Does anyone else find it interesting that they refer to Barack Obama as "President Obama," and not "former president Obama?"?

Not really. I think its just an issue of respect and deference. I recall hearing or seeing other former Presidents referred to in the same way, either on TV or in print. Not always or consistently but often enough. Somewhat like former or retired military brass may be called General, even if they have been retired for years.

If “they” is the media, then yes – @Nomore_lockout is correct. Bush is referred to as “President Bush”.

Once a president, always have the title.

No one is confused if the man is granted the honorific title for life though he no longer holds the office. It is pretty much a readily understood and accepted tradition.

I don’t either.

Just like once Trump leaves office, he’ll always be IMPOTUS or PVLOTUS. ;-)

It’s a title. Once you have it, you have it. If you ever meet them you are still to address them as “Mister President”.

FWIW, I address all elected officials by their elected title. I see supervisors, mayors, and my Congressional representative reasonably often, and I address them all by their elected title, even after they are out of office (Except sometimes the mayor of my little town who I call “Rob” when I see him at a local brewery).

A bit of bias there? With all the disinformation being distributed liberally (no pun intended) you will see and hear a lot of things.

Maybe it says more about the person currently in office who is constantly making sure from the start of his inauguration that he never intended to be everyone’s President. Only for the Right Wing Party and his supporters. So for many of us, Obama is the last known President we had as a Nation. The one sitting in the oval makes it clear it all about himself and there is nothing Presidential about him. Hell, I didn’t care for Bush, but if Trump had become President after Bush, I would’ve believed that Bush was the last President we had. Although I remember when they called Presidents by their full name and title. Now its first name or just the last name. People can’t even type the world love you any more. LUV. But then there is also this. My husband is a veteran and retired Marine. He’s okay with veteran and he’s okay with retired Marine. But never say former Marine to any Marine. They will tell you the are a Marine for life. It’s an insult.

Not at all. It’s common practice to call former Presidents, Vice Presidents, Governors, etc, still by that title. Especially, the press does it.

I was on a Facebook thread right after the first debate where a woman was having a hissy fit that the moderator addressed Biden as Vice President Biden. She said it was insulting to Pence and saw it as some sort of Democratic conspiracy. I told her it’s common practice, and that she can just watch for it with both Democrats and Republicans and see it is not some sort of political partisan ploy, and she wouldn’t accept my answer.

Nope. It’s standard custom.