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Barack Bric-a-Brac: A Great American Tradition

By Betsy Newmark

Published May 07, 2015

Fox News

By Betsy NewmarkGovernment and History Teacher/Blogger

Yes, there is a lot to ridicule with all the Obama schlock stuff that you can buy. You don't have to stop at the ordinary Obama T-Shirt you can step up and get the cutting board. Or drink a cup of Barack O' Blendcoffee. Or buy the jewelry.

There may be something a bit distasteful to many of us in the sense of idolatry suggested in the thought that there are people out there who want Hot 4 Barack Hot Sauce. It smacks of the British buying Princess Di's image on anything they could. Or people snatching up the pope's image when he came to visit. But it is also very American.

Andrew Jackson butter dish

Martin Van Buren snuffbox

William Henry Harrison shaving razor

pitcher

William Jennings Bryan serving tray

In the modern age, collectibles have tended to be more of the button and T-shirt variety, so I'm rather enjoying this throwback to an earlier era. If people want to buy these things, bless 'em. They're continuing an American tradition.

And three cheers for good ol' capitalism. If there's a market for Obama schlock, then we should be happy that there are entrepreneurs who are ready to fill that demand. -- They didn't even need a stimulus package to get them out there producing and selling this stuff. That's the real American tradition.

For more from Betsy, click here.

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