Paper Monitor
11:30 UK time, Tuesday, 20 January 2009
A service highlighting the riches of the daily press.
Just when you thought that Obamania had reached its peak during the election frenzy of November, it just got a whole lot more maniacal. Ahead of the 44th US president's inauguration, one may be forgiven for thinking that it was a UK event, going by the excitement in the press.
The Daily Telegraph is offering an exclusive deal on buying both the president-elect's autobiographies. Plus, a two-page guide to the day's proceedings. Plus tomorrow there will be an eight-page souvenir inauguration supplement. Plus a free Barack Obama story DVD. Yeeeha, that's quite a handful of goodies for any Obama devotee - which if the media interest reflects that of the public, that's absolutely everyone in the world, bar a handful who it's agreed are just being contrary.
In the Telegraph, which one might think might have more affinity for the Grand Old Party, it's rivalling the Guardian in its enthusiasm for the new president.
But do not for a moment imagine that the Guardian has been usurped as Obama-lover in chief. Heaven forbid. No, its pole position is safe, what with its front, and first few, pages plus the entire G2, dedicated to the big day. Even the news that a significant British bank is in trouble gets little more than an aside on first glance at the paper.
The Times goes extreme in its historical context taking it right back to the Roman Empire, comparing some of today's, and yesterday's, leaders to the emperors. Tony Blair is the long-serving Augustus, David Cameron is privileged Nero and Richard Nixon is the mad Caligula.
Apologies, back to the man of the moment - Obama. He is apparently Emperor Titus personified. "Titus had such winning ways - perhaps inborn, perhaps cultivated subsequently, or conferred on him by fortune - that he became an object of universal love and adoration." No mention of the emperor's less than complimentary nickname of "Titus the wicked" then.
It is an interesting concept, harking back to the classical ages when referring to modern day politicians, if possibly a little .
The 
