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Some Barack Obama devotees in France aren't happy with the homegrown contenders vying for the country's presidency, so they're hoping that the former U.S. president will step in and run for office this spring.

"Obama17" posters have been spotted plastered across Paris, urging citizens to visit a website and sign a petition to persuade Obama to enter the race. The goal is to get 1 million people to sign the petition.

Why Obama? "Because he has the best resume in the world for the job," reads the website, which is in no way connected to Obama.

While this all sounds good, there is one problem. The French president needs to be, well, French. And Obama is not.

The website also says Obama could be an antidote to the popularity of right-wing parties in the country.

"At a time when France is about to vote massively for the extreme right, we can still give a lesson of democracy to the planet by electing a French president, a foreigner," reads the website in French.

A spokesperson for the group told ABC News Thursday morning, "We started dreaming about this idea two months before the end of Obama's presidency. We dreamed about this possibility to vote for someone we really admire, someone who could lead us to project ourselves in a bright future. Then we thought, whether it's possible or not, whether or not he is French, we have to do this for real, to give French people hope ... Vive la Republique. Vive Obama. Vive la France and the USA."

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Obama devotees in France hoping for an 'OBAMA17' presidential ...

New York Times

Obama Takes In a Broadway Show, but Shuns the Spotlight New York Times Barack Obama has kept a relatively low profile since leaving office last month, and he largely avoided the spotlight on Friday night at least as much as a former president can when he is attending a Broadway show. Shortly after the lights went down ... Obama draws crowd, cheers in NYCThe Hill Obama spotted outside NYC Starbucks, greeted by cheering crowdCBS News Barack Obama Takes Daughter Malia to Broadway Show And He Looks Incredible!PEOPLE.com The Boston Globe -AOL News -ABC News all 65 news articles »

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Obama Takes In a Broadway Show, but Shuns the Spotlight - New York Times

"It's totally crazy, but the cool thing is that once you get past that, you start thinking that maybe it's possible. Who cares that he's not French? He's Barack Obama," one of the campaign organizers told CNN.

They've launched a website and they put up 500 posters of Obama around Paris last weekend, said the organizer. He asked to be identified only as Antoine.

Yes, it's a joke, he admits -- but one with a serious purpose.

"We want to show that people are fed up with the politicians here. People are tired about it and they like this joke. It gives people a little fun amid all these scandals," he said.

French voters go to the polls April 23 in the first round of voting for a new president. If no one gets more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers go to a runoff on May 7.

Polls suggest that Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Front party, will top the field in the first round, but won't get the absolute majority a candidate needs to win outright.

Antoine isn't a fan of the frontrunner.

"We are so fed up with what Marine Le Pen is doing, and with the fact that we weren't able to find a candidate to vote for, only one to vote against," said Antoine. "We started talking about that and it came up that Obama is free -- so why not hire him?"

Antoine knows there's not much chance Obama will play along with his joke.

But he says people have been getting in touch with serious suggestions -- for example, how to get around the problem that Obama isn't French.

"We've had some funny emails from lawyers telling us how it could be possible. He would have to be naturalized by the president of the French Assembly," Antoine said.

It's not clear whether Obama is aware of the project, but Antoine is hopeful.

"I think if Barack Obama answers this, there will be a huge amount of reaction. I think he might like this kind of thing," said Antoine. "People in France would get crazy, especially young people. But he won't say yes to our proposal."

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Yes we can... elect Obama president of France? - CNN

Former President Barack Obama, sporting a partially unbuttoned white oxford beneath his jacket, was greeted by hundreds of ecstatic onlookers in New York City on Friday.

Obama exited a coffee shop inside a Fifth Avenue building and waved to the crowds. He held his coffee, put on his sunglasses and boarded his black SUV, one of three in his motorcade.

Hours later, Obama and his eldest daughter, 18-year-old Malia, turned up at the Roundabout Theatre Company to see a Broadway show, a remake of Arthur Miller's "The Price."

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The father-daughter duo disappeared during intermission, but returned before the show continued. At the conclusion, they joined the audience in a standing ovation before being led out by Secret Service.

Obama was spotted back in his hometown of Chicago in mid-February attending meetings for the Obama Center he is working to build in Jackson Park.

It was the first time Obama has been back home since he delivered his farewell address on Jan. 10. The first family traveled to San Diego following President Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20. They vacationed in California and the British Virgin Islands before returning to Washington, D.C., where they will reside until their youngest daughter finishes high school.

Obama started working fulltime out of his Chicago-based post-presidential office the first week of February. Last Wednesday, Obama attended four strategy meetings regarding the South Side facility, which will include a museum, library and event center.

Also from the Washington Examiner

Several states resumed debate over whether to ease or restrict access to bathrooms by transgender students.

02/25/17 12:37 AM

He met with neighborhood leaders at the Obama Foundation's Hyde Park office and three others about fundraising the hundreds of millions of dollars necessary for construction.

Obama and his family currently reside in Washington, D.C.'s Kalorama neighborhood.

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Obama grabs coffee and a Broadway show in NYC - Washington Examiner

CNN

Crowds gather as Obama goes on New York coffee run CNN (CNN) Hundreds of cheering onlookers got a glimpse of former President Barack Obama Friday in New York City as he left a Fifth Avenue building after grabbing coffee. Obama casually getting some coffee outside of the DoSomething office. pic.twitter.com/ ...

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Crowds gather as Obama goes on New York coffee run - CNN