President Obama’s approval ratings have sunk to record breaking lows lately. Even the Obama Action Figure, pictured here, has been marked down to a discounted price.
I own one of these action figures (paid full price), which stands in a place of honor in my office along with my Obama Magnetic paper dolls and a collection of books, magazines, campaign pins and other decorative items that together create a glittery, red, white, and blue Obama Shrine.
Just yesterday, I received a copy of Paris Match featuring the Obamas in Copenhagen on the cover. The note enclosed from a friend mentioned that the edition was sold out all over Paris (not happening lately in the US), but she managed to find one of these special editions for me. I display them, not only because the Uncle Sam hat and pom poms make people smile, but these souvenirs of the campaign, election, and inauguration are reminders of the magic in those moments and the hope he represents.
The Nobel Committee stated,“Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future,”. President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize is being criticized by some in the U.S., but there is no denying that the world did change overnight when Obama was elected, and for once in a positive way!
I applaud the committee in Oslo for honoring this historic shift. If only the Most Highly Esteemed International Honor would influence Americans to reinstate an appropriate level of respect for their current President, who happens to be revered around the world. It is unlikely, but we are talking about the man who rebranded Hope, so let’s wait and see.
Suzy Ogé is an American born business woman living in The Hague, The Netherlands. 