Postscript: What should Obama’s next “photo op” be? Update: How much did photo op cost?
posted at 10:40 am on April 28, 2009 by Allahpundit
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We’ve been kicking around ideas on Twitter for the past few hours. My suggestion: A surprise overflight of Pearl Harbor by 200 or so unmarked fighter/bombers. Or, alternately, an unannounced nuclear test off the coast of New York. The Statue of Liberty silhouetted by a mushroom cloud would be one awesome photo, don’t you think?
Someone else suggested having a squadron of crop dusters buzz Central Park. Photo-tastic! Feel free to offer your own ideas below. While you mull, two more videos of this fiasco from yesterday. The first is shot from a building overlooking Ground Zero, but it’s the second one you really want to watch. No clip I’ve seen better captures how low the plane was flying and how loud the engines were. Even so, you can make out someone in the background screaming “Oh my god” in terror. “Felony stupidity” indeed.
Update: I like this idea from the comments.
Update: The One formally declared this a “mistake” at an appearance this morning, you’ll be glad to know. Meanwhile, The Hill asks a good question: How much did Scare Force One’s glamour shot cost us?
The report was prepared at the request of Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) while Democrats were in the minority. (Waxman is now chairman ofthe committee). Entitled “THE COST OF PRESIDENTIAL AND VICE
PRESIDENTIAL POLITICAL TRAVEL,” the report was clearly intended to criticize President Bush and Vice President Cheney’s extensive travel around the country to campaign for Republicans in the midterm elections.It reads in part: “This report assumes that flight operating costs are $56,518 per hour for Air Force One and $14,552 per hour for Air Force Two. These figures are based on the perhour cost figures cited by GAO for fiscal year 2000, adjusted for inflation.”
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I think New Yorkers should go en masse to the White House and just let Him know how they feel.
It would be a great photo op.
PattyJ on April 28, 2009 at 10:43 AM
Joe Biden walking through Auschwitz wearing an SS uniform.
That’s my vote.
mjk on April 28, 2009 at 10:43 AM
I’d vote for a large formation of black helicopters overflying a large red state city. That would be pretty innocuous.
Vashta.Nerada on April 28, 2009 at 10:44 AM
Yesterday was the equivalent of the Spanish government staging a surprise fireworks celbration on their subway system.
BadgerHawk on April 28, 2009 at 10:44 AM
How about a bunch of bearded guys in turbans giving other guys close shaves with straight razors.
rbj on April 28, 2009 at 10:44 AM
Obama’s next photo-op should be one of him standing at the podium offering his resignation.
Daggett on April 28, 2009 at 10:44 AM
Oh I think an ICBM launch out of Iran would be the most realistic – plus they already have both the photo-shop technology and the willingness to use it.
kybowexar on April 28, 2009 at 10:44 AM
Next Obama photo op?
How about this one?
coldwarrior on April 28, 2009 at 10:44 AM
How about waving good bye?
oldernwiser on April 28, 2009 at 10:45 AM
Couldn’t they hire some Iranians to photoshop Air Force 1 by the Statue of Liberty?
WashJeff on April 28, 2009 at 10:45 AM
The Oval Office.
IU_Conservative on April 28, 2009 at 10:45 AM
It’s amazing just how clueless the administration is – plus they are a bit outraged that people are outraged.
It’s outrageous!
kybowexar on April 28, 2009 at 10:45 AM
coldwarrior on April 28, 2009 at 10:44 AM
Okay, that was funny – but too much to ask for…
kybowexar on April 28, 2009 at 10:46 AM
Obama in a turban with Hezbollah members. That is where his heart is after all.
bopbottle on April 28, 2009 at 10:46 AM
The fact that the plane had fighter escorts might have given some people pause. Maybe.
But you can tell by the way people are cursing in despair in some of these clips that the first thing that comes to mind for the unprepared person is another terrorist attack.
Count to 10 on April 28, 2009 at 10:47 AM
I’m gonna have to go with Miss Ham’s suggestion: 200+ Fighter Bombers unexpectedly over Pearl Harbor.
Browncoatone on April 28, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Bush’s fault.
Good Lt on April 28, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Getting those planes that carry water to fly over an American city experiencing flooding? Flying over a massive fire already raging dropping stuff out of the plane that is burning?
What a bunch of poopy heads this Obambi administration is.
TeeDee on April 28, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Has Obama been there yet?
Daggett on April 28, 2009 at 10:47 AM
American citizens were terrorized by their own government, hence DOMESTIC TERROR, an act we must protect ourselves from – An official OBAMA Impeachment photo op would be so delicious
Ris4victory on April 28, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Yeah, even a loud “boom” around these parts causes shortness of breath still. 8 years later, this city is still on edge…to put it mildly…
Thank gawd I was in midtown. I probably would have freaked.
As for the next brilliant photo-op? hmmmm….
How about the Obama Admin. gets together with that artist Christo, who dumps a truckload of white powder in Central Park on a breezy day to see where the powder falls…?
All part of the NEA endowment.
JetBoy on April 28, 2009 at 10:47 AM
IU_Conservative on April 28, 2009 at 10:45 AM
by your name – you must be very lonely there.
kybowexar on April 28, 2009 at 10:47 AM
I hear the next photo op will be Obama taking target practice in the Columbine gymnasium.
DarkKnight3565 on April 28, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Parking a Ryder truck in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Building.
29Victor on April 28, 2009 at 10:48 AM
A James Bond-esque shot of him, in a tux, wheeling gold bars out of Fort Knox to adoring masses.
Skywise on April 28, 2009 at 10:48 AM
His entire administration is a comedy of errors.
Theworldisnotenough on April 28, 2009 at 10:48 AM
Any way we can get those big-ass ships from Independence Day to buzz NYC? That would make an awesome First Family Christmas Card.
Gymkata on April 28, 2009 at 10:49 AM
Maybe some Abu Ghraib-style pictures with some dangerous right-wing extremists.
VanPalin on April 28, 2009 at 10:49 AM
By starfleet_dude’s tortuously broad defenition of torture, the Obama Administration just tortured thousands of its own people.
BadgerHawk on April 28, 2009 at 10:49 AM
Had I been there, the fighters would have helped convince me that the plane was hijacked.
Vashta.Nerada on April 28, 2009 at 10:49 AM
That is funny – but does Iran, North Korea, or his buddy Hugo have that many planes?
kybowexar on April 28, 2009 at 10:49 AM
Oh, I got another one:
Strapping what looks like a suicide bomb to someone and sending them into the McDonald’s in Jerusalem.
Then saying “lighten up, ya’ll. It’s a photo op.” That’s assuming no one has shot the person.
mjk on April 28, 2009 at 10:49 AM
These videos do not look like accidental footage. They look more like planned videos to me. Something about this story is fishy.
PrincipledPilgrim on April 28, 2009 at 10:50 AM
That’s what I thought until I saw the videos. It looks more like the F-16 is tailing it, ready to shoot it down.
BadgerHawk on April 28, 2009 at 10:50 AM
How about a Mushroom cloud of Mecca for a photo-op?
jp on April 28, 2009 at 10:50 AM
Had I been there, the fighters would have helped convince me that the plane was hijacked.
Vashta.Nerada on April 28, 2009 at 10:49 AM
I agree – the fighters were exactly why I think people did believe it was an attack of some kind. Fighters aren’t escorting passenger planes very often.
kybowexar on April 28, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Oh my Gd..
This 2nd video looks exactly like the terrible 9/11 videos, this is really shocking the level of incompetence this new administration in America exhibits. I watched Mr Gibbs Press session yesterday, he dodged it all & knew nothing. A fitting analogy of how I see America’s latest Presidency from abroad outside in.
saus on April 28, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Would the crop dusters drop flour? That would make some fine icing on our cake.
multiuseless on April 28, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Not from the video I saw. I’m no Air Force person so I would assume that the fighter jets were chasing the big plane. I guess you’d have to assume that a bunch of civilians wouldn’t know the difference between “escorting” and “chasing” and then judge your actions accordingly.
Which they clearly didn’t.
mjk on April 28, 2009 at 10:52 AM
I’m guessing that starfleet_dude is actually of the Picard style of Starfleet.
Those French – always willing to give the enemy the upper hand.
kybowexar on April 28, 2009 at 10:52 AM
I vote for a shot-by-shot recreation of Scarface’s last stand, coke pile and all. Methinks his final year will be the equivalent thereof.
Flyover Country on April 28, 2009 at 10:52 AM
He will hold a press conference at Virginia Tech. Before speaking, the doors shall be chained shut.
carbon_footprint on April 28, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Or, how about Dear Leader bowing before the King of Saudi Arabia.
rbj on April 28, 2009 at 10:53 AM
How about the look on his face when he is convicted by the Senate after the House impeaches him? That would be a Pulitzer Prize winner.
iurockhead on April 28, 2009 at 10:53 AM
You will see the next photo-op on the floor of the NYSE when GM falls to the commissars in the White House.
notagool on April 28, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Boarding Marine One – and waving good frigging goodbye.
jake-the-goose on April 28, 2009 at 10:54 AM
Obama at a podium… without a teleprompter.
Griz on April 28, 2009 at 10:54 AM
FINE! I’ll say it!
How about something that includes a grassy knoll, and open top limo, and a book depository?
Just kidding!
csdeven on April 28, 2009 at 10:55 AM
Let me beat the Lefties to their rebuttal in response to this royal clusterfark by the Obama WH: Last time a jetliner flew that low over Manhattan, under Bush, people died. At least Obama is keeping us safe!
You know those on the Left will be saying it, its just a matter of time.
changer1701 on April 28, 2009 at 10:55 AM
I don’t normally do a full cut and paste from another blog, but a commenter at Just One Minute noticed something interesting.
What if the photo-op was related to the movie Red Tail? Would that put a different spin on their photo-op? And will some reporter actually do their job and ask what the photo-op was for?
Sue on April 28, 2009 at 10:56 AM
Come on, a US President would never…oh,wait, never mind.
VanPalin on April 28, 2009 at 10:56 AM
Any chance of a photo of Obama not bankrupting the country? Oh yeah, never mind.
trubble on April 28, 2009 at 10:56 AM
Put some smoke pots on the roof of the Sears Tower, then start tossing mannequins off the roof.
Man, this administration is full of clowns.
Bishop on April 28, 2009 at 10:56 AM
Prez Paintywaist being water boarded by the USS Cole surviving family members?
Ris4victory on April 28, 2009 at 10:57 AM
The links didn’t follow (duh!) the cut and paste. The movie’s name is Red Tail.
Sue on April 28, 2009 at 10:57 AM
Perfect pic. Obama driving down the street in detroit with The ex mayor and riding a New Cadalac. Remember VW is the folks wagon or peoples car. so is GM. It is now the western Peoples Republic of the Americas car. Who would have thought the first black to own his own Caddy company.
seven on April 28, 2009 at 10:57 AM
I typed about half of the same comment before deleting it so it couldn’t be taken the wrong way and used by some lefty to smear the site.
I was going more with the ‘his ego is so big he’d do it just to see how much his followers love him’ route, though.
BadgerHawk on April 28, 2009 at 10:57 AM
Wouldn’t make it through the door before a headshot dropped ‘em.
ProfessorMiao on April 28, 2009 at 10:58 AM
anyone ventured over to any Troofer websites to see what their take on this is?
jp on April 28, 2009 at 10:58 AM
I need more coffee. Or read what I post before posting again. Anyway, the movie is due out this fall.
Sue on April 28, 2009 at 10:58 AM
I think Obama and his gang ought to simulate a beheading. You know, yukking it up while some dude recites pagan incantations, some poor dude wearing orange squealing for his life.
Too funny, Barack!
jeff_from_mpls on April 28, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Four Air Force Ones buzzing the Green Lady would not be cool.
unclesmrgol on April 28, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Best photo op would be if he wore a mask at the press conference tomorrow while he opened with calming comments about the swine flu. Hell, I’d be happy to see a bottle of Purell on the podium.
scottm on April 28, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Posted by: Mustang0302 | April 28, 2009 at 09:15 AM
Aww geez, don’t say that, now you have me thinking the same thing; Oflyby wants to tie himself to the Tuskegee Airmen.
*groan*
Bishop on April 28, 2009 at 10:58 AM
C-5A cargo plane loaded with teleprompters that are dropped out over Lower Manhattan and in the Arlington, Va. area…
jon1979 on April 28, 2009 at 10:59 AM
I think a great photo-op for Obama would be to show how historic and unique his presidency with regards to race.
The government can use millions of soldiers to act as extras and march through Washington DC dressed as Klansman with white robes and hoods. They would continue all through DC till they reach the White House where President Obama will be standing on the steps showing how he has helped the USA to overcome race.
Oh yeah….and they wouldn’t tell anyone in DC , including Blacks and liberals, this was going on either.
Rocks on April 28, 2009 at 11:00 AM
how about wearing a “V for Vendetta” mask for the next photo-op?
jp on April 28, 2009 at 11:00 AM
How about a photo-op with Obama visiting and nursing home dressed as the grim reaper?
DamnCat on April 28, 2009 at 11:00 AM
The next photo op should be Xerxes giving us that “I have a gift pose” while setting the US Constitution on fire and ringing the liberty bell.
John D on April 28, 2009 at 11:00 AM
How about one taking out the White House?
ProfessorMiao on April 28, 2009 at 11:01 AM
A shot of him with a door hitting him on the azz on the way out of office.
Farmer62 on April 28, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Why did Obama attack NYC? They voted the right way, not like those evil Red Staters.
/Michael Moore
It's Vintage, Duh on April 28, 2009 at 11:02 AM
First rule of modern journalism: NEVER ask a question that risks an answer that is embarrassing to the “historic” president.
Daggett on April 28, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Obama behind a podium, reading his Teleprompter, with the Seal of the President of the United States in front of him, is scary enough for me.
jp on April 28, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Except that people remember how we dispatched fighter jets on 9/11 to deal with any other planes in the air and to patrol the cities. To most people it looks like the F16s are chasing it, just as fighter jets have tailed hijacked or troubled air craft in the past.
amerpundit on April 28, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Obama behind a podium,
readingtalking to his Teleprompter…FIFY
Sue on April 28, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Count to ten? After that comment it appears you have no clue what it means.
New Yorkers made the mistake of taking a cursory observation for granted once already. They wont do it again any time soon. This is the stupidity of this stunt that Oslime-a has pulled. Common sense tells you that a passenger airliner which is out of established air traffic patterns will panic anyone after 9/11. And you don’t need to be in NY or actually been there when it happened.
csdeven on April 28, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Videos of 9-11-01?
I’ve not seen these mysterious “videos” of which you speak. I’ve looked high and low on my network news.
Videos of 9-11-01?
jeff_from_mpls on April 28, 2009 at 11:03 AM
At the current rate of change, this Statue of Liberty shot may not be far off.
JammieWearingFool on April 28, 2009 at 11:04 AM
It’s New york. That plane could have been dropping guano out of it and they would still line up to slobber his knob.
LtE126 on April 28, 2009 at 11:04 AM
I’d like to see President Zero dressed up as General Zhukov and George Soros next to him outfitted as Joseph Stalin. That ought to be about right…..
adamsmith on April 28, 2009 at 11:04 AM
How about take all the staff in the Department of Health and Human Services down to the Mexico border, having a big bacon and eggs breakfast photo opp? Oh, oops! Scratch that. Nobody has been nominated for the positions in that department. Is 100 days not enough time to get your cabinet positions filled? At least most of them? Oh, right. This is the most amazingly, divinely, captivatingly wonderful, etc. transition team evah, says the press, still lost in the lavender-scented fog of pink unicorn farts that surrounds Obama.
[H/T Rick and Bubba for the unicorn farts image.]
smellthecoffee on April 28, 2009 at 11:04 AM
How about Obama on Air Force 1 wearing a turbin, holding a box cutter.
therightscoop on April 28, 2009 at 11:04 AM
Along with the photo op ideas, we need a theme song for this administration. No need to change the lyrics, just the title:
“The Ballad of Barack & Michelle”
Standing on the dock at Southampton
Trying to get to Holland or France
The man in the Mac
Said, “You’ve gotta go back”
You know, they didn’t even give us a chance
Christ, you know it ain’t easy
You know how hard it can be
The way things are going
They’re gonna crucify me
Finally made the plane into Paris
Honeymooning down by the Seine
Peter Brown called to say
“You can make it okay
“You can get married in Gibraltar, near Spain”
Christ, you know it ain’t easy
You know how hard it can be
The way things are going
They’re gonna crucify me
Drove from Paris to the Amsterdam Hilton
Talking in our beds for a week
The newspeople said
“Say, what’re you doing in bed?”
I said, “we’re only trying to get us some peace”
Christ, you know it ain’t easy
You know how hard it can be
The way things are going
They’re gonna crucify me
Made a lightning trip to Vienna
Eating chocolate cakes in a bag
The newspapers said
“She’s gone to his head
“They look just like two gurus in drag”
Christ, you know it ain’t easy
You know how hard it can be
The way things are going
They’re gonna crucify me
Caught the early plane back to London
Fifty acrons tied in a sack
The men from the press
Said, “we wish you success
“It’s good to have the both of you back”
Christ, you know it ain’t easy
You know how hard it can be
The way things are going
They’re gonna crucify me
The way things are going
They’re gonna crucify me
The way things are going
They’re gonna crucify me
NebCon on April 28, 2009 at 11:05 AM
A nice pic of Special Forces guys dragging a disheveled Ogabe from his spider hole hideaway.
Bishop on April 28, 2009 at 11:05 AM
How about Obama in a rental truck in Oklahoma City?
BardMan on April 28, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Here’s what he can wear to his press conference tomorrow.
JammieWearingFool on April 28, 2009 at 11:05 AM
I know, Obama could take a photo wearing a white turban and a wraparound white robe presented to him by elders in Wajir, in northeastern Kenya.
Wait…
carbon_footprint on April 28, 2009 at 11:07 AM
Maybe have some high school students dressed as jihadis running up from the subway onto the street carrying severed “heads” and a sword. Then some little kids could run after them crying that they “want [their] daddy”. GET IT?? HA HA HA HA HA
Boy would that be FUNNY!!!
calculatorjockey on April 28, 2009 at 11:08 AM
Getting a little desperate are we?
I just don’t think your twitter-fed Obama bash-a-thon is working for you.
Desperation is so unattractive in a suitor.
The electorate is running away from you like scalded cats.
The GOP has officially devolved to beta-male status.
;)
strangelet on April 28, 2009 at 11:08 AM
Ooopssie, I forgot to add….
In my grassy knoll scenario, Oslime-a stands up and the bullet bounces off his chest.
Or perhaps he raises his hands and the gunman realizes the errors of his ways and throws himself at the feet of The One and grovels.
csdeven on April 28, 2009 at 11:08 AM
Fixed and fixed.
csdeven on April 28, 2009 at 11:10 AM
French Military History in a Nutshell
The First Rule of French Warfare – “France’s armies are victorious only when not led by a Frenchmen.”
Second Rule of French Warfare: “France only wins when America does most of the fighting”.
mechkiller_k on April 28, 2009 at 11:10 AM
How about Obama doing a public service anouncement? Something like, “The United States of America has such a shameful past that I’m making an executive order to change its name to Oceania.”
Matticus Finch on April 28, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Oh damn here’s a good one!
Baby powder in envelopes, mailed to journalists around the world!
jeff_from_mpls on April 28, 2009 at 11:10 AM
How about Obama dressed up in a Godzilla costume trouncing over a miniature NYC with people running and screaming for their lives. Biden could dress up as Mothra to complete the photo op.
Traffic Cop Timmy on April 28, 2009 at 11:10 AM
They should send out envelopes full of a white powdery substance to millions of Americans to help promote the failing Postal Service.
TedInATL on April 28, 2009 at 11:10 AM
I know, how about Obama announces that he will do everything in his power to criminalize or otherwise shut down the NYC financial sector businesses and other Wall Street financiers, thereby eliminating NYC’s revenue and source of status in the world.
what…nevermind…that was what he ran on.
joeindc44 on April 28, 2009 at 11:10 AM
How about a remake of Mt. St. Helens?
Symbolizing the president’s economic recovery plan.
Loxodonta on April 28, 2009 at 11:10 AM
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