Presidential Pin-Up

I had a playdate with a friend the other day--for Benji, not me. We walked in and the house was still decorated for her sister's 40th birthday. There was red, white and blue crepe paper draped over chandeliers and across windows, and baby buntings, like the time of Roosevelt, adorning various pieces of furniture. But best of all, there were full-size posters of Obama tacked up all over the room with personal messages for the birthday girl. There he was, coming out of the ocean in his surf shorts''"Thanks for all your work on the campaign, Allison." And playing basketball, going for a lay-up, "I couldn't have done it without you, Allison." And in the kitchen, looking soulful, "47 is the new 40." Obama looked good. Really good. But I realized in my lifetime we have NEVER had a president who could even pass as a pin-up, whose sexy sports photos would be appropriate birthday party posters. Reagan in surf shorts? I don't think so. George Bush doing a lay-up? I think I'll take a walk outside. Clinton looking soulful? I know he had a way with women, but I don't know if a poster could have done him justice, or if any 40 year old woman would have wanted him leering at her from the wall at her birthday party. But Obama pulled it off. He really looked like another sexy spread in Sports Illustrated. I guess it's just one more great thing about our new president that I personally never even stopped to think about...