Angelika President Obama at times achieved cult status in certain circles in this country, and entire pilgrimages were made to Washington to witness his inauguration live. Slowly, we are returning to everyday life, and although Obama still enjoys significant support among the population (63% according to the latest polls), he has already had to deal with some political setbacks.
Despite pushing his stimulus package through the House of Representatives and the Senate at top speed, there was still a bitter aftertaste, as only three Republicans voted for the package in the Senate. In the House of Representatives, there wasn't a single Republican "yes" vote. Obama's dream of bipartisan cooperation to solve the enormous problems ahead has already faded somewhat after just six weeks in office.
In our neighborhood, "Noe Valley," Obama is still highly regarded. Shortly before Christmas, prayer candles featuring Obama as a saint even appeared in stores. The novelty shop "Just for Fun" started this trend, but now the candles are available in other stores as well, because they are selling well. "Just for Fun" placed a giant version of the candle, costing a hefty $395, in their shop window (by the way, the smaller models cost only around $15). This, in turn, caught the attention of Father Tony LaTorre from the nearby Catholic parish of St. Philip. He sees the Obama candle as an insult to the Catholic faith and the veneration of saints in the Catholic Church. He called on his parishioners to stop shopping at "Just for Fun" and to let the store owners know why.
Not all of his flock listened to him, as some promptly marched into the store and declared that they had no problem with the Obama candle. Then the pastor put his foot in it by identifying the store owners as belonging to the Jewish faith. And that wasn't even true! Only one of the owners had a Jewish father. The whole back and forth immediately brought the Archdiocese of San Francisco into action, prompting the pastor to distance himself from his remark.
The candle design is actually "Made in San Francisco," because Johnny Oliver, a real estate agent by profession, sought a second source of income due to the dire housing market. Using "Photoshop," he simply placed Obama's head onto an image of Saint Martin de Porres, a Peruvian Dominican brother who advocated for the poor and sick and, fittingly, had a Spanish father and a Black mother. Naturally, the entire controversy boosted the candle business, and the Obama candle still adorns the "Just for Fun" shop window. I think that, novelty item or not, there can't be enough prayer candles burning for Obama, because the man needs all the help he can get to pull us out of the mess we're in.