"Hope" poster creator has lost hope in President Obama

It was the poster that-- in many ways-- propelled President Obama into office.

The iconic "Hope" poster was based on a stolen Associated Press photograph that street artist Shepard Fairey designed into a stencil.  Fairey's poster was used widely by the campaign and supporters during the 2008 election season.  In an article published in Esquire magazine this week, Fairey says he has now run out of hope for the president.  He says the president has not lived up to the message on the poster and compromised on many issues like drones and domestic spying.  Fairey also called Americans "uneducated and complacent".

The photograph that Fairey based his poster on was taken by Mannie Garcia.  The AP and Fairey settled the copyright dispute out of court and both parties now share rights to the work.  Federal charges were filed against Fairey for fabricating and destroying evidence that implicated him in the copyright theft, for which he ultimately paid a $25,000 fine along with 300 hours of community service.

WPXI