Obama fail

When the Democrats nominated Barack Obama to represent their party in the 2008 presidential election many voters consoled themselves with this thought: “Well, at least it’s not Hillary.” Unfortunately, preventing her from taking up residence in the White House was the last useful thing he did for the country. Indeed, from the moment he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize as a participation trophy during his first year in office, it became clear that there would be a huge gap between his actual accomplishments and the celebration of his presidency. The grotesque monolith that towers over the South Side of Chicago is the perfect symbol of that chasm.

After officials kicked off the opening weekend of the Barack Obama Presidential Center with a widely mocked “land acknowledgment” — a nod to the political far left that believes the United States was built on “stolen land” — a traditional Native American dance show was featured during Saturday’s scheduled events.

The Black Hawk Performance Company is a Native American dance troupe based in the Chicago area, composed of dancers from several Indigenous tribes.

The Egyptians had their pyramids. The Anglo-Saxons had their barrows. And the Americans have their presidential libraries – the chief difference being that the leaders the US venerates are usually still alive at the opening.

Lacking a royal family or a state religion, the US presidency has swelled to fill the void, transforming over the decades into a national personality cult, complete with its own secular temples to these powerful men. The latest pharaonic edifice is about to open on Chicago’s south side, where it looms on the skyline as a towering totem to the 44th president, Barack Obama. He might have seemed humble in office, but in his post-presidential, Netflix-producing afterlife, Obama has erected the largest, costliest and most audacious complex of them all. Behold the $850m Obamalisk – or, as it sometimes feels morbidly like, the Obamausoleum.

Higher Ground, the dumb production company founded by Barry and Michelle Obama in 2018, is parting ways with Netflix.

After eight years under a lucrative first-look deal, Higher Ground and Netflix will not renew it when the deal expires at the end of 2026.

Gee, what a shame.