New Obameme alert: Barack and Michelle's celebratory pound from his Tuesday night speech in St. Paul. It might turn out to be the most memorable image of the historic night, capturing an affectionate human moment as well as the couple's youth and cultural chic. Now it's everywhere, getting more buzz because the press had no idea how to deal with it. The video coverage is even better - note the slow motion, multi-angle replays in the first and the ever-popular record scratch effect in the second:
So here's the real question: was it all a cheap political pander to address Obama's "everyman" problem? If you've played team sports, chances are you've thrown a pound or two. It's cooler than the high-five, less-awkward than the butt-slap. Leaving your local Pennsylvania bowling alley after a few Boilermakers? Pounds to your buddies, see you at the steel plant tomorrow. Perhaps he was trying to win the Larry David-led, handshake-phobic germaphobe vote (we hear he's also got pull in the bald community). Or maybe it was just a spontaneous, classy, modern celebration. Could it really be that simple?











comments
I love this story Alex!
by:// Laura Adibe - Jun 5th 2008
ITS CALLED A POUND!!!!!...not a fist bump..god!!!!
by:// david flores - Jun 5th 2008
i prefer josef's terminology the best: 'a potato'
gimme a potato, obama!
by:// Kelly Reeves - Jun 6th 2008
is it actually less awkward than the butt slap?
by:// Jaime - Jun 6th 2008
yeah it's definitely a pound and there are so many ways to get creative with it. you can go vertically, then horizontally, then snap your fingers also or you can do the fresh prince and look over the shoulder lol
by:// Laura Adibe - Jun 6th 2008
If McCain tries to emulate this, he may end up breaking his hand.
by:// Drew Kearse - Jun 6th 2008
so barack fists his wife on TV. big deal.
by:// hawkin french - Jun 7th 2008
so like a secret muslim...
by:// Julian Dawes - Jun 12th 2008