America's own "Dark Knight" wows everyone at Bed, Bath and Beyond our borders to Europe and the Middle East ... for starters ...

Why bother to watch Christian Bale dressing like a super-hero when we have what appears to be an authentic super-hero in Barack Obama?

To say the very least, Barack Obama has been getting rock star treatment from hundreds of thousands of adoring expatriate Americans, Arabs, Jews, Germans (200,000 there alone!) and French this past week--with Britain on tap for this weekend. People actually climbed lamp posts in Berlin to get a fleeting glimpse of our Democratic Presidential candidate--whom they would like to vote for but--for most--can't.

Some call it Barackomania (or Obamamania, depending upon the Cable Channel you happen to be watching); then again, some of us see the apparent worldwide adulation as dangerous ... possibly feeding an already narcissistic ego that could possibly have long-lasting consequences. Don't we already have a president who "knows" he's right 100% of the time?

Admittedly, as an American, I am as proud of his undeniable charm. intellect, charisma and worldwide popularity as the next guy, but I also have a nagging fear about all of this. The scene in Berlin, in particular, took me back seventy-five or so years ...

The scene at Mile High Stadium in Denver one month from now gives me goose bumps--uncomfortable goose bumps!