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May 23, 2012

Obama + Souza + Football + NATO + Soldier Field + 2012

By Michael Shaw

It’s such a brilliant photo:

It’s youthful and energetic.

It intones the campaign slogan (forward).

It’s throughly optimistic: onward and upward.

It’s completely confident: Looking downfield. Playing offense. Going for it.

It’s completely singular. The leader.

It’s like crack to young football-crazed males.

It’s Chicago — home turf. But it’s the whole world.

It’s about staying the course for a second term: it says we just crossed midfield.

It’s completely unapologetic about playing to the media deck.

Foreign policy-wise, it’s elegantly balanced between cooperation and going it alone. Otherwise, the message is singular leadership. We’re on NATO’s team but we’re quarterbacking. Midway between English (United States) and French (États-Unis), it’s still all about us.

(photo: Pete Souza/White House caption: President Barack Obama throws a football on the field at Soldier Field following the NATO working dinner in Chicago, Illinois, May 20, 2012.)

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  • Michael

    But the field and stands are otherwise empty, except for one guy in the background. He may be Secret Service, but he reads as though his back is turned and he’s doing something else, maybe texting. He only appears to be in the hand of Obama. The Spectacle of politics carries on in the foreground, but in the background, the rest of life goes on, regardless.

  • bks

    I thought it was about Notre Dame suing the Government because they hate women.

        –bks
     

  • black_dog_barking

    Hopefully we’re not witnessing a hail mary on the economy/jobless.

    This image projects youth, vigor, and energy in a way that Willard can not. With this imagae BHO campaigns in an area where Camp Romney cannot credibly oppose him.

    BHO’s form, the long stride and the whip-like left arm, is more baseball pitcher than quarterback.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_PV4JXFNDQXSOHJBOWVZC6LSFYM ColinN

    I wish that guy in the background didn’t look like a gun in the president’s hand.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Earl-Mardle/683929047 Earl Mardle

    And, of course, the motion is towards the left.

  • John Zorabedian

    What about the small figure on the opposite side of the field? It looks like he’s in the palm of Obama’s hand. Obama as Giant. 

  • http://twitter.com/WolfeNotes Bill Wolfe

    But did he throw a spiral and hit the receiver; did the receiver catch it; and score?

    Or was Obama just displaying g more (hollow) form?

    For a discourse on hollow form, read “Managed Democracy and the specter of inverted totalitarianism” by Sheldon Wolin.

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