I was wandering through the Obama store on www.barackobama.com when I came across the electronic aisle o'stickers. Now, I've been wanting a sticker to place on my car to advertise my support for the next President of the United States and to counteract some of the more disgusting anti-Obama stickers out there, ranging from "NOBAMA" to "Obama would make a great speed bump." I started perusing the various options and realized something.
Obama's selection does not represent me.
I'm left out.
The sticker selection represented the campaign's diversity and multicultural appeal. I saw Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for Obama (Not me -- until the next California earthquake separates the land masses, I was just raised near the Pacific), African Americans for Obama (well, I could argue that we're all, ancestrally, from Africa, but my pink Irish skin that can only burn and freckle would get me cock-eyed glances), Veterans for Obama (nope), GLBT for Obama (at which point, my girlfriend would come to me and say, "Honey, is there something we have to discuss?"), Catholics for Obama (sorry, I'm lapsed), and Latinos for Obama (Does having Irish ancestors who got their Mexican citizenship to own land in pre-Bear Flag Revolt California count?).
None of these reflected me.
And then, the perfect sticker came to me. If only the Obama camp would print it.
"IRISH AMERICANS for O'BAMA."
I could see myself proudly placing this sticker, and many more like it, all over my car, especially over the passenger side headlight to hold it in place. The idea had a kind of perfect symmetry. Obama had been compared time and time again to a couple of other famous Irish-American politicians named John and Bobby, why not complete the picture by bestowing on him an honorary apostrophe?
So there you have it. I'm throwing my support in for O'Bama, the next Irish-American President (honorary ... the Irish thing, not the president thing).
~PO