Jazz Shaw, in the process of discussing ex-Presidents and their public appearances*, wonders exactly what Barack Obama is going to do with himself after he’s out of office. I imagine that it’ll end up being something like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCCLTy6-0p0
…only without any of the science fiction. I imagine that there will be any number of rich people out there who will want to have an exclusive weekend LARP with a real, live former President of the United States. They can all dress up in suits and pretend to be Cabinet officials in an emergency session over the appropriations bill, or something. Or maybe a crack Secret Service team dedicated to protecting Obama from the evil Republicons ninja strike force…
(pause)
Sh*t, wait, there could be actual money in this. Look, whoever from the DNC is assigned to monitor this site: tell your people to call me in February, once your guy’s done moving out. Business is, as they say, business – and you want somebody who is not in love with your guy running this thing. Love will get in the way of the profit margin… and the margin on this could be huge**.
Moe Lane
*The triggering event is George W Bush’s decision to skip the convention this year. A shame – other people are no doubt fuming at that word right now, given that I gleefully gloat whenever a Democrat skips theirs – but then, Obama really really wanted Bush at the convention anyway.
**You could always just buy the rights, of course. I’m expensive, but reasonable.
I expect he’ll follow Carter’s example and get involved with an otherwise decent do-gooder network (with Michelle involved, maybe some inner-city-gardening or school-exercise group…) while sticking his nose into all kinds of diplomatic areas it doesn’t belong.
Mew
If Obama’s smart he’ll start hanging out with GW Bush. Hanging out with GHWB has done Bill Clinton a bit of good.
I always thought the opening of Grisham’s “The Broker” was a prophetic view of how the Obama presidency will end.
acat – I doubt that he would do anything to get his hands dirty! Maybe he’ll start a basketball with Obama tour or maybe he’ll join the PGA so he can visit more golf courses.
@Moe – do you have any evidence to suggest this outcome?
A Chicago Cat
Bah. You want to know what Barack Obama’s post-presidency career will be like?
Think Ramsey Clark.
But he’s already a snotty know-it-all, got a Nobel and did zilch to earn it. He is hailed as a Messiah, and brought American discourse to a new {A-Hem!}level.
He’s an Economic Wizard and has repeatedly demostrated there is nothng left for him to learn, Constitution-Wise.
He invented a new form of smuggling and then found a way to erase his involvement.
Should I mention the myriad ways he can tick people off?
Maybe he’ll get ‘the letdown syndrome’ some astronauts get and go away and get ‘real depressed’.
I got a car he can use……