Since Obama was declared the victor of the popular vote Nov. 4, 2008, President Bush has really curtailed his presidential activities. The lame duck leader of the free world has recently been publicly disrespected by lay people and heads of state alike. Anywhere outgoing President Bush travels, in the U.S. or abroad, he is greeted by large and often creative demonstrations of civil disobedience. President Bush, who is at this time trying to spin his legacy, is by far the most hated outgoing president in history (factoring the global hatred made possible by the advanced state of modern communications). It has been noted that Bush is more unpopular than Richard Nixon—even after he was impeached.

Obama, on the other hand, is constantly on the move, constantly before large crowds of adoring fans. Aided by the fact that Bush is so hated and the economy is so bad and people are so desperate and confused, Obama may be the most popular "president-elect" in history (again factoring in the use of advanced communications with the added bonus of media cooperation). Obama is such a rising star that he has been allowed to invent a new office: The Office of the President-Elect. The audacity of Obama addressing the world from the bully pulpit as the (director, press secretary?) of the imaginary Office of the President-Elect may be hypnotic to his devotees, but it is arguably a criminal violation of U.S. Code that comes with prescribed penalties. 18 USC Sec. 713 states:

"(a) Whoever knowingly displays any printed or other likeness of the great seal of the United States, or of the seals of the President or the Vice President of the United States, or the seal of the United States Senate, or the seal of the United States House of Representatives, or the seal of the United States Congress, or any facsimile thereof, in, or in connection with, any advertisement, poster, circular, book, pamphlet, or other publication, public meeting, play, motion picture, telecast, or other production, or on any building, monument, or stationery, for the purpose of conveying, or in a manner reasonably calculated to convey, a false impression of sponsorship or approval by the Government of the United States or by any department, agency, or instrumentality thereof, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both."

Looking at the seal and logo present on the change.gov non-government web site and on the podium behind which Obama has been addressing the world since his first news conference as president-elect on Nov. 7, 2008, it is clear that the seal presented is actually the Great Seal of the United States. It would appear that Obama is conveying the false impression that he is affiliated with some department commissioned by the "Government of the United States," which he is not. Further, Obama is not officially the "president-elect" until after the Electoral College votes to install him.