As many have noted, Obama’s campaign and pre-presidency seem to have sunk much deeper roots into the public culture than any recent political figure or political event. My two year old has an Obama t-shirt with that iconic Obama ‘hope’ picture on it. (And before you start giving me grief, I didn’t buy it for him.) And when he sees Obama on TV or on my computer, which is not an uncommon event, he says, ‘That’s o-Bahm-a’.
I’m working from home this morning. And in the other room coverage of the inauguration is running with my wife, our babysitter and my older son Sam watching. And I’m hearing my wife (‘Yes, that’s Obama. It’s Obama’s special day.’) trying to explain to Sam just what’s going on. Now, Sam is a very bright kid. But the constitution is a difficult thing for even many adults to understand, even a few presidents. So listening to her try to explain just what’s happening, eventually she had to refer back to his own more intimate reference points of authority and protection. “Well, today, Obama is becoming the country’s mommy.”
And I say this with the proviso that no one is allowed to infer anything from this about my own views of presidential or state authority.
Late Update: Don’t freak out the kids. Says TPM Reader DW …
I said almost the same thing to my 3 year old today. I said that Obama was going to be the country’s new daddy.
He looked up and had a tear in his eye and a pouted lip and said, “I don’t want a new daddy!”
I guess he’s a Republican…
