In my previous blog, Presidentolatry, I commented on Gene Healy’s 28 August 2008 Christian Science Monitor article A President, Not a Savior. Healy notes that the ever rising expectations as to what a president can or should be able to do has caused voters to expect our presidents to be Herculean semi-gods. Hercules according to Wikipedia “was renowned as having ‘made the world safe for mankind’ by destroying many dangerous monsters.” So too, our presidents make such claims for themselves and the voters come to expect them each to wield such invincible powers.
Treating the presidents and presidential candidates as some kind of semi-gods certainly creates the Presidentolatry which seems to control the emotions surrounding a campaign. Such idolatry of a person is certainly dangerous fumes for a candidate to inhale as he stands before the screaming, name waving supporters and perhaps comes to believe his own mythology.
Walking my dog through our neighborhood yesterday, I noticed how recently a number of Obama signs have appeared in what was up to this point an area populated by mostly McCain signs.
As I paused to realize that the Obama Nation has reached even this strongly Republican area, I couldn’t help but combine my thoughts on Presidentolatry with Barack’s more publicly displayed support in the area and have a little pun. Why are the Republicans so negative about Barack’s election? They think it an Obamination.
Fraternized 
Part of my problem with Obama is that he seems to have cultivated this image, even encouraging others to see him as some type of Messiah who is going to solve all our problems. To be sure, the Bush presidency has been a very mediocre one, but is the best solution to take a large step toward European-style socialism?
In saying the Bush presidency has been very mediocre, you are probably being too kind. Normally about 32% of Americans are Republican loyalists and will always support the Republican candidate at all times – Bush’s popularity has dropped several points below that level suggesting that even die hard Republicans are displeased with him. Mediocrity would suggest Bush was just an average president, but the polls would suggest he is considerably below that average. And today even the Republican presidential candidate is harshly hammering away against the Bush presidency trying to get himself out of the hole caused by Bush’s sinking estimation by voters. McCain would probably be happy if Bush’s presidential legacy would rise to the level of mediocrity rather than sink the fortunes of the entire Republican Party.