Now What, Mommy? — (Updated)

Shouldn’t there be an ethical code for photographers so that embarrassing – and irrelevant – pictures don’t appear on the cover of a national magazine? I don’t know what the editors of Time intended here – that the president is some finger-sucking moron?
In fact, journalists used to have a sense of professionalism that would keep them from doing this. Yes, there were always tabloids that would deliberately seek out bad photographs, but we understood they were tabloids. Junk. Garbage. Trash.

“authentic?” authent(an)aestheteclectitistic? (O)h,n(O)!it’s meme(O)rex…

Consider this phrase: “a more populist or centrist theme.” There is no punctuation to make it clear, but it sure reads to me as if “centrist” is being presented as an appositive–that is, as a synonym–for “populist.”
“Populist” means “of the people.” Right now a majority of people favor health care reform that includes a public option. That’s not centrist. A survey taken at polling places showed that a majority of MA voters still support Ted Kennedy’s positions. We should not allow Fox News and Time etc. to define “populist” as center-right.

stop kissing the fist and start landing some blows….

“So, which was more authentic?”
Neither. Or both. The White House and Time are both engaged in their own kind of spin, and I don’t know of a major news organization or government office that isn’t.
Striking features about the picture: the black and white, which visually “dates” Obama as being in the past (he’s past it), the isolation of the figure, underscored by the shiny hospital-like floors and contrast with the dark suit (reminiscent of undertakers). He contemplates the body politic of his administration as a doctor would the file of a very ill patient.

…So the Dems had 60 Senate votes and now they have 59.
…BFD! … DO SOMETHING!
…Republicans did whatever they wanted for 8 years with numbers nowhere near as influential.
…Grow a spine and fight.
…Jeez…this is American Politics 101.

Wayne, you must be living in another country from the one I live in! I’m not sure I know ANYone who is in favor of the health care reform, especially with the inclusion of a public option. Most of the people I know are business owners who question the sanity of leaders expanding something that has unresolved problems — what business would survive if it did the same thing? There’s a great saying for this: “when you’re in a hole, stop digging!”
But that’s what’s great about this country, and why we should preserve our present form of government and not allow it to be co-opted by any one self-interest group, even if its head is our elected President. Our country is great because we allow multiple voices to be heard. We may aggravate one another to insanity with our strong opinions and seemingly irreconcilable differences, but there’s nothing better out there that I’ve seen in any form of government — including our President’s beloved socialism.
As for his sucking on his knuckle while he thinks; come on everyone! what’s the big deal? I think it makes him look more human. And I sure like the whole idea that he’s thinking. It’s not always apparent.

Our country is great because we allow multiple voices to be heard.
I couldn’t agree more. If you’re dying of a curable illness in America, you’re allowed to belly-ache all you want about it. Not so in Cuba, where they don’t have the freedom of speech we have. Of course, in Cuba, they don’t have people dying of curable illnesses. Health care is a right, and nobody dies because they can’t afford a doctor.

In the image above, mostly I see loneliness. It’s a big space around him and it’s empty. Seeing his socks for some reason makes him seem vulnerable. I don’t know why, but I can’t avoid it. Lonely and vulnerable.
I guess the middle isn’t the place to be when the whole country is either on one side or the other. He isn’t succeeding in bringing us together – he’s just all alone in the middle.
I’m still holding out hope that he’s smarter than hell and the arc of his plans is a long one – things are up in the air right now, but they’ll come together when we need them to. I hope we can look back at this time (and these covers) and remember when, in the middle of the strategy, things looked uncertain.

He is resting his face on his knuckle, his hand. He can’t stop thinking about the Republican Supreme Court Justices that just tarnished the highest court by handing the government over to corporate America. Anyone who thinks this guy doesn’t have enough to ponder is smoking weed.