Reading The Pictures: Barack Obama, Master Manipulator

I guess you can always be too effective an organizer.

Although he professes it won't do any good, Steve Kornacki of the NY Observer takes his turn propagating the emerging wingnut meme of Obama as master manipulator.  Echoing the Machiavelli description employed by the NYT's Michael Powell a couple weeks back, Kornacki also relays Friday's David Brooks formulation that Obama (mirroring Carter, and topping Bill Clinton in the cleverness department) "succeed(s) in politics by pretending to renounce politics."

For my mind, the image deserves as much attention as the words.

The pic here is an elegant choice to marry to to the attack, featuring Obama in an askance look, unsmiling, his first finger pressed into his temple like he's not just tired or lost in thought but (smack up against that anchor text) slyly monitoring the unfolding of his plans like the mastermind he must be.

The point is, if the corporate media starts to latch on to this "Chicago boss" theme, you can expect a lot more photos, pulled out of context like this, to flesh out the picture.

The Calculations of Barack Obama (Kornacki - NY Observer)

For more of the visual, visit BAGnewsNotes.com.

(image: unattributed)

Comments

[XME]

I'm surprised they haven't tried to continue the Kindergate "scandal"!

[donkat]

Another stupid, desperate attempt by people who have nothing else to fight with. Let's start something really big - David Brooks has a homosexual crush on Mc! Apologies to gay folks but that's the sort of thing Repugs are so good at insinuating. Then their stupid followers believe the insinuations and off they go. While we're at it, I'm sure Rove and Limbaugh (sorry Daryn, you weren't enough for him) were intimately involved. I'm just sure of it! Kidding...although, I am sure that Rove had a huge crush on Dub.

As my husband says, "all republicans are fascists" - I think he's mostly correct in this.

[globalcitizenlinda]

Hatchett jobs on Obama will NOT work - Not This Time!!

The People are extremely determined to fundamentally change this country and that is to start by electing Barack Obama as The 44th POTUS.

The sooner people get used to saying President Obama the better.

[cobobs]

A black man, so intelligent as to be Svengali or Rasputin? That is such an improvement in these mindsets. I'll take it. GWB single handedly laid to rest the myth and all around burden of white superiority, and for that a grateful nation thanks him. Now, can we all just lay it down and get along?

[globalcitizenlinda]

Insanity and follishness will take many forms during the course of this campaign - we are just getting started with all this right-wing crap!

[CyberGal619]

He's sooooo exotic in that pic, no?

[AlexVonHussein]

what took the Republicans soooo long. Thats the Obama we know and support. and them more they demonise try to define him its shows there won lack of ...understanding.. Obama is a mixture of Clinton and Reagan..on a balance. The Republicans are throwing themselves under the bus. why does it always take them too long . The way Brooks frames it its like a boy who thinks he has found a rare mineral..runs to a local dealer who tells him the mineral is known.

What Brooks did was read through blogs which came out when Obama said if they bring the knife to the fight I will bring a Gun. The Chicago way. then like all fakes, he look for another movie, took a character there pasted to another character from another movie and adds the Chicago way and he had a story for the day . no originality

[starboymikey]

Question: How do we know that Barack Obama is not a mafia don? He says he's not, but others say he is, and the Obama campaign has been unable to explain this discrepancy.

Is Obama secretly Sicilian? Call Obama headquarters and demand some real answers.

[lizr]

ROFL- really - that is the level of these stupid attacks.

O must be beside himself with the stupidity he has to deal with.

[harriscrl3]

WOW Obama doesnt want to change the country he wants to WIN the election as oppose to John McCain who wants to lose. I mean give me a break with this stuff. Obama is ambitious and can be ruthless. Everyone who runs for President must have some semblance of ambition or they wouldnt run. That doesnt mean they are evil or that they have nefarious plans although I'm not convince that Cheney and Bush didnt have nefarious plans from the go. For Lindsey to make such a statement abuot Obama is not brilliant its ridiculous he wants to win who doesnt want to win. I actually think that was part of the reason HIlary lost she didnt think Obama wanted to win. I guess she just thought he was doing his grassroots movement thing but he really didnt have an desire to be President. Obama is very ambitious you dont go from a freshman senator to running for President unless you are. But the interesting thing is and why he is different throughout his career he always had the desire to move up because he couldnt accomplish things at the level he was at. He was a community organizer he went back to Law School because he thought as a civil rights attorney he could make more of a difference that didnt work he tried to state legislatuer that didnt work so he tried the senate that didnt work so he is running for President.

Carol

[08politicaljunkie]

Well stated but have you ever heard of punctuation?

[notthistime]

Who appointed you the punctuation police? Good post Carol.

[ambiancemoushkila]

All I wanna say, is that everytime I get ready to post a comment I run by one of those idiotic adds that says "Obama finished? Take the Poll" that's been on since March, not only underneath an article that clearly indicates otherwise, but on a news blog that is clearly Pro-Obama. AND THEN, I'd go on a supposedly Republican news blog and find... surprise, surprise... a "Help Elect Obama President" ad.

So what's going on here, ey?

[dooleynoted]

There will be a lot of gnashing of teeth and screeching and dire warnings between now and November but i don't think any of it, including attempts like this one, wilI truly matter. I believe the American people have made up their collective mind and decided to elect Obama. In the months ahead hundreds of millions will be spent, Mathews and Dobbs and O'Rielly will bellow and pundits will ruminate and polls will dip and rise but in the end, just like with Reagan, a majority of people voters have basically decided they want this guy to be president and all the scare tactics and op-eds and rantings and commercials aren't gonna matter. Whether people think it's a good thing or bad thing, I just think it's a done deal.

[Leonard]

I totally agree with you dooleynoted... I made up my mind when Obama said he was going to run.

All now on cable etc. is nothing but blather..useless at that....

[editrix66]

I think critics, pundits, and Republicans will continue to try to categorize Obama until something sticks. First, he is naive, then he is derided as the "Messiah": now he is Machivellian. I think he is damned smart, analytical, and, effective. I will not agree with him all the time. I already know that, but I respect him, and I have faith in his abilities. He is going to clean up this November.

[Javani]

"First, he is naive, then he is derided as the "Messiah": now he is Machivellian. "

Obama is not naive.

He is derided as the "Messiah" in large cause because Obama and his staff posed Obama so. Faith-healing the fainters, religious language, it was an obvious choice.

He is machiavellian. Complaining that he is not is due to the "corporate media" will only be dismissed by the majority of people as left wing wingnuttery and religious devotion to Obama the Messiah.

Obama will be cast as a Chicago pol because he is one. His campaign knows this and anticipated it. All such criticisms will be pushed back with labels of racism. That has worked and will work, though its effectiveness will decline with increased use.

[deecee22]

A President who can THINK, Thank God

[bongogirl]

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nommo]

http://counterpunch.org/

[cyndeewi]

Nommo,

You are sick!

[Nommo]

But more fun than a barrel of Bushies!

[thatvisionthing]

Hey thanks Nommo! Since Barack's cave on FISA I've been feeling like he's treating me like I'm a demented relative too. Makes me wonder, who ISN'T a demented relative? Who WANTS retroactive telecom immunity? Who WANTS Congress, not the courts, to decide lawfulness? What voter constituency IS it that Barack would scrap the Constitution for them?

Actually a Daily Kos writer thinks it's one of our founding fathers who's behind telecom immunity: http://www.dailykos.com/hotlist/add/2008/6/22/115124/578/displaystory

[repatriate]

This is a very thought provoking Ishmael Reed essay. Highly recommended, and than you for posting it.

[AlexVonHussein]

Obama made that speech often and many time this is not the first time he said that even pundits on TV said that and that its just go attention cause he is the nominee. Go do your home work, and by the way Obamo Bowling in Penn was after Ohio voting , get your facts straight before you say stuff.
Indiana and Oregon has similar working class people. Its just that Obama had some favorite sates just like Hillary and they won in those

[lennix]

when do this people stop trying to make us think that we are a bunch of fools with the scare tatics over and over again and the ones that are doing this dirt i have never heard of them being in the army or serving thier country they always state they love so munch or thier kids these cowards are a bunch of cowards that site in country clubs and be told by thier rich bosses what they what them to say and this david brooks can't even looke anyone in the face when he talks becuase he know what he is saying is b****s and he can't be munch of a man becuse a man whould not let another man play him like a piano and the same for kornacki what clowns