There is actually a movement that wants to create a new American national holiday: Barack Obama day. The activists believe that Barack Obama’s victory in the presidential election was of such historic proportions, as were his accomplishments, that it warrants a brand new holiday in its and his honor.
Although some may say that there is credence to the idea that a national holiday should be created for the first victory of an African American in a presidential election, it seems a bit … early.
He isn’t even in the White House yet. He hasn’t accomplished anything except for being elected. That is a great accomplishment, of course, but the real work starts now. We don’t know what kind of president he will be; if he will leave office with approval ratings similar to George W. Bush, well, the Obama holiday will be a national day of mourning and lost chances instead.
The best way forward is moderation, not exaggerated responses to Obama’s historic victory.
If the same movement exists 20 years from now, and Obama is still popular, then is the time for a debate about the matter. Not now.
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Uhh, Michael Merrit already posted about this, no?
http://www.poligazette.com/2008/11/10/topeka-obama-supporters-to-promote-obama-holiday/
It seems to be a rather small group that’s advocating this. In any event I’m with one TMV blogger, that’s what we have Presidents Day for.
I recognize the symbolic victory for African Americans, but I don’t see it as any more historic than the passage of the Civil Rights Act.
Unless Obama not only saves the country from the brink of another Great Depression but also gives everyone healthcare, eliminates poverty and gets rid of used-car salesmen, I don’t see why he should get his own holiday.
Excuse me but isn’t all this celebration getting a “little” out of hand? He ran a “good” election, meaning that his team presented a “better” product than the Republicans but come on. Getting elected is the easy part, running the country and keeping it safe and prosperous (not that he has any more control of that over the congress than any previous President) hasn’t been demonstrated yet. All the flowery speeches and the psuedo promises won’t cut it when tackling the real problems he’ll face next year. Let’s just hope that this relatively unknown isn’t another Jimmy Carter who also was tossed out as the savior of the country by the Democratic party when there was an anyone but a Republican focus for the president in the 1975 elections.
Which means I can’t write about it?
Of course not, but since the conclusion was so similar I assumed you might not have seen it.
I think that most rational people, even ardent Obama supporters, see this as ridiculous.
Michael was also far less sarcastic about it all than I was. I personally don’t see a circumstance where Obama would ever get a holiday, given that the last president to get one was Lincoln.
Michael: I don’t know. I think 20 years from now, we could speak about it again. And perhaps then we’ll conclude it was so important, it deserves a holiday. But not now. The man hasn’t done anything yet.
I heard he is only the sixth biracial president. What is the truth? Anybody’s dad could have come from Africa, if his white mother decided to sleep with him. I don’t see the ’specialness’ of anything historic here???
Yes lets bring up the Mandingo BS. Those ni%%%% want to sleep with our white virgin daughters.
Only the star struck, un/ill informed who have already elivated this entity to iconic status in their lives would even conceive of such foolishness. When our greatest President, George Washington, doesn’t have a day in his honor. giving such reverence to someone of the charactor of this man is a abomination.
And by the way for those who think this man might be the Antichrist, he is not. However, He’s very significally prototypical. Very charismatic, world reknowned and a symbol of hope. He is not by any means a man of God. To compare him to Martin Luther King, as many do, is inane.