Rob Long
Rob Long · Jul 27, 2010 at 12:21pm

It's President Obama's birthday next week. He'll be 49. And Michelle Obama wants us all to sign his birthday card.

Well, probably not all of us. She's probably happy not to hear from, say, Ricochet Members. On the other hand, it seems like a good opportunity for us to wish the man a happy birthday, and maybe add a thought or two -- a polite thought or two -- in the box provided. Maybe just a "Happy Birthday, Mr. President. Please stop spending my money so fast," or something.

I'm sure something will come to you. The link is here.

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show Aaron Miller's comment (#1) ←
Aaron Miller
Joined
May '10

Re: "Happy Birthday.....Mister President!"

Aaron Miller

I can only imagine the wonderful things in store for me when the President has my email address!

I don't suppose we can play Pin the Tail On the Donkey?

show Sky Masterson's comment (#2) ←

Joined
Jul '10

Re: "Happy Birthday.....Mister President!"

Sky Masterson

My message, "Happy Birthday, Mr. President. You'll only have two more on the taxpayers' dime, so make it a good one."

show Kennedy Smith's comment (#3) ←
Kennedy Smith
Joined
May '10

Re: "Happy Birthday.....Mister President!"

Kennedy Smith

Mine said "hang in there, kid. sure you'll figure it out eventually. Many happies." And, Hell, I'm younger than he is.

show Duane Oyen's comment (#4) ←
Duane Oyen
Joined
May '10

Re: "Happy Birthday.....Mister President!"

Duane Oyen

Happy Very Early Retirement, Mr. President....

show Neal Pierson's comment (#5) ←
Neal Pierson
Joined
May '10

Re: "Happy Birthday.....Mister President!"

Neal Pierson

Happy Birthday, Mr. President, from a college-aged Republican. Hey, maybe in a couple of years, I can sign your retirement card too.

show Scott Reusser's comment (#6) ←
Scott Reusser
Joined
May '10

Re: "Happy Birthday.....Mister President!"

Scott Reusser

Barack,

Happy birthday, and here's the bust of Lenin you asked me for.

I love you,

Vlad

show ~Paules's comment (#7) ←
~Paules
Joined
Jun '10

Re: "Happy Birthday.....Mister President!"

~Paules

Happy Birthday Mr. President. BTW, do have any documentary evidence to support your claim?

→ show Rob Long's comment (#8)
Rob Long

Re: "Happy Birthday.....Mister President!"

Rob Long
~Paules: Happy Birthday Mr. President. BTW, do have any documentary evidence to support your claim? · Jul 27 at 3:52pm

Very very funny.

→ show James Poulos, Ed.'s comment (#9)
James Poulos

Re: "Happy Birthday.....Mister President!"

James Poulos, Ed.

Jim Lindgren, at Volokh, is too creeped out for birthday wishes:

I find it hard to say precisely why I find this email a bit creepy. At one level this seems innocuous enough–and it is definitely not a big thing.

At another level, asking millions of Americans to sign a birthday card for the President suggests a tone-deafness about the cult of personality. If we lived in a dictatorship, getting millions of subjects to celebrate the Dear Leader’s birthday would be routine, but in a free republic this appeal to get millions of citizens to celebrate a current president’s birthday strikes a discordant note to my ear.

No, I am not saying we are in a dictatorship; I am saying that because we are not, we should not be emulating the trappings characteristic of that fundamentally different sort of regime. Nor do I think this is particularly ominous, just a very small step in the wrong direction.

Last, it seems strange for Michelle Obama to be trying to get us to sign Barack’s birthday card when she is scheduled to be in Spain with [at least one of] her daughters during the President’s birthday.


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