…but the notion that it was a photo shoot just doesn’t make any sense. Unless the people in charge are totally incompetent, which is possible, I suppose. But if so, do we really want them running the economy?
I wonder if we’ll ever learn the truth?
[Update mid morning]
The visual subtext of the photo:
The ominous and imposing aircraft dominates the scene in such a way that, in gestalt parlance, no one could mistake the figure for the ground. The figure is an aircraft that serves as Air Force One, representing the Messianic omnipotence of the Obama presidency. Below it, part of the background — a small and less relevant thing in comparison to the aircraft — stands the Statue of Liberty, representing the individual freedoms that Americans have come to treasure and enjoy.
The message and its purpose could not be clearer: we must reset our priorities. Now that the democracy is at last headed by this magnificent and elegant man, we must put the federal government and its needs ahead of our paltry individual freedoms. Of what value, after all, is the property Americans have spent their lifetimes to acquire, or one’s right to defend oneself with a firearm, or even the privilege of living in an upwardly mobile society that used to be the envy of the rest of the world, in comparison to the Leader’s magnificently powerful icon, glistening like a phoenix in the sun?
Well, maybe. Sometimes a lousy shot is just a lousy shot. But the fact that it took them so long to come up with this one, and only this one, and they did it on a lousy day for shooting, indicates to me that it wasn’t about photography. So what was it about?
The Red Tail theory is interesting. One does wonder how a plane from the Alabama National Guard happened to be escorting the normal Air Force One plane over the WTC site at low altitude.
I think you’ve wandered into the Tinfoil Hat Mountains here. Pack your snowshoes – I’d hate to see you get stuck. 😉
Seriously, what possible reason could this be other than a screwed-up photoshoot? As far as Hallowell’s question, the Alabama ANG needs to put in training hours as well. Maybe they had a two-seater available and a pilot who needed some hours.
Seriously, what possible reason could this be other than a screwed-up photoshoot?
So you subscribe to the complete incompetence theory? How does that make you feel about having them run the economy?
What makes you think that President Obama authorized, or was even informed of, this flight? The incompetence resides with the AF wing commander and the dude who quit.
Besides, everybody, even me, screws up from time to time.
What makes you think that President Obama authorized, or was even informed of, this flight?
I didn’t say he did, or was. Again, work on the reading for comprehension thing.
The incompetence resides with the AF wing commander and the dude who quit.
And who hired him? And who decided that he should have been hired instead of someone active military, as in the previous administration? And why should we think the person that hired him is going to do a better job of hiring other people? Like a Treasury Secretary who’s a tax cheat, and repeatedly spooks the markets?
My off-the-cuff theory is that they held back a bunch of fantastic photos – the best of which show the stunning NYC skyline as well as the Statue of Liberty. Since such photos would emphasize how much the shoot rattled people in the city, they released a boring photo showing NJ in the background, and they hoped that this would put an end to the assertion that a photo wasn’t even being released. Photoshoots never result in all the photos being released — the ones where someone looks like they are picking their nose get dumped. This is just an inartful version of that. In other words, I think embarrassement explains everything – no sinister conspiracy needed.
been hired instead of someone active military, as in the previous administration?
Louis Caldera , who authorized the flight, is a West Point grad, and former Secretary of the Army under the Clinton administration. Certainly seems to have a decent resume to me.
Well, if this isn’t some massive attempt by the President to intimidate Wall Street, which seems to be the working theory for the tinfoil hat crowd, then what is it?
Well, if this isn’t some massive attempt by the President to intimidate Wall Street, which seems to be the working theory for the tinfoil hat crowd, then what is it?
I don’t know who the “tinfoil hat crowd” is, but there have been several theories advanced, including a payoff for campaign contributors in the plane, to testing ELINT, to helping George Lucas with a movie promotion, to a joy ride by the president’s kids (offered, presumably jokingly, by himself on Saturday night).
I have no theories. I just have questions. Because the evidence would seem to indicate that it wasn’t a photo shoot (lousy day for photography, no photos other than one that looks like it was just shot by the pilot out the window with an Instamatic, that showed up after a long delay, perhaps caused by a frantic attempt to find at least one photo that someone shot).
If they want to put the questions to rest, they’ll release the photos.
If they want to put the questions to rest, they’ll release the photos. and the flight manifest, the pilot’s name and shoe size, and whatever else some armchair conspiracy theorist wants to know.
An explanation was offered, and somebody resigned. But you still have “questions.”
An explanation was offered, and somebody resigned. But you still have “questions.”
So that’s all right then. I should have no more questions, just because an implausible explanation was offered, and a scapegoat was provided.
Sorry, the questions remain unanswered. But people are FOIAing, so perhaps in a couple years we’ll find out.
I guess you would be more familiar with that than I would, for one.
Far as I know, what’s upsetting to people is the idea that the smartest president ever elected allowed his plane to cause so much panic for a photo shoot, leading people to wonder whether that’s the complete explanation (imagine that, the idea that a presidential administration isn’t telling the whole truth).
My favorite alternate theory is that it was a corrupt fundraiser junket masquerading as an incompetent photo op. That fits far better, I think, with the O!ne being “the smartest president ever elected.”
Of course, I’m willing to entertain the possibility that he’s not the smartest president ever elected — but hey, I voted for Sarah Palin and whats-his-name, so what do I know?
So the Alabama ANG 187th FW redesignated its fighter squadron from 160th to 100th in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen. Also in honor, they painted one F-16C with a red tail flash. This plane was flown to NYC to accompany Air Force One, but if the photo released is any evidence, this F-16C didn’t carry any special camera pods. As a F-16C, it also a single seater, so the pilot flying the plane is the photographer. That doesn’t make for a good photo op.
I wonder if this was some recognition to the surviving Tuskegee Airmen. Perhaps they were aboard Air Force One. If so, that would be a fantastic public relation story. Certainly, they wouldn’t screw that up.
Or perhaps, given what we have learned about the “press” / Democrat party media organization…
the photo shoot was a factual event designed to provide a focal point for media coverage, thereby concealing in plain sight the REAL underhanded crap in DC.
What major policy actions occurred during this past week? Anyone?
Maybe all the “good” shots had crowds of screaming people in the background …
I’m still puzzle why a plane from the Alabama National Guard was escorting this jet near New York City. But having said that, I don’t see a photo shoot being that unlikely. They would have had a small window of time to operate in so the shoot would go on no matter how bad the lighting was.
They would have had a small window of time to operate in …
Why? Is there only one day per year that they can fly?
And why the secrecy? If it’s a publicity shot, why not generate a little publicity and tell people about it ahead of time? Or did they think that nobody would notice it?
And if it was a photo op, where are all the other photos? Why keep them secret? We know the government spent more than $300K on this little excursion, so which is worse — spending that money for a bunch of good publicity photos, or spending all that money for the one inferior, badly composed shot that they released and never using any of the others?