Last updated on February 8th, 2013 at 01:28 am
It’s enough to make you think traditional America is alive and well.
A father takes his two daughters shopping at a mom and pop bookstore, One More Page Books in Arlington, Va, where they buy actual books for Christmas presents. He also just so happens to be the President, celebrating “small business Saturday.”
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Watch here from the AP:
“President Barack Obama took his daughters, Sasha and Malia, to a bookstore in Arlington, Virginia on”small business Saturday” to encourage shoppers to patronize mom-and-pop businesses after Thanksgiving. (Nov. 24)”
The President has made shopping at non-franchise, independent bookstores with his daughters Sasha and Malia a tradition. American Express is the prime sponsor of small business Saturday, started in 2010 as a way of helping to drive up local economies. It’s been embraced by business organizations, politicians and the government.
The government offered small businesses free marketing for the event this year and the President encouraged his aides to shop at local businesses on Saturday.
Before conservatives get all jacked up over the potential offense to “traditional America” — aka, corporate America, small business Saturday is wedged between Black Friday and Cyber Monday for a reason. It’s not trying to “compete” (God forbid we have a free market for mom and pops) with corporations, but rather give small businesses their own day.
One of my favorite memories from childhood is my father taking me book shopping, often followed by a double scoop, ice cream extravaganza.
One might think these values represent traditional America, but I am assured they do not. Clearly I missed the warmth and meaning behind a Bill O’Reilly traditional America, in which we go to Walmart to fight over the latest smartphone until the police have to separate us from the idolized Corporate Stuff that proves God loves us best. Nothing says Christmas (insert holiday of choice) quite like a survival of the fittest fight for cheaply made goods.
Christmas shopping for books with dad at a mom and pop store? Where has traditional America gone!
Listen to Sarah on the PoliticusUSA Pod on The Daily newsletter podcast here.
Sarah has been credentialed to cover President Barack Obama, then VP Joe Biden, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and exclusively interviewed Speaker Nancy Pelosi multiple times and exclusively covered her first home appearance after the first impeachment of then President Donald Trump.
Sarah is two-time Telly award winning video producer and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Connect with Sarah on Post, Mastodon @PoliticusSarah@Journa.Host, & Twitter.
