Barack Obama Portrayed in Quirky Japanese Super Mario Scene

I take it this is reference to the person imitating Obama?   Yeah, sorry to all racially sensitive Americans, Japan doesn't necessarily hold the same knee jerk reaction to racial/cultural stereotypes as you.

More than anything, that video was a great dose of Japanese oddity on TV.  I don't think anyone would believe it if I told them about it.

First secure an independent income, then practice virtue. -Greek Proverb

I'd rather be able to enjoy anime and manga without having to bothered by my own culture... especially when it comes to the slogan our President stole from Bob the Builder.

From what I hear though, the Japanese LOVE [Obama].

yep. they were rooting for him during the primaries, especially the town which is coincidentally named Obama.

From J-List's newsletter, 11/5/2008:

there's a city in Fukui Prefecture on the Sea of Japan with the name of Obama (written with kanji meaning "small beach"), but the coincidence is even more amazing due to the fact that the word for "city" and the suffix used to refer to individuals in formal situations like news reporting is both shi -- hence, the official name of Obama City is Obama-shi, and the most common way for a newspaper article or news reporter on TV to refer to Mr. Obama would be Barakku Obama-shi. The connection between the place and the man began when the Senator made a visit to Japan in 2006 and happened to encounter a customs inspector from the city who told him of the name match-up, and when Mr. Obama announced his candidacy the city designated themselves his unofficial supporters in Japan.

岩「…Where do masochists go when they die?」