Meanwhile real socialists in France have relegated traditional emblems like the red star to the dustbin of history, preferring designs that recall cutting-edge political art. So who’s picking up radical left-wing poster art traditions? Tories in England.

UPDATE: Steve Grubb, CEO of VictoryStore.com, which sells Obama signs and merchandise via the ObamaZen.com and DemocraticNationalCommittee.com Web sites, tells MnIndy that the graphic designers who came up with the red-star Obama design 18 months ago are in their 20s and had no idea of the symbol’s socialist and communist roots. The nonpartisan company sells to Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians alike, Grubb said, and always finds substitutes for official campaign symbols.

Since then VicStore has sold “hundreds of thousands” of items with the logo, he said, “and sure, there’s a few people who see a socialist behind every bush” — but the company hasn’t pulled the products. Now Grubb’s company is selling out stock on existing products and readying a series to sell on Nov. 5 for the winner, either for Obama at obamazen.com or U.S. Sen. John McCain at JohnnyMac08.com. VicStore also continues to flog Ron Paul stuff to Libertarians.