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September 18, 2011

Carville vs. Daley, Illustrated

By Michael Shaw

James Carville’s broadside against Team Obama, effectively painting a bullseye on Bill Daley, the Chief of Staff, brought to mind this recent White House photo, what I imagine James would consider Exhibit #1.

Some might argue this photo, taken by Pete Souza and posted on the White House Flickr Stream six months ago, simply earned its publication to the visual drama of  Cross Hall or the close working relationship between Obama and Daley. But then, it sets up such a blatant connection to Reagan, the two men bounded by red in a triangle with Ronnie (Obama and Daley “working under” him), it’s hard to see this as anything less than a conservative homage, telegraphing goodwill to what Obama and Daley have perceived as their political sweet spot, the center-right.

(photo : Pete Souza. caption: President Barack Obama talks with Chief of Staff Bill Daley in the Cross Hall of the White House, March 3, 2011.)

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  • quincyscott

    Carville and his boss were not exactly the second coming of Franklin Roosevelt themselves.

  • Anonymous

    The image of St Ronnie dominates this picture, not the fact of Ronald Reagan. That portrait contains the mythic elements — blue skies, the sunny side of the street, the classic column recalling the Acropolis of Athens and the city on the hill. As a myth, Reagan is still a powerful force. That’s a fact.

    • http://www.serr8d.blogspot.com/ Serr8d

      It’d be nice if he could speak from beyond.

      If so…

  • Stella

    It looks like a waiting room to me. 
    How much time do working people spend perched with their boss on a settee?  This posed event echoes the artificiality of the Reagan picture, as well as of the whole Reagan presidency.
    Scary picture….

  • bks

     Where’s Ronnie’s flag lapel pin?

        –bks

  • Anonymous

    Couple of things struck me visually (see attached). First, Reagan’s head is the apex of a triangle whose base is defined by Obama and Daley. Second, Reagan is bigger than Obama. [I drew a green rectangle defining the size of Reagan's torso, copied it, and superimposed it on Obama's torso.] Visually, Reagan dominates everyone and everything else in the photo.

  • Guest

    Couple of things struck me visually (see attached). First, Reagan’s head is the apex of a triangle whose base is defined by Obama and Daley. Second, Reagan is bigger than Obama. [I drew a green rectangle defining the size of Reagan's torso, copied it, and superimposed it on Obama's torso.] Visually, Reagan dominates everyone and everything else in the photo.

  • Anonymous

    Couple of things struck me visually (see attached). First, Reagan’s head is the apex of a triangle whose base is defined by Obama and Daley. Second, Reagan is bigger than Obama. [I drew a green rectangle defining the size of Reagan's torso, copied it, and superimposed it on Obama's torso.] Visually, Reagan dominates everyone and everything else in the photo.

  • Anonymous

    Couple of things struck me visually (see attached). First, Reagan’s head is the apex of a triangle whose base is defined by Obama and Daley. Second, Reagan is bigger than Obama. [I drew a green rectangle defining the size of Reagan's torso, copied it, and superimposed it on Obama's torso.] Visually, Reagan dominates everyone and everything else in the photo.

    For some reason my image refuses to stay attached. Probably some sort of Obama conspiracy. Anyhow, here’s a Flickr link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/scarabus3/6163606570/in/photostream

  • Susan Jeffries

    What the hell is an oversized (and looming) picture of Reagan still doing in the White House?!  I wonder if Leon Panetta sits under a portrait of Casper Willard Weinberger or Robert Mueller sits under a portrait of J. Edgar Hoover to confer with their advisers?

  • http://twitter.com/shekissesfrogs Iguana Keeper

    It’s garish and gilded, with St. Ronnie looking over his proteges. Reagan also had a J.P. Morgan banker as Chief of Staff. 

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