Posted on 01/21/2009 7:17:17 PM PST by chrt30
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Comparing recent official Presidential Portraits, Obama is the only one with a smirk. And the flag is almost non-existent in Obama's portrait. Obama = Epic Fail
scrawny.
Look Ma, no talent!
E.T. Phone Home
True enough....but you gotta admit, the one of Bubba has almost nothing else visible for HIM. It always was about him!
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"Screw that dude! Where my damn Escalade at?"
Strange (and probably very calculated) choice of a background, bare white, it makes him appear more forward in the image, makes him stand out. It may be nothing, but don’t think every detail isn’t planned.
Closed mouth smile.
In my opinion, that looks like contempt.
He certainly could have offered a “warmer” smile, but I bet Michele was standing behind the camera telling him to “look tough”.
At least crook Bubba was able to smile vs smirk.
Thinking about my last post, a layman’s analysis of the choice of backgrounds.
Reagan and Bush both chose a subdued color, indicating a humbleness, blending in the background.
Reagan has more flags visible, indicating a sense of being just a part of a group.
Bush 41 chose a structural background, indicating part of the establishment.
Clinton chose a library type background, trying to give the appearance of scholarship. Clinton, however, blurred the background making it more about him.
Both Clinton and Bush 43 have just the American flag, not the Presidential flag, indicating either a closer connection to the people than the office, or a desire for simplicity.
Obama, stark white background, high focus contrast between him and the background, showing it is all about him.
No, I’m not an expert, just pulled that out of my a**.
Something about his eye’s is very unsettling.
The entire right side of Clinton’s face is draped in flag of the United States of America. VS. Obama’s ‘Sears Portrait’, which is generic and lacking any warmth or patriotism.
1. Suggesting or threatening evil: a sinister smile.
2. Presaging trouble; ominous: sinister storm clouds.
3. Attended by or causing disaster or inauspicious circumstances.
4. On the left side; left.
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Sinister is what is indicative of or threatens great harm, disaster, or evil. Sinister usually implies impending or lurking danger that makes its presence felt by ominous signs or portents.
Flubbing the oaf = ominous sign.
Looks like a cheap K-Mart portrait.
The are dead and soulless.
Was discussed ad nauseum, pre-apocalypse....uh...I mean election.
No doubt, it’s planned. Axelrod is PR all the way. No one other than those involved in Chicago thug politics would think this portrait was worthy of official status, nor would they think this would put Obama in a positive light. They are sending a message.

This is a keeper. How do we get this image to pop up on google/yahoo images and photobucket? Oh that's right, Obama controls google, surely this image will be scrubbed.
W’s got one, too.
Axelrod is the senior partner of AKP&D Message and Media and was a political writer for the Chicago Tribune. He operates ASK Public Strategies. He is also a supporter of Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool, who helped Axelrod found his firm (under the name Axelrod and Associates).
At the age of 27, Axelrod became the City Hall Bureau Chief and a political columnist for the Chicago Tribune. He worked at the Tribune for eight years, covering national, state and local politics. He became the youngest political writer there in 1981.[5] Unhappy with his prospects at the Tribune, in 1984 he joined the campaign of U.S. Senator Paul Simon as communications director; within weeks he was promoted to co-campaign manager.[6]
In 1985, Axelrod formed a political consultancy company, Axelrod & Associates. In 1987, he worked on the successful reelection campaign of Harold Washington, Chicago's first black mayor. This established his first experience in working with black politicians and he later became a key player in similar mayoral campaigns of blacks, including Dennis Archer in Detroit, Michael R. White in Cleveland, Anthony A. Williams in Washington, D.C., Lee P. Brown in Houston, and John F. Street in Philadelphia.[2] Axelrod is a longtime strategist for Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley and styles himself a “specialist in urban politics.”
In 2002, Axelrod was retained by the Liberal Party of Ontario to help Dalton McGuinty and his party to be elected into government in the October 2003 Election. Axelrod’s effect on Ontario was heard through the winning Liberal appeal to “working families” and Axelrod also devised the party's winning 2003 “choose change” slogan.
In 2004, Axelrod worked for the presidential campaign of John Edwards. During the campaign, he lost responsibility for making ads, but continued as the campaign's spokesman. Regarding Edwards’ failed 2004 presidential campaign, Axelrod has commented, “I have a whole lot of respect for John, but at some point the candidate has to close the deal andI cant tell you whythat never happened with John.”[7][8]
In 2006, Axelrod consulted for several campaigns, including for the successful campaigns of Eliot Spitzer in New York's gubernatorial election and for Deval Patrick in Massachusetts's gubernatorial election. Axelrod also served in 2006 as the chief political adviser for Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair U.S. Representative Rahm Emanuel for the U.S. House of Representatives elections, in which the Democrats gained 31 seats.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Axelrod_(political_consultant)
There is nothing menacing about George W Bush. There is no doubt that GWB loves our country. He would never allow his official Presidential portrait to look like a Sears smirking middle finger farce.
President’s Reagan and Bush always wore their jackets in the Oval office out of respect and reverence for the office.
Obama isn’t even an empty suit. He’s an empty shirt.
Speaking of empty suit, is it just me or does Bambi’s suit look a couple of sizes to large?

I need to go find that picture of him waiting in the hall way on inuguaration day. It was a creepy picture.
Who can notice the suit? It’s as if he’s leaning AWAY from the flag. Axelrod made sure Obama was as far away from the flag as possible.
“Yes, I’m a Kenyan. And a Muslim. And a marxist. The joke’s on you.”
W’s is the best portrait......Ronnie’s was the best Presidency.....IMHO.
“Yes, I’m an Indonesian citizen. You know, that country near China.”
Drivers license photo
or mug shot
At first glance, he looks a little scared. Maybe deep down he is.
I hope the millions of unborn babies are not afraid at their time of being aborted but have the Lord’s peace with them (for they get no help at all from the new “president”).
I didn’t say he was menacing, I said I notice a smirk. I don’t think he means it, he seems to come by it naturally.
Something about your apostrophes is mildly unsettling.
Maybe his teeth are still bad from running around the streets of Kenya as a youth? /s
I just spit coffee in my lap! That’s funny!
Interesting ideas... my analysis, based on taking an excess of art classes back in the day, is that Obama chose the plain background because he’s going for more of a simple, clean look (his tie and suit give that impression, too) and he picked white because it would contrast more highly with his skin color, making him look more ‘black’. Also, a reason other Presidents may not have picked a white background is that many people, especially of purely caucasian descent, can encounter problems of having a white background make their teeth look too yellow. Don’t ask why, but there’s a connection between increased melanin in the skin and whiter teeth, so that may simply have not been a concern for Obama. Although he wasn’t smiling so his teeth showed in the final portrait, I’m sure that was considered at some point in the process.
The big thing that I’m surprised nobody else had picked up on is the lapel pin. There is less of his flag in it than in any other President’s except Clinton, but he seems to be trying to deflect the anti-patriotism accusations by wearing a flag pin, which nobody else but Bush did.
I just saw the potrait on Cannon website.
http://www.canonrumors.com/2009/01/barack-obama-official-portait-by-canon/
I think its being screened right now...no bad language....
This is what my husband posted.
“Not a good quality picture.
Something you find at Kmart Stores!
Lighting is flat like what you use on children, background too bright, the flag should be slightly more behind him.
Since Obama is a skinny fellow, the photographier should have posed him differently by sitting him slightly more square to the camera to give the impression of size.
Really folks I haven’t seen so much wild ethusaism over a US President since the Beany Baby Craze!
Are we counting our eggs before they hatch?
The guy has been our President less than a week and we are laying on our laurels too soon.
This hero worship is giving me heebie geebies.
I’m just waiting for pictures like this...
http://img.inkfrog.com/pix/sandrachan/c221106.JPG
Let the guy accomplish his four year term and then we can evaluate his accomplishments.
Counting your eggs before they hatch...is bad juju!”
Retired Navy Photographier
“Something about his eyes is very unsettling.”
Darn right. Every time I go a public place with a waiting room with magazines...I get a uneasy feeling about his eyes. They’re hypnotic. I refuse to get caught up in his gaze. I’m not into idol worship. On top of it his eyes look cold. I take the magazine with his picture on it and flip it over so I don’t have to look at him. I don’t know why I’m doing that...something to do with the evil eye? This is not the only time I have done this...I have done it with celebrities who get loved to death...
He gives me the creeps. Something spells bad juju!
Maybe we should consult the Oracles....
a) Justice Roberts flubbing the swearing in. It appears Obama was rushing Roberts and both men stepped on each other lines. They had to do a re-take.
b) Kennedy getting sick at Presidental Luncheon and had to get medical help. I know Kennedy is a sick man and he should of stay home to spare Obama good luck.
c) Byrd getting sick at the Presidental Luncheon...not a good sign.
I see bad omens.
And the public being so infatuated with him is very disturbing. They will love him to death. They’re putting their hopes and dreams on this one man. He is a mere man with limitations....he is not Jesus. The public will be very disappointed if he fails to accomplish all their whims and desires.
I tell the Obamamites this but it goes through one ear out the other.
Just his shoulder padding. Democrat men need them, because they don’t have the upper body strength or broad shoulders themselves.
For the life of me I can’t see how anyone can consider him handsome.
Try suggesting that the last presidents that stumbled during the oath of office were Lincoln, Garfield, Kennedy, and Reagan....
Let’s see Lincoln, Garfield and Kennedy were assassinated.
Reagan survived a assassination but got dehibilitating Alzheimer’s disease instead.
I’m a Supersititious sort.
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