I’m just back from DC, which is very different place from my previous visit. I first noticed the change when I got off the train at Union Station and ran smack into this kiosk chock-a-block with Obama gear. I whipped out my iPhone for this skinny photo.
I can’t recall ever having seen anything quite like it during the Bush years. There were many other similar gift shops scattered about DC. They reminded me of my visit to Lourdes decades ago, the main street lined with stores one after the other selling Virgin Mary squeegee bottles and the like. I didn’t see any Obama (or Michelle) squeegee bottles, but just about everything else was available, some of it left over from the inauguration. The same thing was true on my way out. I usually stop to buy my daughter a mug at one of the souvenir shops at Dulles before getting on the plane home. She has quite a collection mugs by now with such things as a yellow cab (for New York, of course) and a wild duck (for Minneapolis for some reason) emblazoned on them. I was hard put to find a mug at Dulles without Obama (there were literally dozens of different styles) but I finally discovered one with a Lincoln Memorial motif way in the back of one store, hidden behind a curtain. I snatched it up, even though the price was three dollars above all the Obama mugs. Consider it my contribution to the stimulus plan.
So now I’m home, having spent time promoting my book with such lights as Greg Gutfeld, Laura Ingraham, Jim Bohannon and G. Gordon Liddy. Liddy is quite amazing, sharp as a tack at 79 – and funny. He is in superb shape. If you didn’t know who he was, you would guess he was 59, not 79. But who in the world wouldn’t recognize Gordon Liddy?
Obama has succeeded in personalizing the economy now. The wise move would have been for him to concede some role for the Republicans in designing the economic bailout plan. He chose not to do so. If the economy recovers, he will have credit but if it does not improve, he has gambled in a way most politicians do not. I suspect this is an example of his inexperience and his hubris. We will see.
Will your new book be available for Kindle?
Working on it.
Nice performance on Red Eye. Normally can’t stand to watch it, but knew you would be on. And you really got into the spirit.
Must have been fun.
Hi Roger,
I noticed the same thing at Dulles Airport during a trip back home to the USA. You are right, I can’t remember this ever happening before in the United States.
I think we’ve seen this “worship” in other countries however. One can’t help but be reminded of Hitler,Stalin, Mao, Castro, and Saddam Hussien. I imagine we’ll be erecting monumental statues of Obama soon in Washington.
It’s quite frightening, isn’t it? I am hopeful, however, like other dictators that Obama will ultimately have a very ignominious fall.
“If the economy recovers”
The economy will not improve unless a new disruptive technology dramatically improves our lives for the better. Other than that improbable event, the markets do not like uncertainty. Investors must now be overly concerned with currying favor from the political elites. Satisfying customers will too often be relegated to a secondary consideration. I expect the Dow to drop below 7000—and this may happen before the end of the week.
The picture of the Obama rot you posted is nauseating
Maybe they’ll rename Washington “Obamagrad”
I’ve been seeing all sorts of this Obama trinkets and T-shirts around Toronto, which is bizarre considering the normal hate-on Canucks have for anything American. Suddenly shops that provide all the activist anit-american gear that any spawn of Trudeaumania would need to protest the US Embassy with are displaying windows full of Obama.
This is what 21st century fascism looks like.
We can all relax because Stephanopolis had Maxine Waters on his show this morning and she has the solution figured out. What a relief !
Obama worship is the same type of ‘cult of personality’ that exists for Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez. Both men who ruined their countries’ economies and imposed restrictions on speech, press, as well as intimidating those who dissent; and who will benefit from their friendship with William Ayers via his ‘protege’ Obama.
Wish Laura had stood up to Spector. He wouldn’t have sassed the G-Man (“It is easier to stay in shape than to get in shape.”). Robert Conrad, who portrayed him in WILL, said Gordon is a REAL tough guy. Anyway, welcome back to California, which is where the rest of the country will be next year…
When they begin referring to him as Dear Leader I start to worry.
Hey, Roger I just got your book in the mail a couple of days ago. I wish it was autographed.
As for the weird, creepy, strange cult like fascination with Obama, I am hoping that fades. The sooner the better.
As one author has symbolised it, it’s fascism with a smiley face.
This is not just at Dulles Airport where the airport is susceptible to the preferences of small store owners.
The Borders in downtown DC is a shrine to Obamamania. On entry, one has to pick their way through the books and
magazines swooning over the new president. It is so bad, the reader says,”Screw it, I will buy it on Amazon,” thus killing
a sale for the failing Borders chain. The long tail of internet commerce wins again. Chris Anderson is right; bricks and mortar
retail is in the death throes. Roger get that book on Kindle tout de suite
“They reminded me of my visit to Lourdes decades ago, the main street lined with stores one after the other selling Virgin Mary squeegee bottles and the like.”
Celebrity and politics converge! Gives credence to the conclusion that the last Presidential election was based more on image than accomplishment. Of course, we all knew that already…
I am hoping that someday all these Obama trinkets will the the equivalent of Nazi party souvenirs that were so prevalent during the III Riech in Germany. As with today’s Germans, people in the USA will be too ashamed to bring them out of their attics.
The great virtue of the American media is that they promote people and things they love so heavily, it’s not long before Americans as a whole become thoroughly sick of it. Our journalists and their enablers have a talent for over exposure; especially when dealing with puerile crap. Give this time and the world won’t be able to stand the sight of Barack Obama. We may even get an answer to the question; can an approval rating go into negative numbers?
As someone from the Heartland, Mr Simon, I can tell you that these past 2 months there have been Obama fandom goods available for sail in Krogers supermarkets. Yes, you can put Obamania stuff on your shopping list next to the bread, eggs, and Special K bars. Poster #16 is correct, Borders and a couple of other chain bookstores have also decided to cashin on the hoopla. Most of the merchandizing I suspect comes from the American impulse to make a $ off anything that catches the public fancy. (Pet rocks, anyone?)OTOH it is an unheard-of phenomenon in my lifetime that a newly elected President receive this sort of acclaim. Even ROnnie The Popular had to retire before he became a money maker.
Delusional.
Scary picture. Thanks for sharing.
The godlike worship of BO is strange. I can’t explain it. Can anyone explain the psychological issues going on here?
I’ve seen this past week where a couple of schools want to change the name to his. The man has done NOTHING.
Liddy’s a convicted felon and a notorious idiot. Figures you’d dig him, Simon.
I just traveled through Midway in Chicago and Obama face is displayed in almost every shop – the Hudson News Stores have him plastered everywhere, books, magazines, cups, tee shirts, its sickening!
“I can’t recall ever having seen anything quite like it during the Bush years. ”
Of course you don’t, and you didn’t: Bush sucked.
This is like someone saying of his newly married friend: “I don’t recall seeing him this happy with his LAST wife.” That’s because he hated her.
Figure it out, Rog.