It was only a matter of time, really, before the Obama SEAL doll became a reality. And with the disturbing dead Osama swag that's cropped up since bin Laden's death, an action figure of President Barack Obama dressed in military fatigues and toting an M1-A4 being sold by Herobuilders is almost a welcome reprieve. Almost, but not quite.
This Rambama action figure ($34.95), representing the president as a member of SEAL Team 6, is an insult to the actual members. The fact is, despite Facebook statuses that have taken over the site proclaiming the president should not get credit for the take-down of America's Public Enemy Number One, Obama was a pivotal figure in the death of Osama bin Laden. But so were the real Navy SEALs, the men who put their lives on the line as they entered Pakistan on stealth helicopters while Obama was back in the situation room.
They, not the president, the head of counterterrorism, or any of the Washington bigshots, infiltrated the bin Laden compound and got the job done. They are American heroes.
Yes, Obama is president and commander in chief of the armed services. He made some tough decisions here. But the Navy SEALs are an elite military force who undergo years of intensive training to bear the honor of serving our country in that capacity. It takes 30 months in the program before a SEAL is ready to deploy. To even be considered, the warriors need to fit very strict criteria, including not just physical fitness, but mental aptitude.
The name Navy SEAL and the insignia that comes with it represent not just dedication to our country -- something Obama has proven he has in spades -- but hard work, discipline, and a lot of talent. Before the bin Laden raid, I confess I knew as much about the SEALs as most Americans; what little I'd picked up from watching the Demi Moore flick G.I. Jane and shreds of media reports over the years.
But in addition to the satisfaction of knowing bin Laden is gone, the raid in Pakistan had the added bonus of putting the SEALs on the radar of millions of Americans who might otherwise have never given these guys the credit they deserve. According to the Navy, a SEAL is "a common man with an uncommon desire to succeed." They're hardcore. They're incredible.
Obama, on the other hand, is their boss. He is a man who sent them in to do a job that made a difference in the way America operates. He's an important man in America with his own job to do. He's not a member -- he's another entity entirely. To portray him in this doll, in essence, is insulting to BOTH parties.
Would you buy this doll? Should it be pulled or stay out there?
Image via Herobuilders
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Comments 112
This is disgraceful. I don't think it should be pulled - this is a free country - but I hope sales are dismal. SEALS deserve far more respect than this shows them, and Obama deserves far less in this mission - making a 'tough decision' pales in comparison to executing that 'tough decision' without losing a single SEAL.
This is a horrible doll. Obama should have it taken off the market, but he won't. He also should not be celebrated. The SEALs did the actual killing, they did the hard work. Obama made a decision, yes, but it was not a difficult one. Any president would have made the same one. The hunt for Osama started long before Obama was in office, and if Obama had left office and the next president found him they would have done the same thing. I don't think it was coincidence that Obama knew Osama's hiding place for a year and waited to raid when it would be closer to revoting time. He wants to take credit for this to last another term, but the fact is any president in office at this time would have done the same thing.
Wow, Jeanne... this is twice in a week that I've agreed with you! That's gotta be some sort of record!
This doll makes me gag. Yeah, Obama made the ultimate decision to go in, but he couldn't last a day in SEAL Training. He doesn't have the mental or the physical makeup for it. And that's not an insult, it's fact. MOST people don't have it, that's why they're "elite".
But to place him in the same category is wrong. I hope this company loses money on this disaster.
I wouldn't call the doll a "slap in the face"- I would call it tacky as hell and inaccurate. But hey, it ain't a crime to be tacky. The President couldn't have success in the mission without specialized forces like the Seals. And the Seals wouldn't have been there if the President didn't tell them to go. Some folks are just so hell bent on Obama hating that they can't acknowledge anything the man does. Whether you like it or not, he's the boss. Let that marinate for a minute. The.Bawse. That means that he gets the blame for other people's failures and the credit for other people's successes.
Tacky maybe, but not "disgraceful" or a "slap in the face." I don't think he actually called the makers of this doll up and asked them to do it.
The president is likely unaware of the many bizarre things that fly by night operations put his face on. Case in point: http://streakr.com/obama-vibrator/
Oh please!! Tacky yeah it is! So many things are like that pop up EVERYWHERE AND ALL THE TIME!! Some people will try and find ANY reason to bad mouth our president! I am sure the president has better things to do than look for things made up with his image on them! Some people are so petty!! By the way you already know Bush did not do anything about it!
Billsfan, I imagine our President has better things to do than call up a manufacturer and request his name be removed from a stupid doll. Same way he didn't have time to request them remove his face and likeness from monkey swag during and after the campaign. Same way Bush didn't have time to worry about them putting his face on that Mad Magazine-esqe picture and the monkey swag. The only thing that's off limits is the kids. The Sasha and Malia dolls got yanked.
Hanibani, I wouldn't be so quick to say what another president would have done. Do you really think that we had no idea where he was hiding for most of the Bush administration? Osama was making YouTube videos and everything. But don't let a little reality stop you from hating the man. I was no fan of Bush, but I got used to him after awhile. Some of y'all are just stewing in your own juices on this one.