[Triggs] Race to the White House: What Gundam are They?

[Triggs] Race to the White House: What Gundam are They? by Triggs

January 23, 2008, 1:21 pm
Filed under: Anime

The U.S. presidential election has been described as “one of the most undemocratic in the world”, stemming from the fact that despite having 126 million people eligible to vote, it affects 6.6 billion people worldwide.

While desperately combing the web for information on such a topic for my homework assignment, I came across tj_han’s article on Gundam and dating http://www.riuva.com/?p=952. Inspired, I decided to borrow a few brainwaves and came up with this article (man I should turn this into a hobby). Being a stereotypical slacker, I’m focusing this article on two candidates from both the Democratic and Republican camps, both of which have either

a) Been discussed extensively in the millions of TV program and newspaper reports flying about or

b) Aroused my interest.

Starting with the Democrats; she’s been to the White House before as First Lady and now is hell bent on following in her husband’s footsteps. She’s Hillary Clinton, and her Gundam of choice would probably be

Virtue/Nadleeh from Gundam 00

Hillary Clinton has always considered herself one of the best Democrats of this half of the century, her “born to lead from day one” declaration also cementing her as one of the most arrogant. Her campaign has been portrayed as an unstoppable juggernaut, predicted to win the ticket to the Democrat’s ticket to the White House relatively easily. However, in Iowa her aura of invincibility was shattered by a third placed finish behind Obama and Edwards, and was losing by a ten-percent margin to Obama in New Hampshire. Perhaps to sway neutrals, or garner sympathy votes, she wept on national television, shedding this “armor” for something more humanizing; after which lo and behold, she got the win in the bag.

Such a transformation from a hulking titan to a smaller, more vulnerable form reflects the Virtue-Nadleeh change, where the armor is shed for potentially more speed and power, in exchange for a gentler, more sensitive look. Furthermore, Nadleeh is perhaps the first feminine Gundam ever created, and Hillary’s shedding of masculine aspects like her dominance and fighting spirit for a more sensitive outlook could potentially have given her the extra boost she needed in the form of female voters.

The second Democrat; he’s considered to be a son of Africa, the Middle East and Indonesia at the same time, and might be the first black president since Morgan Freeman in Armageddon. He is Barrack Obama, and his Gundam of choice would probably be…

Wing Gundam Zero Custom from Gundam Wing

Barrack Obama is almost a breath of fresh air after decades of all-white presidency races. I mean the last one we had was Reverend Al Sharpton, and he was more of a Black-Rights activist than a true presidential candidate. Likewise, Wing Gundam Zero was truly a new and revolutionary design, adapted but never replicated in its successors Freedom and Destiny. It was a step away from the bread-and-butter designs in the one-year war, and its wings never failed to draw second glances, not just because they were aesthetically pleasing, but also since they were unique.

Wing Gundam Zero was also perhaps responsible for recruiting several million new fans into the Gundam fan club. Likewise, Obama would single-handedly erase half of the anti-U.S. feelings around the globe. The world’s 1.2 billion Muslims would sit up and take note at his middle name: Hussein; and the 800 million Africans would also be celebrating that a son of their soil made it so far. Obama has said that “the U.S. has been seen as arrogant and aloof “and that “the world will work with- not against- U.S. power if it is put to principle use and directed towards common goals”. Carry forth this attitude when you become president, Obama, and the world just might be happier.

Now for the Republicans, he’s a veteran of Vietnam and the oldest candidate in the race, tipped to be the one to solve the current Veteran’s crisis. He is John McCain and his Gundam of choice would probably be…

RX-78 from the original Mobile Suit Gundam

I decided to go for retro with John McCain, after all should he be elected, he’d be the oldest president (trumping Regan’s 69). Oh well, what can I say, both Gundam and politician are by now old and wizened, but still regarded as legends (well the Gundam at least). Both of them went for wars something close to thirty years ago and are now twiddling their thumbs at home, except one is twiddling his thumbs in a mecha retirement home and the other hopes to be twiddling his in the Oval Office.

The second Republican has been more or less cast out of the limelight, with the attention focusing more on the Democrats. However, for the sake of variety, I decided to do my research paper on him instead, since Hillary and Obama would probably have been taken several dozen times over. He is Rudy Giuliani, and his Gundam of choice would probably be…

G-Savior from the G-Savior live action series

Rudy Giuliani’s relentless focus on 9/11 and his preoccupation with the dangers of the world show him to be frighteningly out of touch. Similarly, live action does not usually work and the G-Savior series was cut down, drawn and quartered, with even Yoshiyuki Tomino (co-creator of Gundam) voicing his disapproval.

 

Last but not least, he’s not a candidate but I decided to put him in anyway for the fun of it. He is the 43^rd president of the United States of America, George W. Bush, and his Gundam of choice would probably be…

Destroy Gundam from Gundam SEED Destiny

The entire Destroy project seems to be a gigantic, short-sighted decision by the Earth Federation; after all the main Destroy lasted for only a few episodes, and the other massed-produced ones lasted just about as long as any other massed-produced mobile suits. Similarly, George W. Bush’s reign as president has been plagued by many short-sighted decisions including the Iraq war and the Iran nuclear crisis. I half-expected his term to come to a premature end in 2004, but somehow he got re-elected. A short-sighted decision by the American people perhaps?

 

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