Obama's Shoes: A Historical Comparison

DailyKos has an image up, pulled from a collection of photos by Callie Shell, of Barack Obama reclining at a table, wearing shoes with holes in the soles. Naturally, the left-leaning blog makes a broad comparison to the RNC-funded fashion show that Sarah Palin has been putting on as she travels the campaign trail. Of course, the first comparison that springs to my mind is probably one that the Obama campaign would liken to the old theatrical superstition of saying the name "Macbeth" in a theatre - fellow Illinois political figure Adlai Stevenson.

Stevenson was the subject of a photograph taken by Bill Gallagher of the Flint Journal, in which the presidential contender was captured with similar holes in his shoes. That photograph earned Gallager a Pulitzer Prize in 1953, and Stevenson got himself a statue with the iconic shoe-holes at the Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington. But it didn't translate into an electoral win for Stevenson, a historical note that I'm guessing Obama would prefer not to repeat.

Comments

[Americatortures]

Maybe McShoe can loan Obama a pair of those $500 loafers!!

[BrandNu]

Sorry, wouldn't fit, Obama wears a bigger size.

[belmontdevil]

that would be Socialist Shoe Welfare.

New Talking Point to repeat over & over :
1. "the redistribution of loafers is un-American, my friends".
2. "Sen. Obama wants to break into your homes in the middle of the night and steal your shoes, my friends"
3. "Current economic crises was caused by the Obama's not shopping more, my friends"

[newpotusplease]

well, that is one way to scare him into buying new shoes before they wear out--but I think we have a date with history that superstition can't touch.

[Emerald1943]

Betcha' McCain's expensive designer $520 loafers don't have holes in the soles!

And the republicans better not try to tell me that Barack doesn't understand what we are going through!!!

Obama/Biden '08

[Tericruz]

Obama certainly doesn't look like a big spender...­what does McCain's shoes look like!

[MSMSucksCom]

I'm told that McCain's shoes look like him, reptilian.

[TXfemmom]

Can you imagine how many miles that man walked in those shoes to get the holes?

[Icantbelieveher]

I heard on the radio that his campaign office took up a collection and went and got him some shoes!!!

And McCain/Palin say Obama is Elite! Do they even look these things up before they say them?

[psychmaj323]

LOL, really? Well, I'm glad to see that WE have a candidate that values our contributions.

[littlebuddylouie]

Love these pictures,

Another of my favorite political shoe stories concerns Ralph Nader. If I remember it correctly, when he was in college, he went to an Army surplus store and bought like ten pairs of combat boots, and that's all he wore for years. That might represent the height of nerdiness or frugality, but it would be hard to accuse him of putting style over substance.

[hapiguy]

Come on, get the man some shoes,,,we don't want a Adali disaster..­.he is the man,,,...l­ets go

[badscience]

Great image to contrast with Gov. Palin's red pumps.

Everytime I see it, it makes me think about the superior GOTV effort we're mounting. This election could easily come down to the leather hitting the road and not some canned image on TV. I love it!

[anney]

Maybe the next few donations to Obama's campaign should be designated for a new pair of shoes for him, or at least a re-sole!

[MSMSucksCom]

Those soles are a window to Obama's soul.

[PJNoir]

"Putney says the Borman Six Girl is got-to-have-soul!" Obama needs two now soles

[muchtosay]

We won't mine if you just get one pair or resole your favor pair. Okay unlike Ms Palin who spend over $150,000.0­0.. Wow, what a different. I know I make the right pick now.

[mesut]

Olberman just flashed the picture on his show

[MSMSucksCom]

Saw that too, it was a really sharp and clear pic. And he had some nice zingers for McCain/Palin.

[bail me out]

saw that too on Olberamann. God bless that guy, he surely knows how to get to the republikkklans.

[Big0725]

KO is eviscerating McCain about the clothing, using the over picture.