The Obama Project@WindonWater.net

Andrew Sullivan seems to be in a tiff with Glenn Reynolds over a picture of President Obama and Vice President Biden. This is getting some play on both the left and the right. There’s an accusation of racism being floated at Reynolds, though nothing in his post suggests that that is most definitely the cause for Reynold’s complaint. And yet, some of Reynold’s commenters reveal their racialist bent of mind at his prompting – when asked to caption the photo, some commenters cast President Obama in the role of a drug dealer. Ugh. Because a black man, no matter how accomplished, can be ridiculed with drug dealer jokes, right? If there was no racial intent, my bad, but as the saying goes… if it looks like a duck and quacks like one – it just might be a duck.

More disturbing than cranks on the right with their willful viciousness, is the defense from the left. They assert that when one zooms up close, the president looks “uppity” or “condescending” to his white subordinate, and that this must be what got Reynolds riled up. Maybe so. But having looked at the whole picture, and the zoomed up version, I have yet to see any appearance of uppitiness, condescension, drunkenness, or any other such look. I saw the president listening intently to the vice president, from an angle that forces his eyes downward – because the president is in fact, taller than the vice president.

It seems to me that any attempt to see this in any other light is reaching … and the reach is because the president is black.

Editing to add two points: 1 – the controversy hipped me to the flickr stream – which is just AWESOME. So, I’m glad for that… and 2 – I guess it might be helpful if I upload the picture???

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden talk before the start of the Kennedy Center Honors at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., Dec. 6, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

QT

1. Some women do not consider abortion a “choice.” They consider it a consequence of a variety of circumstances Unlike Ms. Palin, I think rape and incest should be counted in to those circumstances, but in general, I think the circumstances should be health specific and not lifestyle specific. But the discussion of the issue as a “choice” largely obscures the discourse, and makes it hard to talk about the nuances involved.

2. One’s medical history is supposed to be private

3. The privacy of minors is always protected.

Hence – the idea that privacy and “choice” are part and parcel is quite a bit off. That’s just the framing so we can have a political argument.

Finally – I think it’s sad and distasteful for anyone to be taking issue with Obama”s sensitivity to the needs of a young girl, whose life is already largely altered, permanently, by her circumstances. The larger women’s issues can be discussed without dragging Bristol into it – and everyone knows it. Or do the privacy and choice advocates exalt their rights over the rights of this young girl?

I continue to support, wholeheartedly, the wonderful decency that is the Obama/Biden ticket. And I continue to be grateful not to belong to any political party.
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