Obama chose to be photographed in that pose. It seems he is disrespecting Obama's choice of photograph pose by complaining.
The photographer who took that photo sat on it until after the election.
Might not have helped his candidacy (which could’ve hurt him just as the election eve release of Bush’s decades old DWI arrest cost him the popular vote) and certainly the photo was worth more of a “young President” than of a “young Presidential also ran”.