DiD US Presidential Election 2008

http://gamu-toys.info/sonota/sw/obama/obama.html

Dear Santa…

Morrison on Obama

Short update on the post from the other day. Apparently the scene was inspired by President Obama’s speech during the campaign at the Alfred E. Smith dinner. Writer Grant Morrison told Scotland’s Daily Record:

I wanted to do something special for the last part of this huge comic book series. As I was writing it, I heard Obama making a joke about being born on the planet Krypton and being sent to Earth by his father Jor-El to save the world. I thought it would be a fitting end to all the darkness in America recently. All the comics have been dealing with darkness recently and, having defeated evil, it’s now time to celebrate.

Worked out great for the story that he won I guess.

White House Unbuttons Formal Dress Code - NYTimes.com

White House Unbuttons Formal Dress Code - NYTimes.com

On President Obama’s Oval Office dress code and routine.

Vathlo Prime

Sort of an amusing confluence of events:

1. DC decides to do a political story called DCU: Decisions around election season featuring its characters choosing sides in the race. Except they use fictional candidates, and the story is poorly drawn and written. No one cares.
2. Marvel decides to do a Spider-Man issue that features Barack Obama in a 5-page back-up story of serviceable writing and art quality. It’s a huge, sellout success. (Despite that they botched the covers, releasing the Obama cover as a rare variant, which most customers don’t understand. Still, big success. The second and third printings feature Obama on all the covers. Last night when I was in my comic book store someone came in and bought three copies. The clerk then failed to bother to upsell him on anything, thereby squandering a great chance to sell him something else for himself or his kids that might turn them into regular customers.)
3. At the same time, Marvel bets on the wrong horse in the actual election, having Norman Orsborn, a big-time villain, take over the operations of SHIELD and generally staying with the tone of the Bush administration where we can’t trust our government. No hope to be found.
4. DC releases a book that was supposed to come out in December, but due to artistic delays only just came out this week, eight days after President Obama’s innauguration. It features an alternate- Earth black president who’s also Superman¹.

How did both companies manage to both hit and miss here?

1. DC actually once published a story about Vathlo Island, a nation on Krypton that featured dark-skinned Kryptonians. Morrison here is taking this fairly embarrassing part of DC’s history and turning it around, imagining a world where a Vathlo citizen sent his only son to Earth instead of Jor-El².
2. Jor-El lived in the city “Kryptonopolis”.

Inaugural preparations - The Big Picture - Boston.com

Inaugural preparations - The Big Picture - Boston.com

'Renegade' joins 'Twinkle,''Rawhide,''Lancer' on list of Secret Service code names

‘Renegade’ joins ‘Twinkle,’ ‘Rawhide,’ ‘Lancer’ on list of Secret Service code names

I like that they’re alliterative.

Barack Obama Has Read Harry Potter

In last night’s Barack Obama Variety Half-Hour, Michelle Obama mentioned that her husband read all seven Harry Potter books with their daughter.

Has John McCain read Harry Potter?

Whom do you trust to protect America from dark wizards?

We need to know the full extent of the relationship between John McCain and Tom Riddle. Frankly I just don’t think he has the experience to lead us through any sort of dementor- or inferius-based terrorist attacks.

Barack Obama does stand-up at Alfred E. Smith dinner

Barack Obama does stand-up at Alfred E. Smith dinner

Funny speech. I wish the camera didn’t feel they had to cut to McCain for every reaction shot though.

Op-Ed Columnist - Aaron Sorkin Conjures a Meeting of Obama and Bartlet - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com

Op-Ed Columnist - Aaron Sorkin Conjures a Meeting of Obama and Bartlet - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com

Lefty Presidents

Both Barack Obama and John McCain are left-handed.