Comments on: Obama – Bush White House Visit: What Was Laura’s Problem?

By: no prescription needed

no prescription needed — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 07:09:18 +0000

jajaja great team…. you dont think that???

By: ms. cornflake

ms. cornflake — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:53:15 +0000

No one has mentioned what Mr. Obama said after this brief interchange. I am slightly hard of hearing and had my TV on LOUD during this whole meet and greet.
Just after the four of them turned to go inside, Mr. Obama said, “yes, you both look autumnal.” This could reference Mrs. Bush’s comment that they both were dressed in fall colors. No harm – no foul.

By: Kim

Kim — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 15:29:21 +0000

Very perceptive but I still haven’t seen anyone mention that President Bush and Michelle Obama did not greet each other before the photos.

By: John R

John R — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:56:14 +0000

On a lighter (and less mature) note on this event: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnosis/3019468249/

By: andreajones

andreajones — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:57:28 +0000

Laura just realized she forgot to wear a bra.

By: vcInCA

vcInCA — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:43:10 +0000

re: kit & cactus..
I just returned from a week in Houston. going there immediately after the election, i prepared myself for something highly unpleasant, surrounded by racism & republicans. i was pleasantly surprised, however. I found that it was easier to talk to repubs, actually have an interesting conversation with them, than at home (bay area, CA)–here, people don’t seem to really talk to people who aren’t in the same political party. as well, one guy, living there for 8 or 9 years after spending 30+ on the east coast, made an interesting point to me. He said that he finds far less racism there than he ever saw on the east coast, in that people from different demographics actually talk to each other, interact in situations like the grocery store, while he’d felt that the distance between himself and other groups back home had been far more rigid.
now, i’m not saying that racism doesn’t exist, or that houston is indicative of the whole state, but as a non-white minority there, my experiences in houston agreed with what this guy told me. i guess i’m just a little wary at this point of automatically saying texas= bigot or racist. that’s not to say that they are or aren’t racist, or how complicated that may be, but still, perhaps it would be good to tone it down a little on labeling an entire state?

By: KansasKowboy

KansasKowboy — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:37:59 +0000

When I saw the event live, I thought Laura was looking at her watch.

By: tallulahbankhead

tallulahbankhead — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:23:18 +0000

ummmm
it happens all the time when you are a confident woman who really loves yourself and possibly meet someone who never met someone like you in their lifetime.

By: Spencer

Spencer — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 06:26:24 +0000

My first view of the video I got the same impression as BAGnews, but after watching a dozen or so more times (I get obsessive about these things ), I see: Laura looking off-camera in a certain direction, then looking at her sleeve, then Michelle looking in the same direction, giving a, “I don’t get what you’re asking me” look.
All that, plus the: “it’s a fall color” makes me think someone was off-camera, pantomiming a question (because I can’t hear a question being asked), perhaps gesturing towards Laura’s arm, and gesturing with enough emphasis that Laura is compelled to see what’ so interesting about her sleeve.
I could see the gesture prompting all this being a photographer trying to get them to move closer together, or trying to get Laura to put her arm around Michelle’s back (because Michelle did the same towards her). And awkwardness ensuing.
I’ve witnessed a few on-site video shoots, and the crews do sometimes get that bossy.
Now, I could totally see a woman of Laura’s generation (much like my own mom), having the random thought: oh look, I’m wearing brown – and so are you! A nervous attempt at humor from someone not comfortable with ethnic differences. But I don’t think that’s what’s going on here.

By: paulo

paulo — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 03:00:21 +0000

Aside from looking quite a bit more dowdy than Mrs Bush usually looks, I don’t see the analysis here. Not sure what she is looking at maybe the once over as noted above. Maybe it is the color – a very frumpy and frumpily cut brown dress next next to RED – not burgundy ahem… made her feel self-conscious.
I might note that Mrs Obama seems to have a propensity for red at public appearances. Is that a nod to her power player past? Especially in light of last week’s news reports about a study showing that red really is the female power color ( at least for men).
What I want to know is how come both Pres and Mrs Bush appear to both have their right index fingers extended in photos 1 and 2.