[web_design] Jim Greenfield, OR-1 Candidate, Is Very Proud of His Lorem Ipsum

2671.Via T.A.Barnhart on Google+, I find this bit of silliness courtesy of a member of one of the silliest groups of people in Oregon … Republican Congressional also-rans. In this case, it's one of the flock of candidates vying for the seat that was vacated by 8-term Congressman David Wu.

As of today, at this time, this is Mr Greenfield's website (http://www.greenfieldforcongress.com/)

It's really kind of template-y, nothing bad but nothing especially good or creative. The antique phone is a good touch. We're using different phones now, but it's an artistic point, I suppose, though I expected a little more from a candidate who's running "an active special primary race". It's got to be more active than his website is right now. But - what! Lower left and lower right there … there's some interesting text down there.

We all want to know what any candidate of any stripe has done, and Mr Greenfield has done us a solid by telling us. Looking at the third item on that list really impressed me. I'm not disposed to vote Republiclan, but anyone who successfully esqesed dolorliquam congue fermenumn impresses me. That's no mean achievement! But that next-to-last one is a deal-breaker for me … I don't think it's good for America to promote adipsicing allquetulla. That, to me, is a lifestyle choice, and people shouldn't be discouraged from making it, but don't think my taxes should support it!

Of course, you can say whatever your experience is, your achievements can be the proof in the pudding. In this case, Mr. Greenfield's greatest achievements were using three paragraphs of lorem ipsum text and a stock filler photo of two attractive women. As a trained graphic designer, I myself am a great advocate of lorem ipsum text, so at least, even if Greenfield is a Republican, there's one thing we all can agree with.

Although I will say this about me: I've used more at one go than he did, so in that case, I'm moar qualified to be a US Congressman than he is. I also know more dialects of lorem ipsum than he does, so if you want a man who speaks the true gibberish of the people, then I am that man.

Seriously, however,  I'm sure than Jim Greenfield is more serious about his run than this website suggests it is. At least I hope he is. This speaks not only to effective web design (the template-y design of the site and the failure to do something about something so fundamental as filler text in the template suggests a design process that's at best, sloppy, and probably non-existent in reality) but speaks to branding.

Everytime a candidate speaks they're expanding their brand, what they stand for. And, aside from some standard old-wine-in-new-skin (and the skin ain't even that new, actually) about free markets and the national budget, there isn't much of anything compelling to recommend him over, say, someone who has an actual chance of winning the special election.

Although it would have been more impressive if he'd just put up a simple "coming soon" page with a donation link. Or, failing that, not letting this bowser go live at all. Or maybe not letting his web designer knock off early and go home.

The screenshots above were current as of the writing of this missive. It may have changed by the time you look at it. At least I damn skippy hope it did.