Shirt of Change - Obama's Photo-Op Sends a Message

[FrenchieCat]

Shirt of Change
...
During World War II, one of the most memorable icons and metaphors was the image of Rosie the Riveter -- in her blue-jean overalls, shirt sleeves rolled up past her elbow, muscles bared to demonstrate how women were helping the war effort at home as much as their men were on the battle field. "Roll up your sleeves and get to work" is still the slogan for solving problems, fixing mistakes, or brainstorming.

That's why it was so entirely refreshing to see President Barack Obama abandon one of his predecessor's regulations by deliberately not wearing his suit jacket in the Oval Office. More than just an air of informality, the image of a President in shirtsleeves (and not while clearing brush on a ranch) while in the room that is synonymous with Presidential power, he gave us the visual equivalent of Truman's "The Buck Stops Here!" Proving to be as articulate symbolically as he is oratorally, our new President gave us a visual that will serve as the iconic representation of what we've so long awaited - a roll up your sleeves, get your hands dirty, straight talking, action oriented, new breed of US leadership.





Much as Miss Scarlet's curtain-dress stood for her will to survive at all costs, Dorothy's ruby slippers were symbolic of unknown strengths, Lawrence of Arabia's white scarf a metaphor for his transcendence, the black cape and gleaming black helmet of Darth Vader epitomizing Dick Cheney -- umm, I meant to say -- evil, or Charlie Chaplin's Tramp a symbol of basic, decent humanity -- Obama's brilliant photo-op of him in a crisp white shirt sans jacket will come to symbolize a new Presidential power -- getting down to work, leading a team, and hopefully serving as an omen of the much needed good luck our country desires and deserves.




more.... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-dejong/shirt-of-change_b_162940.html

[AspenRose]

1. Have the GOP started calling him a descamisado yet?

Ah, who cares. Screw them. :-)

[MNDemNY]

2. He should rip up that damned rug, and just go without.

[FrenchieCat]

4. It's not about the $68,000 rug; it's about a new type of leadership.

The rug has little to do with the substance of having someone in our White House
that knows what he is doing.

[MNDemNY]

6. The rug still sucks ass.

[FrenchieCat]

7. The rug is fine. It is Bush who sucked ass.

Let us not use a rug as a symbol of Bush. No rug could commit the crimes that Bush committed, and projecting onto the rug will not help us.

[MNDemNY]

9. Fer fuck sake, cat, lighten up. The rug sucks.

[Diane R]

15. Thank you, Frenchie Cat. A voice of reason.

[Sydnie]

16. It doesn't happen often, but I disagree with you on this one

RUGGIE needs to GO! It wouldn't be such a bone of contention if blivet** hadn't made such a big deal about the rug in the first place but he did. He talked about that rug the way he talked about pig roast dinners when visiting or being visited. He BEAMED about that rug for weeks!

It is a ghost of things that are not so good in that office and as long as it's there, we will never be free of the shadow and the smell of his mendacity.

Michelle could pick a much more suitable rug for a working President's office than that fake halo number that's there now. Besides, don't most presidents get their rugs to take to their libraries these days? Let him have that ugly thing and rid us of all traces of him from that office.

[willing dwarf]

12. It is such an ugly rug

I don't care who picked it out. It looks uptight and phony, and just wrong for the room where I see OBama. I wouldn't be able to work with that thing on the floor!

[liberal N proud]

3. Take the jacket off, roll up the sleeves and lets get some work done

I like his attitude toward the dress code thing. Just another change from the bu$h regime where bu$h blast anyone he would catch without a suit coat.

[BOSSHOG]

8. Its a silly, vacuous conservative issue.

reagan ordered the murder of priests, nuns and children in Central America from the oval office. BUT he had his coat and tie on.

[riqster]

5. For his Super Bowl interview, he even dispensed with the tie! nt

[Ganja Ninja]

10. Considering the last occupant of the oval office was an empty suit that

spent a third of his presidency on vacation, it's about time someone got down to business and did the work of the people. Maybe this is what a working president looks like.

[texas1928]

11. It's not a room for photo-ops anymore.

It is a room where real work for the country is getting done, and serious people are thinking and debating the issues.
And sometimes, it is uncomfortable to be wearing a suit coat when you are working on issues.

[RamboLiberal]

13. That jerk Bush chewed out Bartlett for 15 minutes on a weekend

for having the audacity of being in khakis and button-down shirt on a weekend in the WH.

“I’ll never forget going to work on a Saturday morning, getting called down to the Oval Office because there was something he was mad about,” said Dan Bartlett, who was counselor to Mr. Bush. “I had on khakis and a buttoned-down shirt, and I had to stand by the door and get chewed out for about 15 minutes. He wouldn’t even let me cross the threshold.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/us/politics/29whitehouse.html

What an asshole! Style over substance!

[ZombieHorde]

14. Maybe Obama does not like wearing the jacket, and no message is intended. nt

[FrenchieCat]

17. You may be right, but the American people are still receiving a message....

That President Obama will be doing "Work" for them in the White House.

[RamboLiberal]

22. Axelrod said Obama hates cold and has turned up the thermostat

in the Oval Office. Its so warm you could grow orchards there according to Axelrod.

[firedupdem]

18. I like the change.....I know that when I did have a job!....I was

much more comfortable when we had business casual days and I didn't have to worry about what he hell I was wearing so much.

[damntexdem]

19. Ah, he's still wearing a tie!

Of course, I have to some times for professional appearances, so I guess I have to cut Obama some slack. ;-)

On the other hand, I always wear Infectious Awareable ties, with photomicrographs of disease organisms on them (http://www.iawareables.com/). From anthrax to West Nile. ;-)

[question everything]

20. SNL's "Obama" had a more photos on his desk

one from Hawaii with at least one girl...

When this story came up, about him not wearing a jacket, it was compared to Bush where no one could do this. About how Dan Bartlett - a lawyer? - once was called to the office on a Saturday, and how for 15 min. he was chewed on, was not even allowed to cross the threshold of the Oval Office.

[Clio the Leo]

21. There's something about that first photo that reminds me ...

... of this one ('cause you know they only put their jackets on because the Time photog showed up lol)

[Life Long Dem]

23. There's a strong sense of urgency..

Obama shows he is rolling up his sleeves to start rebuilding from the ground up.