Tales from the Trail

NEW YORK - A Manhattan entrepreneur has found his own way to profit from the U.S. presidential race – putting the candidates’ faces on condom packages.

Benjamin Sherman has been selling condoms named after Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain around the world for several weeks through a business called Practice Safe Policy.

The Obama Condom packages read: “Use with good judgment” and the product’s Web site  reads: “Who says experience is necessary?”

The first-term senator from Illinois has been criticized for lacking experience.

McCain Condoms  come in a package with the slogan: ”Old but not expired.”

The Arizona senator is 71  and would be the oldest U.S. president elected to a first term.

“We’ve done it in fun. People are not actually going to use these condoms,” said Sherman, 26. 

The $9.95-per-pair “keepsakes” are so popular that Sherman said he had nearly sold out and expected to order a second shipment this week. He declined to say how many condoms were in each order. 

The condoms are generic and the candidates are featured only on the packaging.

(By Marcy Nicholson)

PICTURE: Reuters/Brian Snyder (Presidential candidates Obama and McCain meet onstage between debates in Manchester, NH, in January)