What the Great Seal of Obama Might Actually Mean for America

Before this piece of artwork gets disappeared down the memory hole forever, let's take a moment to ask a few questions about what this Great Seal of Obama really means.

Let's take notice of what's missing first...

• The fifty stars representing the fifty states.  Can we assume that is because Obama thinks that there are fifty-seven states in the Union?
• The thirteen stars and clouds representing the original colonies above the eagle head are gone.  Does Obama respect America's history?

And now, we examine the...uh...changes:

• The most noticeable change is the replacement of the shield with the Obama logo.  Does this mean that the logo's creator believed that Obama was more important than America, which the shield represents?
• Behind the eagle head, is a rising sun - which in this context is supposed to evoke the idea that america's best days are ahead not behind (a noble thought), but does the logo's creator actually think that the only way America gets to see those better days is through Obama?
• The Latin phrase "E pluribus unum" which means "out of many, one" suggesting that out of many states emerge a single nation or out of many people have a single people and nation emerged is replaced with the Bob, the Builder classic line in Latin, "Vero Possumus" or "Yes, we can!"  Again, the logo creator has chosen style over substance by ignoring America's history.  On purpose?

I am reminded of a Star Trek novel with the title of Dreadnought! by Diane Carey throughout this whole episode.  Specifically, the character of Vice Admiral Rittenhouse, who is the main villain of the book, is the only officer in the history of the Starfleet to ever have had the audacity to create a "personal command emblem" which was worn by all the personnel who served with him.  Rittenhouse plotted to take over the Federation by force and install himself as a benevolent dictator.  In other words, he was a fascist.  What tips Kirk and company off about Rittenhouse's real character and motivations is the emblem and I can't help but think that we ought to hear what Obama really thinks about this seal before we just let the issue go away.

My colleague on Weapons of Mass Discussion made the comment that he was reminded of the John Kerry bumper stickers that made it appear that Kerry wasn't running for President, but rather that he WAS the president (John Kerry President vs John Kerry for President).  People seeking this sort of power trip ought not be handed the reins as Leader of the Free World.  Your mileage may vary...

Back on point, it is the imagery that was selected that tells the tale here.  Put aside Obama's fits about an Imperial Presidency, I think there is a real argument that this seal makes that --at least the creator of the logo -- Obama actually seeks just such an arrangement.

Matt Hurley is the contributing editor of Weapons of Mass Discussion, an Ohio-based blog on national, regional, state and local issues.