Safwat Saleem, a Pakistani-American graphic designer and filmmaker from Phoenix, Arizona, wants to foreground the more absurd edges of political campaigns and the unfortunate ways minorities are used to manufacture outrage (and win votes). It’s about decoding what politicians and pundits really mean when they open their mouths, and the best example of his project, duly titled A Bunch of Crock, is a poster series inspired by quote, fact and anecdote. Over years of poring over political messages, Saleem found two common threads: 1) politicians and pundits think the general population is too stupid to tell fact from fiction, and, 2) promoting fear of minorities, sadly, makes for good politics. Saleem, whose previous work includes a short film about a lonely bear that longs for space travel, has launched a Kickstarter fundraising campaign to produce a range of political merchandise. Having raised $2,173, he’s already surpassed his original goal ($1,400) and is now creating large format posters, stickers, buttons, postcards and signage. For as little as a $12 pledge, you can have two “Honk if You’re Racist” bumper stickers. How nice. (Perhaps some talented Canadian graphic designer might do the same for our breed of politics?) Television: Nearly one-in-five (18%) Americans say President Barack Obama is a Muslim. Race: “I want to be able to say what’s on my mind and in my heart and what I think is helpful and useful.” That from infamous radio host Laura Schlessinger, 63, announcing her decision to quit her show following complaints over the time she uses the word “nigger” 11 times during an on-air phone call. Democrats: “I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan.” So says President Barack Obama, August 13, 2010, at a White House Ramadan dinner. “I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there. I was commenting very specifically on the right people have that dates back to our founding.” Um, President Obama, August 14–the next freaking day. Republicans: “They [illegal immigrants] use it as a wedge. This is an orchestrated effort by them to come here and have children to gain access to the great welfare state we’ve created.” Sen. Russell Pearce, a Republican state senator in Arizona, defending his idea to rewrite the 14th Amendment. Earth: “It’s a flat-out lie. I read my Bible. He made this earth for us to utilize.” Norman Dennison, electrician and founder of the Corydon (Indiana) Tea Party, on, what else, climate change. Tea Party: “Carbon dioxide is portrayed as harmful. But there isn’t even one study that can be produced that shows that carbon dioxide is a harmful gas… it is a part of earth’s life cycle. And yet we are being told that we have to reduce this natural substance and reduce the American standard of living.” Some Earth Day talk (2009) from Rep. Michele Bachmann on the House floor. Who Do I Have to Blow? “Amnesty has to be an important part because there are people who have lived in this country for 20, 30 or 40 years, who have raised children here and pay taxes here and are not citizens.” Arizona Senator John McCain, May 29, 2003, arguing–pretty persuasively we might add–for some form of amnesty to naturalize illegal immigrants. “I’ve never supported amnesty.” Yes, Senator McCain, in a Republican primary debate, January 5, 2006. Patriotism: “Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies. And I know you’re not. I’m not accusing you of being an enemy, but that’s the way I feel, and I think a lot of Americans will feel that way.” There goes Glenn Beck, the conservative news commentator, questioning the loyalties of Keith Ellison, the first Muslim to be elected to the House of Representatives.