As Village Awaits President, New, Old Tributes Surface
COOPERSTOWN
In all the “craziness” of the 2008 election, James Dean, saw opportunity. “Barack Obama was the only sane voice we could find,” he said. “And he’s still the only sane voice.”
Dean, now also a Cooperstown village trustee, printed up a bumper sticker that read “I’m Sticking With the Sane, Intelligent Guy!” and launched them on his website, The Sane Guy, “I said what I thought, and I thought someone else might like them.”
He was right.
He sold hundreds of the $2 stickers through both the 2008 and 2012 elections, often 10-20 at a time. “I sent some to Massachusetts,” he said. “Ellen Weir and Melinda Hardin bought some and were surprised that they came from Cooperstown!”
He even sent some to the Obama campaign, but didn’t hear back. But when now-President Obama comes to town, he’s hoping to get a chance to hand the president one of his creations as a souvenir of his visit.
He’s not alone.
At Cooperstown Bat Company, owner Tim Haney has made up a custom souvenir for Obama’s visit – one of his red, white and blue bats, this one of a kind, emblazoned with the president’s signature and “44” in silver. “Hopefully he’ll come by the store so we can present it to him,” said Haney. “If he doesn’t come in, though, I’ll mail it to him.”
And while Obama might take home a bumper sticker and a custom baseball bat, Phil Andrews, owner of Nicoletta’s, is hoping the President will leave something for Cooperstown to remember him by.
“In 2008, the Hoffman Bistro organized a Democratic fundraiser and Ommegang donated a bunch of limited edition bottles of ‘Obamagang’,” he said. “They went for between $40-$60.”
Labeled “A beer you can believe in,” the beer is a cross between a porter and a stout with chocolate notes.
Phil kept one bottle for himself and it’s on display at Nicoletta’s, still unopened. “You don’t drink that kind of beer, you keep it!” he said. “I hope he’ll come in and sign it.”
And whether he comes bearing gifts or leaves empty handed remains to be seen. “I’m thrilled that he’s coming to Cooperstown and supporting tourism,” said Dean. “We’re very pro-tourism around here.”