The press was barred from witnessing a moment of silence President Obama privately observed Monday for the victims of the Boston bombings, allowing the White House to release its own carefully staged photo of the event.
Other than that the White House decided it wanted Americans to view Obama’s concern for the victims, it’s unclear why the event was staged or what value it had to the public.
Presidents rarely engage in this type of private symbolism, which has regal sense to it – the leader presuming that citizens will want to know he has paternal concern for them and possesses a deep sense of empathy. Obama could easily have taken the more traditional route for the leader of a republic and led the nation together in a moment of silence.
Or he could have privately observed the moment without mentioning it to anyone.
The White House has in fact been carefully cultivating Obama’s image in response to the attacks, releasing a series of photos showing him gathering with aides and making phone calls.
On top of the obvious public relations display, these at least have the practical value of showing citizens that the president is on top of a dangerous situation.
Below is the photo the White House provided Monday.
124 thoughts on “Obama’s Moment of Silence Photo Op”
Susan, hats off to you. You predicted this.
Susan was right and it is disgraceful.
let me clarify…susan was right, and this photo op is disgraceful.
Disgusting to the nth. Never let a crisis go to waste.
Only, instead of the halo, we got a cross above his head. Not sure he wanted to send that message to the Muslim world.
Where’s the bolt of lightening from above? This is so absolutely loathsome and vile. I wonder how long before you
can buy an 8×10 glossy for a donation to the Obama fund.
But he is Chicago Jesus.
Keith, it doesn’t look like he’s praying.
It looks like he’s practicing his putting stance for his next golf.
He’ll definitely be going out this week. It’s Reggie Love’s Bday.
Looks like he’s taking a leak. Quick! Someone add a photo-shopped stream.
Great idea, and with a map of the U.S.A., because that’s what he’s doing, every day !
Obama is such a Pharisee. Why does anyone have to know that.
Next he’ll be announcing his prayer and fasting.
That is the exact word to fit this action.
Preezy`s photo op would have been even more effective if he had included Bo in the picture.
H/T to Susan. BO’s media handlers (photo ops) are probably the best in the business. His visits in TX later this week will be more open to the media, which never does well for him. I wonder if GW will let him speak at the Library opening? :-) (Hope not).
WaPo has three articles inviting people to snipe at Bush. They have no shame.
One of the WaPo articles actually does a nice job of comparing Bush favorably against the present WH occupant.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2013/04/23/bush-is-back/
The comments, on the other hand, are decidedly anti-Bush.
of course, WaPo has always been like that, but then the surrounding MD and VA areas are heavily blue. I love to tease my classmate about it all the time (I grew up outside of DC).
I could not abide Bush, but this president is even more irritating, deceptive, and enraging. I would never have thought it was possible. I posted that maybe Obama should blame Bush for making him look bad by comparison.
What do you mean Star, he DOES blame Bush for “EVERYTHING” !!!
Where did Michelle observe this moment ?
It’s almost as though they realized what a silly statement that was to say he was observing the moment privately-no press. So why announce he was doing it at all?
I did mine at home.
So did I…but there was no one here to take a picture!
She was probably out “hoeing” her garden!!
The Big MO has been AWOL since after the election. She doesn’t
want to do First Lady duties and yes I know she’s a busy ‘single
Mom’ but I don’t think we will see much her this term. Did you
see the look on her face at the Memorial which I think she had to
go to because she wasn’t must have forced her.
The ladies on a site that worship her flip flops had a rundown of
her outfit down to the shoes. Seriously it was a like a funeral not
a gala so as long as we have boatloads of these brain dead
followers we’ve got rough sailing. Seriously I think you should
not only have a photo ID but an IQ test rating higher that of a potted plant!
you have to remember she attended the 9/11 ceremony and whispered “all this for a damn flag?” .. to BO. Then did the frowny face.
Yes I remember that now the fact that she had to have known
there would pictures. She could care less.
Mr. President – step to the right, now clutch your hands – lower your head just a big more – a little more to the left – perfect, now hold your breath and stand perfectly still – thank you Mr. President.
Look at me – I feel your pain, just ask me.
What a flipping joke. There simply are no words – ran out of them a very long time ago.
…interesting piece in the Sunday Mpls Strib (of all places) – the writer mentions Fort Hood, Tucson, Aurora, New Jersey, New York, Newtown, Boston, Texas, where the president “has already had to console. It is part of the symbolic duty of presidents, after all.
But he has precious few successes to show as president….this president may wind up known more for consoling than anything else…millions remain out of work; millions have lost their homes…But at this rate, a snapshot of this era taken from the future may well show images of fear and tragedy, and of a tall, lonesome-looking president at memorials, hospital beds and gravesides.
It is probably not the legacy he would have wanted.”
The writer is Richard Parker, a regular contributor to the NYT, the Columbia Journalism Review, the New Republic and McClatchey-Tribune.
(So here’s yet one more dose of the photo-op-hungry o – probably chewing gum.)
I note all these events are domestic; they do not take into account the debacle this administration has made of Foreign Affairs. Still it’s an interesting piece in an unlikely place.
“Millions remain out of work, millions have lost their homes.”
Funny, I have never heard let alone seen a photo op of Obama consoling these particular millions. As long as he keeps pumping the stock market up, the last thing he wants is a photo op with these millions.
heard of
he lost his laser..
“he lost his laser..” – Otis Driftwood
No, he’d say Republicans took it from him with the evil sequester…
Thinking about this, I think you are probably reading this better than I did. It does have that “the poor guy” quality about it.
I think I must’ve gotten carried away because I thought the Strib had ALMOST been critical of the o.
Thanks.
I thought Richard Parker was the tiger in LIFE of PI. Busy guy.
Moment of silence, like Benghazi or Like the silence on Fast & Furious? Maybe it’s like his silence of making a mockery of our immigration system, allowing and condoning the lowest of foreigners who contribute nothing and play the taxpayers like a Stravarious. Kinda like that silence?
Is there a date on the back of the photo?
It may have been staged along with the Skeet Shooting, Football Posing, and Sit Room Sitting shots. When his speech writers can’t come up with a thousand words, there’s always an op photo.
Whats he holding down there?
Taking a leak on the Constitution.
And us Julie
Checking his blackberry.
he has a small picture of himself with a note telling him to look solemn. Frown, your on WH camera!
If only he would stay in that spot. One of the commenters recently went off the rails with the “damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t” argument. Well, Oboutme might well be damned, but the reason he is in that conundrum is because he insinuates himself into EVERYTHING. That is everything political. Or, everything and anything except actually doing real work, leadership, or providing positive results. This picture, predictable as it was, is just another example of why not to trust this sanctimonious SOB.
Kudos Susan – you called it!
I looked at the clock as Obama was leaving the kiddie’s science fair festivities. It was exactly 2:40 p.m. He had exactly ten minutes to find his way to the Oval Office with the help of his GPS.
He had a gaggle of reporters and TV cameras following him around the entire day – why didn’t he take that opportunity to engage the entire gathering in that ‘moment of silence’???
The answer is simple. He is a malignant narcissistic SOB who is only concerned with stagecraft and Pete Souza’s output. It’s all about ‘Obama the Singular’! The Oval Office is used only for photo ops!
What an absolute disgrace!!!
Good catch. He could have spent that 10 minutes gathering the kids and accompanying adults for an impromtu moment of silence in front of the press. It was only for a minute, why the rush back to the WH for the “pose” ?
And now, a moment of silence…
*camera click – camera click – camera click – camera click – camera click – camera click – camera click – camera click – camera click – camera click – camera click*
Thank-you, Mr. President – I think we got it.
I’d like to see the shots that were rejected. Dear Leader scratching his butt, swatting a fly, etc etc.
That gives me the picture :)
Pingback: Bloodthirsty Liberal » Ready For His Close-Up
The Attention Whore never misses having his pic taken
Is he facing toward Mecca
Of course he is, Jim. He’s saying, “allah, be praised.”
He does appear to be facing east.
Everything this narcissist does is all about HIM–he is the most evil disgraceful lying SOB we’ve every had in “Our House”!
All Americans should be disgusted (of course those receiving govt “freebies” won’t be) by this publicity seeking whore! (sorry about the language)
The real “moment of silence” was the moment America witnessed two bombs being exploded at a benign sporting event. We all sat in front of our TV stuck dumb by the carnage and aftermath.
You know, at some point I’m going to stop being shocked by these sorts of things. I don’t know when, but it’s got to stop at some point…
He’s observing a moment of silence for his last bowel movement.
Beyond belief the obscene posturing of this evil little boy-man.
There are no words strong enough to express the utter disgust this little pissant engenders in my mind.
I do… I honestly do.
Thanks all, but it was no great prediction on my part. This fraud is just too predictable. Good catch on the window frame cross, Julie.
Seriously? Were there eye-side tears? I know I am being bitchy–but honestly, I don’t think he can remain silent for as long as this would have taken. But still, someone had an interlude of peace.
How many takes to get the one looking solemn? Reagan didn’t seem to
have help.
The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and “slipped the surly bonds of earth” to “touch the face of God.”
Thank you for the memory, Lizzy. I remember watching Reagan address the nation from the oval office after the Challenger disaster. He had a way of comforting America in times of mourning. That is because he loved America and ALL her people. The phony pretender currently occupying the Oval Office could never measure up to Ronald Reagan.
http://www.reaganfoundation.org/tgcdetail.aspx?p=TG0923RRS&h1=0&h2=0&sw=&lm=reagan&args_a=cms&args_b=1&argsb=N&tx=1745
Why is it that Obama constantly releases pictures of himself. He is the worst narrcissist to ever hold the office. If he is ‘praying’ then why isn’t he on his knees? Looks like he is about to pee on the flag in front of him. It wouldn’t be the first time.
A week after Benghazi the trained bear was still telling the American people it was the result of an anti-Muslim video. Why does the Boston event get such respect and Benghazi gets such silence. Painful silence. Why was there not a photo shoot of the trained bear giving a moment of silence for the Benghazi victims? Has he even spoken to the families yet?
A man who has to release a photo showing that he cars oh-so-much cares not-that-much.
While I rarely agreed with his politics or policies, I respected the man.
I no longer respect him. I think he’s petty and small and ignorant. January 2017 can’t come soon enough. He can fade into history with all the other presidents.
*cares, not cars.
At least there were some papers on the desk – not the usual empty suit with feet on empty desk shot.
Those are rolling papers on his desk. Dictator Obama likes to start his day at the oval office by firing up a huge blunt.
Simply………….gag!
Is he staring at his vegetable patch ?
Barry is always ambigous, this picture could never offend his Muslim friends. It means nothing.
he is thinking… things are going as planned here in America.
Pingback: A picture is worth 1,000 words: Obama’s photo-op of silence at Class War Watch
Pingback: A picture is worth 1,000 words: Obama’s photo-op of silence
“Or he could have privately observed the moment without mentioning it to anyone.”
.
Precisely.
.
Pingback: A picture is worth 1,000 words: Obama’s photo-op of silence | Dialectic Conflict
That’s creepy. Something the Norks would o.
Remember how FCMABBHO commemorated the 57th anniversary of Rosa Parks’s refusal to give up her seat?
http://news.investors.com/politics-andrew-malcolm/120412-635579-rosa-parks-anniversary-blamed-for-awkward-obama-photo-op.htm?p=full
And his photo on the death of Neil Armstrong.
Oh yeah, runner up.
thanks for the link that was hysterical! and so were the comments
I had forgotten about that gem. Hhahhahahha
Remember how FCMABBHO observed Neil Armstrong’s death?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2194404/White-House-commemorates-Neil-Armstrongs-passing-photograph–Barack-Obama.html
ha. yep. I was obviously thinking of that too.
GMTA!
Remember his moment of silence photo for Benghazi ?
*crickets*
Exactly… he’s desperate now.
!
“Let’s see, the ball should break to the right about three feet from the cup…..”
“IOt’s a tad overcast and cold outside today … I sure hope it clears up by the weekend …”
The only thing ovomit is on top of is reggie.
he turned it into a photo op.
Caption…
‘is this the right direction for Mecca?’
I know! I want it to be a caption contest. how about:
“I really should be out there working on my slice.”
not very original, but it’s moderately insulting, and that’s what I was going for.
I believe he is urinating on the American flag.
Pingback: Revere Radio Network | White House Stages Obama Moment Of Silence Photo Op For Boston…
Is he facing Mecca?
sorry, just saw others ask the same thing!!
Obama is a joke and so is this photo op!
how did Chris Matthews cover this, do we know? I can imagine Chris getting all sniffly describing how majestic Obama was in his grief…
Okay… There are a couple of things to mention about this. I’ve begun to notice that in all of the President’s photo-ops in the Oval Office, there isn’t anything on his desk – except his phone and Blackberry. Why IS that? Doesn’t he have anything to do all day?
Another thing… where is his putter? But that’s another story………….
hmmm… I wonder if that’s an authentic Remington “Bucking Bronco” or just a cheap imitation? My guess: it’s the latter… just like Obama: pretending to be deep in thought.
Can someone identify the picture above the fake bronze?
It’s an original painting entitled “Working on the Statue of Liberty” by Norman Rockwell. It was on the July 6, 1946 cover of The Saturday Evening Post. Spielberg owned the original and donated it to the White House when chester the molester was president.
Comments are closed.