Sign of the Times: Hot-selling t-shirt on Martha's Vineyard this year is ...

Remember last year's visit to Martha's Vineyard with the gushing coverage and giddy anticipation of the Obama arrival to an island that barely blinks an eye when mere mortal celebrities visit?  Local restaurants created the "Barack-O-Taco," the "Obamarita" and a new ice cream treat was christened "Barack My World."  T-shirts bearing the slogans "Summer White House ’09,”  “Barackin’ the Vineyard Summer ’09," and "I vacationed with Obama" filled the shops and sold like hot cakes.

My how times have changed.  Gone are the goose bumps that greeted the Obama family last year.  Sure the "Obamarita" is back as are the "I vacationed with Obama" t-shirts.  Nothing says  they're "just not that into you" anymore Mr. President like the number one selling t-shirt on the Vineyard this year:

One barometer of the plunge in excitement has been the sale of Obama-themed T-shirts, which designers had been banking on after the craze of last year. Clothing labeled with the president’s name sold by the thousands, helping to salvage a tough economic year for the island.

But this year’s T-shirt sales are much less brisk, merchants say.

“Last year, Obama gave you goose bumps, but I don’t think you’re going to see that this year,’’ said Alex McCluskey, co-owner of the Locker Room, who sold more than 4,000 “I vacationed with Obama’’ T-shirts last year. But so far this year, he said, his hot item is T-shirts of former President Bush asking, “Miss me yet?’’

Who knew a year later Troglopundit's clever creation would be "Ba-rocking the Vineyard" in Summer '10?   Certainly the Democratic strategists and consultants didn't see this one coming:

The advice from Democratic consultants and strategists is almost unanimous: Run away from the president, and fast. A prominent Democratic pollster is circulating a survey that shows George W. Bush is 6 points more popular than President Obama in "Frontline" districts -- seats held by Democrats that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sees as most vulnerable to Republican takeover. That Bush is more popular than Obama in Democratic-held seats is cause for outright fear.

It looks as though Obama will be as welcome as snow in July on the campaign trail this year which should free him up for plenty of vacations this fall.  He even has his passport handy.  At this point an unexpected vacation or two seems preferable to his staying in Washington to do more damage to the country.  Maybe he and Rahm can open a t-shirt stand together.