Uh…I understand when people like their candidate, but um…I’ll let the picture speak for itself. This was an actual product spotted at a market in a San Francisco market:
Do you think the expectations are a little high?
Update 2:38 EST: According to Pedro B’s comments below this actually a common Saint, St. Martin de Porres. The resemblance to Barack Obama is striking!
Update 3:32 p.m. EST: Here’s a picture I found of the St. Martin de Porres:
I researched several images, and this image is one of the images that most resembles Sen. Obama, but I did not find the exact image that was on the votive. In some images his skin tone is darker, and in some similar to the lighter skin tone of Barack Obama. From my research I surmise that the image from the San Francisco market is was indeed intended to represent Barack Obama; however, I could understand if someone were to initially think it was St. Martin de Porres.
Update 10/22/08 7:54 a.m. The original photographer has commented below. This votive is definitely meant to be Obama. Thank you, Mark, for clearing this up for us!
7 Comments
October 21, 2008 at 8:09 PM
This doesn’t surprise me, since most people think is some kind of messiah who is going to save us all. I wonder if the next thing we’ll see is the White House being transformed into a giant temple dedicated to the worship of this guy.
October 21, 2008 at 8:40 PM
Barb..at this point nothing would surprise me.
October 21, 2008 at 11:24 PM
It’s actually a common votive candle of St. Martin de Porres. However, it’s uncanny how much it looks like Obama.
October 21, 2008 at 11:30 PM
Thank you, Pedro. I’m not Catholic, so I don’t know all the sites, but the resemblance is uncanny! It kinds of relieves me it’s a real saint who just looks like Sen. Obama.
October 21, 2008 at 11:49 PM
That is not St. Martin, he looks nothing like that, it is Obama.
October 21, 2008 at 11:58 PM
Okay…this is getting confusing. Again, I’m not Catholic so my knowledge of saints is nil, but this does look exactly like Obama to me.
October 22, 2008 at 6:02 AM
I am the photographer who took the picture and sent it to Mark Steyn at the National Review Online. I still have the original image on my camera. The candle was definitely NOT St. Martin de Porres, and was modified to look like Sen. Obama. The candle in the middle was quite large, perhaps 30 inches tall, and the vendor was also selling normal sized (10″) candles with the Senator’s image as well. One picture certainly has been worth 1000 words, as this photo is now all over the web. At this same street fair were other vendors selling various T-shirts and other articles using Obama’s image in a variety of noble poses.
Mark Purtill, Davis, CA