Has Obama's Cult of Change peaked?

Rick Moran, and others, thinks what I call the Barack Obama Cult of Change has peaked.

He writes:

The list of politicians who sought to demagogue their way to power is a long and unsuccessful one. For that reason, "Obamamania" was bound to come back to earth at some point. And I think it will be sooner rather than later.

He collected a couple of other similar observations, including this one from Margery Eagan in the Boston Herald:

I'm nervous because too many Obama-philes sound like Moonies, or Hare Krishnas, or the Hale-Bopp-Is-Coming-To-Get-Me nuts.

These true believers "Obama-ize" everything. They speak Obama-ese. Knit for Obama. Run for Obama. Gamble - Hold 'Em Barack! - for Obama. They make Obama cakes, underwear, jewelry. They send Valentine cards reading, "I want to Barack your world!"

At campaign rallies people scream, cry, even faint as Obama calmly calls for the EMTs. When supporters pant en masse, "I love you!" (like The Beatles, circa 1964), Barack says, “I love you back” with that deliciously charming, almost cocky smile.

Oh - I'm nervous because it’s all gone to his head and he hasn't even won yet.

Nor has he gotten a second US Senate bill enacted into law. And he's yet to give a full explantion of his 18 year relation with jailed political insider Tony Rezko.

Paul Krugman of the New York Times zeroes in on the phenonmenon:

I'm not the first to point out that the Obama campaign seems dangerously close to becoming a cult of personality.

It is just that. Now we have to ask how this happened. Who decided to transform Obama from a "rock star" into the leader of the Cult of Change? Was it his chief strategist, David Axelrod? Robert Gibbs?

Or, heaven forbid, Obama?

Related post:

Obama and the Cult of Change

Technorati tags: Obama politics Barack Obama Illinois 2008 Election Democrats media Cult of Change culture