For those not in the know, the Republican (the US right-wing, conservative party, otherwise known as the GOP, or Grand Old Party) presidential nominee competition just wrapped up this spring. It was a rather fierce battle with the contenders trying to outdo each other in terms of how far right on the political spectrum they sit. As commentary on the process, Mathew Epler put together the following project:
Dear Voter,
Whether you’re Democrat or Republican, you’ve probably grown weary of the endless circus that is the electoral process. It is painful. But it shouldn’t be that way. As a member of a free democratic state you should feel exhilarating pleasure when exercising your right to choose your leader.
Grand Old Party demonstrates that as a people united, our opinion has real volume. When we approve of a candidate, they swell with power. When we deem them unworthy, they are diminished and left hanging in the wind. We guard the gate! It opens and closes at our will. How wide is up to us.
In an age of information, we rely on hard facts. Each of the shapes you see here come directly from poll data collected by Gallup. This data re ects approval ratings for each GOP candidate among registered Republican voters from December 10, 2011 to April 1, 2012. Each shape’s girth is a re flection of popularity while their height is a re flection of time.
The contours of these delightful shapes conjure up the waves of amber grain and those lapping at the rim of our great nation spanning from sea to shining sea. As the battle for the Presidency rails on, we must remember that Americans may may have achieved freedom through war, but they are also a people of love. After all, in the end all we have is each other.
And the video: