Obama Fever Is Breaking On the Web: Rash of New Sites Throws Some Cold Water On the Hot Candidate

[DeepModem Mom]

WP: Obama Fever Is Breaking On the Web
A Rash of New Sites Throws Some Cold Water On the Hot Candidate
By Jose Antonio Vargas
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, February 23, 2008; Page C01

It's the nature of the Web -- and, really, of life. What goes up must come down. What's popular becomes too popular. What's seen as hip and hot and cool eventually gets mocked.

Even, yes, Barack Obama.

In recent days, sites have popped up indicating that the ongoing online Obamamania has hit a wall. What kind of wall? A snarky, ironic, this-Obama-thing-has-gotten-over-the-top wall. Obama's smiling mug is mashed up on countless faces on SenatorObamas.com. He's Sumobama. He's Pharaohbama. He's Navajobama, complete with a blue-and-white feathered headdress. The blog Is Barack Obama the Messiah? features a photo of the Illinois senator standing on a flight of stairs, Christlike, above an adoring crowd while a ray of light beams from above.

And on the aptly titled Web site BarackObamaIsYourNewBicycle.com, the candidate caters to all your needs: Barack Obama made your bed . . . Barack Obama folded your laundry . . . Barack Obama picked you up at the airport . . . Barack Obama remembered your birthday . . . Barack Obama is your new bicycle . . .

That's funny ha, ha. And funny ouch.

Sites such as the Messiah blog are created by voters who don't care much for Obama.

"I just can't stand it. Whenever I hear him speak, I shake my head, thinking, 'Are people hearing his campaign's overtly religious tones?' " says Michael Hussey, 29, an Internet entrepreneur who runs RateMyTeachers.com. Hussey is a libertarian, his politics a cross between Ron Paul's and Rudy Giuliani's, he says. After reading about the Messiah blog on the conservative site Instapundit, Hussey started a Facebook group where members post comments such as "I hear he shoots lightning out of his fingertips to smite the unbelievers!" The group has 37 members.

But most of the sites that poke fun at online Obamamania are engineered by supporters, some of whom are explaining to themselves -- and to lovers, friends, co-workers -- Obama's pull. The Web is an expressive, creative sandbox, a virtual playground where you can be as self-effacing and self-indulgent as possible. It's a place where inside jokes become, when effective, everyone's jokes....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/22/AR2008022203063.html?nav%3Dhcmodule&sub=AR

[NC_Nurse]

1. Just like Ron Paul's supporters, I'm sure they'll have a MAJOR impact.

God forbid anyone run a POSITIVE campaign and actually WIN. B-)

[mrreowwr_kittty]

2. I can't believe WaPo devoted column space to a bitter libertarian assmunch whose site has 37 members

Oh wait, yes I can. :puke:

The MSM won't pay any attention to huge liberal sites like this one and DailyKos, who are unearthing and discussing important issues that the American public really needs to know and those lazy corrupt asses refuse to report. But everytime the RW blogosphere farts about something, they are ALL over it! :grr:

[Windy]

3. there are plenty of anti sites about all of the candidates. too bad that the WP doesn't discuss

that fact! the media wants hillary as it will boost their ratings and circulation when the right wing comes out against her and bill.... the uglier the better for their advertising dollars.

Very sad

[Eurobabe]

4. I thought this was a pretty lightweight fluff piece

Not as funny as the author thinks it is. :boring:

[Warren Stupidity]

5. "Hussey is a libertarian, his politics a cross between Ron Paul's and Rudy Giuliani's"

I'm trying to reconcile that statement. I guess that would be a Libertarian-Fascist, or an Authoritarian Nationalist Anarcho-Capitalist. Giuliani is about as far from Ron Paul as one can get inside the reknucklian camp.

[progressive_realist]

7. I think it translates to 100% asshole

In other words, Hussey thinks it's every man for himself (and only men count, I'm sure) except when it comes to war, in which case everyone else should make sacrifices to gratify his bloodlust. What a piece of work.

:puke:

[DeepModem Mom]

6. Come on fellow Obamaites -- we can have a little sense of humor about ObamaMania --

"most of the sites that poke fun at online Obamamania are engineered by supporters." The Hussey quote is a blip in the article, not the focus of it.

[blogslut]

8. If this is backlash

I'll take it.

The article is weak. It only includes one site that can really be considered a backlash site - touted by Instapundit as some sort of "sign" that Obama's popularity has "hit a wall".

What the article fails to do is cover the full expanse of websites and home-made videos that are dedicated to Barack Obama. Instead, it speaks of a total of two videos and two sites.

Weak

[Dems Will Win]

9. I'd like to remind you that Oprah the Oracle said Obama is "The One"

She's right!