[RoosterRedux]

Absolutely (about the position of his body).

Here's an interesting article in Foreign Affairs which examines the use of the gesture by ISIS...

ISIS Sends a Message--What Gestures Say About Today’s Middle East

Obama knew exactly what he was saying when he made the gesture.

From the article...

When ISIS militants display the sign, to one another or to a photographer, they are actively reaffirming their dedication to that ideology, whose underlying principle demands the destruction of the West. If rank-and-file soldiers are aware of the precise theological implications of their sign -- and it would be no surprise if they are -- that would be a sobering comment on their deep-seated opposition to pluralism.

The gesture is equally important for what it means to Westerners, most of whom cannot read Arabic. By raising their index fingers, militants send an easy-to-understand message of the group’s goals of theological supremacy and military hegemony. When potential ISIS recruits in London, New York, or Sydney see the symbol on Twitter, they can grasp the scale of ISIS’ ambitions and its underlying aims. At some visceral level, less-radicalized viewers understand that it means dominance.

[4Zoltan]

Back in the 60s/70s the same hand signal was used by the Jesus People Movement. They roamed the SoCal beaches all the time. Obama grew up at the beaches in Hawaii maybe he remembers the sign from than.

Chuck Smith and Lonnie Frisbee conduct a beach service and mass baptism at Corona Del Mar beach.