and vote on the same day. The early voting locations open about three weeks ahead of election day, and offer weekend hours for voters who are unable to vote during the work week. I walked into my polling place, voted, and was back at work within 20 minutes. As I walked back to work, I couldn’t help thinking: I can’t believe an idea this indisputably good for our state actually came to fruition. Now don’t get me wrong: I love NC, and we have a number of incredibly dedicated civil servants working in all levels of state and local government, not to mention brilliant and talented policy advocates in the nonprofit realm.  And yet, for some reason I’m still shocked that early voting is real.

On the other end of the spectrum is the $100 laptop.  This strikes me as such a powerful idea, such a POSSIBLE dream–there is, in fact, an excellent design–and yet…the project is stalled and faces innumerable obstacles.

So here’s the question: what are other policies, products or inventions (maybe online tools?) that seem almost too good to be true?  What’s something amazing you’ve seen/heard about, only to be shocked when it became reality?  Alternatively, what’s the best idea that you don’t think will ever come to fruition?

My second story (and question) is inspired by an article in Fast Company magazine (thanks for the plane reading material, Dan!) on “The Brand Called Obama:” 

Politics, after all, is about marketing — about projecting and selling an image, stoking aspirations, moving people to identify, evangelize, and consume. The promotion of the brand called Obama is a case study of where the American marketplace — and, potentially, the global one — is moving. His openness to the way consumers today communicate with one another, his recognition of their desire for authentic “products,” and his understanding of the need for a new global image — all are valuable signals for marketers everywhere

As Jarred and I have disclosed before, we’re fans of Obama’s politics.  But more and more, I find myself attracted to the Obama “brand” with the same fierce loyalty I feel for a company like Apple.  Let’s just say, if Apple released an electric toothbrush, I would probably buy it.  These brand loyalties are interesting to me.  Jarred and a number of our friends are irrationally loyal to one particular “barbecue” (in quotes because it’s not legitimate ‘cue) joint in their neighborhood, despite all convincing evidence of its over-rated nature.  What forms and perpetuates these loyalties?

Again, here’s the question: what brand(s) are you loyal to–to a fault?  What brands will you absolutely pay a premium to support, even if logical alternatives exist?  When you examine your brand loyalties from a detached perspective–I can, for instance, recognize that an Apple toothbrush would probably be awful…and that I would buy it–what loyalties seem ridiculous?  Which can you justify, and which are completely irrational?

Image of $100 laptop used under a Creative Commons license courtesy of Flickr user Kofoed.

Obama sign image used under a Creative Commons license courtesy of Flickr user sweetashvegas.