Op-Ed: Is Barack Obama A Candidate or a Cult Of Personality?

Six politicians in Brazil have renamed themselves Obama. 'Barack' has been crowned Name of the Year by Laura Wattenberg, creator of Baby Name Wizard. And now the town of Olema in Marin County, CA has renamed itself Obama. This is not politics as usual.

From CBS5.com, via Drudge:

OLEMA (AP) ― Motorists entering the quaint, woodsy town of Olema near the sea in Marin County may notice a subtle change as they enter: it appears the burg's name has been changed to ''Obama.''

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama supporter and bed and breakfast owner Kelly Emery created a perfect mirror of the green sign people read as they enter the town's limits.

Now people unfamiliar with the area may think they are entering the town of Obama, population: 55.

From the UK Guardian:

Walk into a polling station in Belford Roxo, an impoverished city on the fringes of Rio de Janiero, on October 5 and you will be faced with an historic choice. You could vote for Alcides Rolim, the Workers' Party mayoral candidate promising a "city for all" or Elizeu Pitorra, a local communist who believes it is "time for a change". Most voters, however, will probably opt for Barack Obama, a 39-year-old Brazilian who, until recently, was known as Claudio Henrique dos Anjos.

Welcome to Obama-mania, Brazil-style. Few countries have embraced the idea of the US's first black president as enthusiastically as Brazil, a country with one of the largest Afro-descendant populations on Earth yet where black faces remain a minority in politics. Obama T-shirts are everywhere while chat shows and newspaper columns are filled with talk of the 47-year-old Illinois senator.

Lastly, from BraveNewFilms:

Perhaps the nation will see some baby "Baracks" arriving over the next few months no matter who wins the presidential election.

Sen. Barack Obama's name brand recognition has much currency these days as Americans mull over the appeal of the Illinois Democrat's name for their own precious offspring.

Barack has been crowned Name of the Year by Laura Wattenberg, creator of Baby Name Wizard, a popular online trend-tracking tool for parents-to-be at IVillage.com, offering instant advice in the crucial baby-name derby.

If such overboard enthusiasm were limited to the above, I would not have a problem with it. However, the Cult of Personality surrounding Obama has infected the media as well. Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann of MSNBC are prime examples, throwing what should be journalistic objectivity to the wind. And they are far from alone. Not only do such collective rapturous accolades from the media poison the political process, it undermines every canon of unbiased objective journalism, turning the Mainstream Media into nothing less than an unofficial wing of the Obama campaign. It also does a great disservice to the voting public. It is the media's job to provide realistic assessments and sometimes focus harsh spotlights on the candidates, their politics and their associations, for better or worse. There is nothing wrong with anyone being a hugely popular candidate for any office. But when that popularity overshadows important political issues to the point that we see only the presumed good, and all things detrimental are submerged or hidden, it is no longer a political campaign but a Cult of Personality. Living Colour said it better than I ever could: Look into my eyes, what do you see? Cult of personality I know your anger, I know your dreams Ive been everything you want to be Im the cult of personality Like mussolini and kennedy Im the cult of personality Cult of personality Cult of personality Neon lights, a nobel prize The mirror speaks, the reflection lies You dont have to follow me Only you can set me free I sell the things you need to be Im the smiling face on your t.v. Im the cult of personality I exploit you still you love me I tell you one and one makes three Im the cult of personality Like joseph stalin and gandi Im the cult of personality Cult of personality Cult of personality Neon lights a nobel prize A leader speaks, that leader dies You dont have to follow me Only you can set you free You gave me fortune You gave me fame You me power in your gods name Im every person you need to be Im the cult of personality I have been very critical of John McCain over the years, particularly regarding his involvement in the Keating Five scandal and his Shamnesty bill, which was killed by millions of Americans who phoned in their outrage. I have also been very critical of Barack Obama for a wide variety of reasons. The point being, history, issues and character drive my choice for whom I pull the lever in the voting booth, and in a democracy that is the way it should be. Those nations which have elected or appointed leaders based on personality alone have not fared well historically, which I believe is the point of Living Colour's biggest hit. As the ancient knight in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade warned, "Choose Wisely." I do not say this to influence votes, merely to inform. Should voters choose John McCain purely on the popularity of Sarah Palin without closely examining his or her record on the issues, it would be just as ignorant a choice as choosing Obama on personality alone and ignoring all else. Choose Wisely. American democracy depends on the sound, reasoned and informed decisions of its voters, regardless of the candidates or parties involved.