CHICAGO - Barack Obama’s presidential campaign rolled out a new slogan on Friday: “Vero Possumus.”
The Latin phrase roughly translates to his main campaign mantra, “Yes, we can.”
The words made their debut on a seal on the Democratic White House hopeful’s podium as he met with governors from his party in Chicago. The seal resembled the official presidential seal, complete with a picture of the American eagle with “Vero Possumus” inscribed above it.
It helped complete a presidential-looking setting for Obama’s meeting with the governors. In addition to the seal were a row of American flags lined up behind Obama and long blue curtains that also adorned the backdrop of the roundtable meeting.
Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.
Photo: Reuters/Jim Bourg - Barack Obama at a news conference after meeting his foreign policy advisory panel at a hotel in Washington, D.C., on June 18, 2008.
Trackback
44 comments so far
Previous | 3 | 2 | 1 | Next
We have here the combination of the worst qualities of Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton with a touch of Bush arrogance. Obama is immersed in the sense of inevitablity, but so was Hillary just a year ago. Hopefully these antics will reveal that Obama is an empty shell to those who have seen him as a political messiah. From John Kennedy to this, how pathetic for the Democrats and the U.S.
- Posted by Liberty GuerrillaI still can’t believe how Barack Obama can be interpreted as anything less than American. He is not rich, he got into great schools based on his academic merits, he is of mixed race and a first generation American on his father’s side.
He does not appeal to white or black America because of his exterior (he is of mixed race). He is not a trust fund baby or an elitist by any stretch of the imagination so it confounds me when people actually portray him as an elite, arrogant, rich kid. He is likable because he is fallible, he is believable because he is inexperienced, and he is going to be president because America wants an end to the tyranny of an elite political system that no longer listens to the electorate.
This election marks the beginning of a new age in the Republic where citizens will take back our freedom and dismantle the corrupt engine that is weakening the fabric of our democracy. The mixed racial kid with the big brain and the ability to excel academically in the ivy league is part of the solution, not the problem and any rhetoric contrary to that fact is just nonsense.
- Posted by Great AmericanBarack Obama is a portentious, arrogant, high-brow elitist who went to Harvard, goes to parties and drinks martinis while smoking cigarettes, and thinks that he will be president and pander to the middle class. LAWLZZ
- Posted by sva50233Anyone who wants to prosecute Obama for a slightly silly, obviously unofficial, reinterpretation of the presidential seal is freakin nutzoid.
And by the way, to the person who translated “vero possumus ” as “in truth to have influence or be able”, you totally failed Latin.
O Liz, non latine loqui potes.
- Posted by Gangsta JWASN’T THERE A CARTOON STRIP ABOUT POSSUMS? POGO? THAT’LL BE A GOLD MINE OF JOKES!
THE POSSUM PRESIDENT!
TO BE A POSSUM OR NOT A POSSUM? THAT IS THE POSSIBILITY, MY DEAR AMERICAN POSSUMS! VERO, POSSUMUS!
- Posted by Robby GordoVero Possumus translated means “We are possums, USA. Roll over and play dead for Barack!”
WE ARE NOT POSSUMS
- Posted by Robby Gordo‘Vero Possumus’, eh? This does NOT translate to “Yes we can”, as purported. What an idiot…. A small man playing at being president.
Maybe he really is trying to tell us is “In Truth, I’m a ‘Possum.” He’s laying low and pretending to be a moderate until he can walk away with the Presidency as the far left Liberal his record indicates.
Perhaps he’s signaling that he wants to join “Possum Lodge”; ala the Red Green Show. Their motto would make more sense for Barack Hussein Mohammed Obama: Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati — “When all else fails, play dead.”
- Posted by Invictus ManeoInvictus Maneo
It is unbelieveable that the democratic leadership chose Obama to represent us. You may think the people voted for Obama…but Obama lost. The Rules and Bylaws Committee got him elected by their decision to award Obama votes from Michigan that were not earned. A new concept in American Politics…the unearned vote! He VOLUNTARILY (for those idiots out there who do not understand the meaning of voluntary - it means his actions of his own accord)removed his name from the Michigan ballot. He did not receive a single vote from that election. Now look what we are subjected to. A man who is so brash as to think it is okay to make a mockery of the Presidential Seal. A man who thinks he already is President. He is a PUPPET, without a thought of his own in his head. He does what he’s told like a little wind-up toy and as soon as there is a suggestion that something is amiss with a decision he makes - he reverses it. He is a man without a backbone, he is a man who has many accusers. There is a nugget of truth about the rumors that have circulated…they have been blown out of proportion in most cases, however there is truth at the base of them. I was a Hillary supporter - and when her own Party abandoned her, I had hoped she would run as an Independent - and take her 18 million votes with her. It appears that is not going to happen. So I am forced to vote for the lesser of two evils and so in 2008 my vote will be cast for Sen. John McCain. Although I do not agree fully with his politics, I believe he has proven himself a man of honor, integrity, and fairness. He will not be another Bush term. He will be a force to deal with and will protect our Nation much as he had when he served this Country with distinction, honor and bravery!
- Posted by DorothyMcCain’s latin motto is “Drinkus More Beerimus”.
- Posted by sheilaHow much money did he spend for that elaborate logo?
- Posted by TheresaIt is so striking. Vero Posummus: “Yes, Everybody can certainly become a possum”. Would you like freedon fries with your possum’s order?
He probably wants to use that mantra by swinging his wand to get rid of other candidates by saying “Expecto Patronum!!!!!!!!!!” instead.
Do a google search on “ACORN” (an horrific organization) then do a Google search on “Obama and ACORN”. He is not what he is promising to be. Nay, he is going to really kill this country. Forget race….look who he lines up with and then judge him. You are who you hang out with. I would rather have my pug be the president.
- Posted by SteveAh yes the famous seal! I’m sure we’ve all heard those common adages that suggest that we can do things that prepare our mental state for our next hurdle. Look the part, dress for success, fake it till you make it, whatever. My point is that too long Sen. Obama has been seen as timid, not confident, and personally it’s good to see him come into his own identity. For his supporters, hardly is a seal a presumptuousness or overconfidence that he will be president it’s the signal of a new phase in his race for presidency. It’s a symbol of tenacity, intensity with which he pursues the vision of being president. It is the Audacity of his hope, whether people choose to recognize that or not.
- Posted by TemiI like the way Malik M puts it “Cult of Obama”. It’s hardly a cult, time and time again history has shown that when people are brought together in the pursuit of a common cause or goal an amount of unimaginable strength is produced. Sen. Obama true to his message just tapped into that strength. In our everyday lives people say yes we can; yes I can, to all things that seem to have eluded them or obstacles that seemed insurmountable. Why not bring that into the agenda as a Nation and create a vision that we can all conceptualize. Whether the mantra is Yes We Can or Vero Possumus (to have influence or be able), the idea is that as an individual or a nation you can influence immediate situations to cause a turn around.
- Posted by TemiIt’s all about him…freedom,liberty
- Posted by Central Highlanderis only understood by this man. Not a
party, not a country…but this man.
I didn’t fight for him, and he never fought.
But he assumes the right to lead the free world.
Kiss my grits.
The “Cult of Obama” continues. The only thing unique about Obama is his skin color. He is Jimmy Carter with a better tan. The cult of personality his handlers are developing is a very clever way of preventing his positions from being known. Honestly, a campaign seal? How about answering real questions?
- Posted by Malik MUpon seeing the new Obama logo, (I can’t reveal my White House sources), but President Bush, Vice President Chaney and Senator McCain were saying these things: McCain: “What does Vero Possumus mean? What do O’Possums have to do with anything?” Chaney: That’s clearly some talk that only other Muslims could understand. He’s dangerous. Very dangerous.” W: I know. Rove called me to say that is Latin. I thought he was Black, I never knew he was Latino. But, I never took no Latin, so I wouldn’t know how to talk Latino.
- Posted by jack etzelAs a moderate, I’m trying not to overreact, but making a total mockery out of the Presidential Seal is in incredibly poor taste. The misuse of the bald eagle, now sporting the Obama “O” instead of the shield of freedom, is offensive. The “vero possumus” — in official looking copperplate font — is injecting a stale campaign phrase in the place of “e pluribus unum” or “in God we trust.” The very idea! Besides, the true translation is actually “truly, he is a possum.” (just kidding). I can’t believe that some more moderate advisor didn’t counsel against this sophamoric mock-up. It is presumptuous of Senator Obama to appear in front of such a perverted image. That’s “perverted” in the sense of “having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented.” This new “seal” should hit the trash heap quickly.
- Posted by Joseph Whitleylol if he’s in violation of some code, there’s a couple million ramones t-shirts bearing this logo that are doing the same thing
http://www.myteespot.com/images/Images_d /DSCF1992.jpg
not to mention an unfathomable amount of broken flag codes when you get into nitpicking of american flag bikinis, fold out chairs (essentially “sitting on the flag”) and napkins (THAT YOU WIPE YOUR MOUTH WITH)
- Posted by markThe seal is just plain silly. This guy is so high school!
- Posted by dankI think Obama has the potential to be a great president. The “presidential seal” - especially the “Latin” motto was a really stupid thing to do however. I hope they can just say “Ok, that was stupid” and not fall into the typical campaign trap of trying to spin it into something other than “oops, sorry”
- Posted by PaulB