By the end of December, all of the Obama merchandise had disappeared from the kiosks, along with several of the kiosks. As of two or three months ago, the kiosk that had prompted the original blog post was no longer selling any Obama merchandise--pro, anti, or neutral. In January, the final bastion of Obamania in Union Station fell when the Obama shrine (See top picture), a.k.a. My Obama Shop, closed for good. I don't know whether the lease had just expired or it had gone out of business. Both seem likely. It was open for about one year, but I rarely ever saw anyone in the shop, including the alleged attendants. Unless it received stimulus money, the owner certainly didn't turn a profit.Union Station is now largely Obama free, with the exception of the usual political souvenir shops and one innocuous kiosk in the food court where you can have your picture taken with President Obama in the Oval Office or various other locations. Actually, they take your picture and then photoshop it into a picture of the President. This is a high tech variation of the tourist standard of having your picture taken with a cardboard cutout of the President and/or First Lady. And this kiosk is actually doing some business.
The space previously occupied by the Obama shrine is also displaying economic activity. It appears that a photo shop will soon open there. (See bottom picture.)This is what I consider a true sign of economic (and political) recovery.
Hat tip: Doug Heye, "Forget Polls, Here’s Tangible Proof the Obama Honeymoon is Over," U.S. News and World Report
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