Looks like this will be the photo in the history books

[NYBuckeye96]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/05/05/iconic ... tml?hpt=C1

What 'Situation Room Photo' reveals about us

(CNN) -- By now, the photo is a classic. It's become the most viewed image on the online site Flickr -- a mesmerizing picture that suggests as much as it reveals.

You may know it simply as the "Situation Room Photo," but you may not be aware of what some say are three subliminal messages that make it so powerful and unusual.

The photo captures President Barack Obama huddled with his national security team in the White House Situation Room as they monitor via live video the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden.

Most commentators have focused on the historic nature of the photo: Obama staring at the screen with a grim intensity; Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, covering her mouth to repress her reaction -- the epicenter of U.S. military power hunting down its most hated foe.

But look deeper and that photo becomes historic in a more subtle way. It's a snapshot of how much this nation's attitudes about race, women and presidential swagger are changing, several scholars and historians say.

"The photo is visually suggestive of a new American landscape that we're still crossing into," says Saladin Ambar, a political science professor at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.

"When Obama was elected, there were some people who thought that we had crossed a racial threshold," Ambar says. "What his presidency is revealing is that there are many crossings."

A black man becomes 'protector in chief'

The photo crosses one threshold of race in its unusual framing of an African-American man threatening violence, one black commentator says.

For much of U.S. history, the black man has often been portrayed as the threat to America's safety -- the angry man, the thug, the one you cross the street to avoid, says Cheryl Contee, co-founder of Jack & Jill Politics, a blog focused on current affairs from a black perspective.

But in the Situation Room photo, Contee says, the black man is America's protector.

There's no historical precedent for this image, she says. White Americans now see a black man not just as their president but their "protector in chief," Contee says.

"That photo is amazing," she says. "It's another step toward rehabilitation of the image of black men in American culture. It's going to forever impact how people see black men in America."

The photo also resolves a tricky image problem for Obama, says Jerald Podair, a history professor at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Podair says Obama has always been careful to avoid the angry black male stereotype in his public persona, but has acquired another image -- that of detachment, even weakness.

The photo of Obama hunkered down with his national security team watching the stalking and killing of bin Laden solves both problems, Podair says.

"He can now appear strong without being threatening. After all, he's on our side. Obama can now take up his white predecessors' mantle of 'protector in chief,' " Podair says.

It's not certain how long that mantle will stay attached to Obama, but at least one political scientist says he's already seen the photo's impact.

"This is one of the rare times that Tea Party supporters have referred to Obama as President Obama," says Ari Kohen, an associate professor of social justice and political science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Women at the center of power

The photo also breaks ground when it comes to women, others say.

The image is laced with testosterone: a crowded room full of powerful military and political men, some with medals bristling across their uniforms, gathered to drop America's hammer.

Some online viewers compared it to the photos of D-Day during World War II. Another said it was a portrait of "the nexus of power in the Western world."

But there were no iconic shots of women storming the beaches of Normandy or raising the flag at Iwo Jima.

Go back and examine the defining historic photos of American military might in action, and women are absent, historians say.

A glance at the now famous photos of President John F. Kennedy and his staff during the Cuban missile crisis is typical, says Ambar, the Lehigh University professor.

The photos show square-jawed men in crew cuts and uniforms surrounding Kennedy in the White House. You can practically smell the Aqua Velva in those old black-and-white photos.

"But if you go back and look at the Cuban missile crisis photos and the movies about it, there's no women," Ambar says. "In the movie 'Thirteen Days,' the only woman in the film was Kennedy's secretary."

Yet you see two powerful women in the Situation Room photograph -- Clinton and Audrey Tomason, director for counterterrorism, who is straining to see from the back. Their inclusion shows how far women have come, Ambar says, even though Clinton's response is ambiguous because she's covering her mouth in what looks to be alarm.

"God only knows what she's seeing on the screen," Ambar says. (Clinton has since said she was trying not to cough.)

Lori Brown, a sociologist, says showing two women at the center of American military power is noteworthy, but Clinton's gesture undermines some of its impact.

"Women are often more physical in their emotional responses and in a 'power situation' it may not seem as acceptable, but times are changing and the Situation Room needs to change, too," says Brown, a professor of sociology at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina. "Her emotions were more obvious, but I am sure many of the men in the room felt the same way she did."

Obama gets a little swagger

The photo finally crosses the threshold of what may be called presidential swagger, historians say.

American presidents have traditionally sold themselves as our alpha male. Theodore Roosevelt went safari hunting; Ronald Reagan cleared brush at his ranch in a cowboy hat; George W. Bush did his "Top Gun" imitation when he donned a flight suit on the deck of an aircraft carrier.

"There's a certain kind of machismo and swagger that Americans expect their president to reflect," says Clarence Lusane, author of "The Black History of the White House."

Projecting that presidential swagger was so powerful that it obscured some presidents' serious illnesses, such as President Franklin Roosevelt's polio and Kennedy's hobbling assortment of ailments, including a bad back, Lusane says.

"They were both very ill. Kennedy could barely stand for two hours. But they never let those images out because they had to project toughness. Obama, though, is a different animal."

The photo shows why.

If someone didn't know who Obama was, he or she probably couldn't tell that he was the president in the room, some scholars say.

"He's not in the tallest chair," says Brown, the sociology professor at Meredith College. "He's not the center of attention. He's not even in the middle of the room."

Yet Obama's willingness to be photographed without the typical Oval Office swagger gives birth to a new type of swagger, says Contee of Jack & Jill Politics.

She says that photo shows Obama's self-assurance and leadership style. He seeks out the opinions of his advisers. He believes in collaboration -- all while he's taking down the baddest terrorist on the planet.

He doesn't need to wear a "Top Gun" flight jacket to project strength, she says.

"You would almost expect the president to be standing in that position," she says. "That shows his leadership style. He doesn't need to thrust his leadership style forward."

Expect more snapshots such as the one from the Situation Room, says Ambar, the Lehigh University professor.

As Obama moves into the third year of his term, photos will capture moments that show how far we've come.

"That's part of what being the first African-American president is all about -- we're all being transformed together," he says.

Ambar says he was so intrigued by the Situation Room photo that he cut it out to study it. He's still parsing its meaning.

"It is an image unimaginable 30 years ago," he says. "Let us hope we have more of these in the nation's future."

[Tigercannon71]

:aaaaa41 :aaaaa41 :aaaaa41 I thought I was the king of BS, but I applaud the person who wrote that article. I guess his ramblings does make for better press than to say what this picture was really about. Its about America. Heres a group of Americans, not hyphenate Americans, not liberal, not conservative, nor democrat or republican, but Americans one and all. They are sitting there watching intensely as the American soldiers who perserve our freedom are risking their lives as usual to take down American enemy #1. Thats what that picture shows.

[Chieftain]

I love it. The haters choking on it.

4 more years !

[toast]

"Yet Obama's willingness to be photographed without the typical Oval Office swagger gives birth to a new type of swagger, says Contee of Jack & Jill Politics.

She says that photo shows Obama's self-assurance and leadership style. He seeks out the opinions of his advisers. He believes in collaboration -- all while he's taking down the baddest terrorist on the planet.

We are so blessed! Thanks Paladin for sharing this amazing photo! Sure does a number on those who claimed President Obama would not go after terrorist.

[footballfanatic1]

As usual Pladi your wrong......you can have him for 4 more.....but the rest of the country cant afford it.....What ever happened to Obama or is Osama promise to get out of the wars and all the other promises......... i guess the only difference between Obama and Osama is the BS...

[eccedomusscientiae]

I'm not a hater, but i do think Tigercannon is right on in his post. If anyone on here is a hater, it would be people like PaladinII, who only see things one way. Paladin to the left is equal to KantuckyII on the right.

Nice post TC

[Chieftain]

Paladin is left of center on social issues and moderate to right of center on economic issues. On foreign relations I tend moderate as well, but prefer a Libertarian bend. But , since I'm not a flaming retard on "christian issues" that makes me a "Liberal" and since I'm not Right Wing on economics that makes me a "Liberal" for the extremists that ran off both Moderates & Liberals. Both are personna non grata with Rs & Conservatives.

But, that lumps me in with the majority of the country who have similiar problems with the extremists. Notice no one has a problem with credit going to Obama for killing OBL except for the Right Wing.

[kantuckyII]

I'm not a hater, but i do think Tigercannon is right on in his post. If anyone on here is a hater, it would be people like PaladinII, who only see things one way. Paladin to the left is equal to KantuckyII on the right.

Nice post TC

Don't u ever get tired of smelling your own BS? at least I have a side, u blow like a reed in the wind

[JChipwood]

I work with medicaid and indirectly with medicare and ss and can tell you as factual as the sun did shine today that Obama has/had nothing to do with the destruction of ss/medicare/medicaid. Facts are this, ss and medicare are failing systems mainly because too many people get benefits that are not elderly or disabled among other reasons that have been present for quite some time but the last straw for medicare is when a failing system added part d Rx coverage to all eligible members for part a & b both and took away the ability of medicaid and other insurance providers to pay for Rx anymore making those individuals rely solely on medicare part d at a low premium rate and with very low co-payments. Part D was a kneejerk reaction designed under the previous admin and was, in political terms, a project that was developed from it's conception to end stages in very quick order. Part D medicare put the proverbial knife in the back of medicare which is draining ss. "Obamacare" simply limits the Rx increases on an annual basis whic should prolong the life of medicare and ss.

Medicaid was expanded tremendously under Bush and his regime as far as the income guidelines and program eligibility requirements but has not been affected by Obama in ANY way shape or form to date and no plan is in place to cut any programs nor expand the federal program monies. However Kasich is wanting to expand the programs even further but reduce the administrative staff for the programs which will essentially mean more people are eligible but timely processing will be impossible and more peolple will be going without help for much much longer periods of time.

Some of this stuff is funny............. when the laws change for abortion let me know so actual validity can be applied to the argument of whether or not Obama is pro-life or not. We all know that makes no difference because in our gov't system no one person or even a group of people will ever make major changes in laws of that nature. I am against abortion but also am smart enough to not let that issue enfluence my voting strategy because the President will never have that kind of power.

Stem cell research is for another day and may have been mentioned on another thread but anyone against it is misinformed and should have to sign a consent form of some sort to not allow them or their family into any medical facility for treatment leaving them to deal with issues in a mannor similar to the dark ages because anyone aginst it is truly misinformed about the entire process from the harvesting to the benefits of the end result. Sad sad situation to be against something like that.

[footballfanatic1]

I dont know why but for some reason when i picture Paldi ( which i try not to) i see a cross between OBAMA and OSAMA.....LOL...PROBABLY THE SAME BELIEFS AND VALUES.....

[eccedomusscientiae]

I'm not a hater, but i do think Tigercannon is right on in his post. If anyone on here is a hater, it would be people like PaladinII, who only see things one way. Paladin to the left is equal to KantuckyII on the right.

Nice post TC

Don't u ever get tired of smelling your own BS? at least I have a side, u blow like a reed in the wind

I win TTT. Pay up.

[Raiderball]

Good post Chipwood.

[kantuckyII]

I'm not a hater, but i do think Tigercannon is right on in his post. If anyone on here is a hater, it would be people like PaladinII, who only see things one way. Paladin to the left is equal to KantuckyII on the right.

Nice post TC

Don't u ever get tired of smelling your own BS? at least I have a side, u blow like a reed in the wind

I win TTT. Pay up.

You've never won in your entire life

[KVDW]

Good post Chipwood.

yeah, more liberal BS. i love when someone with a vested interest in a situation gives their "unbiased" opinion and see it as an opportunity to justify their existance......and expect rational people to swallow it hook, line and sinker....... AND how the "scholars" try to TELL US how we should interpret a simple "photo-op" picture. great ATTEMPT at trying to sell us some of their brainwashing hogwash.
Hillary said herself that she was merely trying to stiffle a cough but .... noooo.... here's what she was REALLY doing and it's significance to women's place in the history..... and OMG doesn't obama look like a manly leader of this nation even though he's not in the "tallest chair" or the "center of attention". hell, he's not even "in the center of the room".
funny how one "photo-op" picture can change the history of mankind forever.