In the widely disseminated photo picturing President Obama and his closest advisers as they follow the developing assault on Osama bin Laden’s hideout, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is seen covering her mouth, an expression that can easily be taken for deep emotional involvement. A woman being moved to such a degree while the rest of the room (predominantly men) observe the scene with relative stoicism? Figures, right? This is big-boy stuff we got going on here, with weapons and ammo and cool technological what-not, and this girl can’t freaking handle it. And people think a woman can be president? Pshaw.
Anyway, that’s one line of thinking. And it gained enough traction for Clinton to have to address the photo.
“Those were 38 of the most intense minutes. I have no idea what any of us were looking at that particular millisecond when the picture was taken,” Clinton said. “I am somewhat sheepishly concerned that it was my preventing one of my early spring allergic coughs. So, it may have no great meaning whatsoever.”
Exactly.
But people will see what they want to see. Perhaps they’ll see President Obama leaning forward like a fan sitting courtside at a Lakers game (“He’s really into it, man!”), and they’ll see the one guy in uniform tapping away at his computer (“That’s the guy sending building specs directly to Jack Bauer”), and they’ll see Vice President Biden (“Whaddya know, he stayed awake“).
Again, that’s just one line of thinking. Perhaps you see that photo and see something different. As someone who hasn’t stopped coughing for the last week, I know I do.
(Photo: AP)
She could be perventing a cough but how many of us cover our mouths like that when hiding a cough? I see no problem is showing “emotion” to a gory scene. But her statement sounds like she is trying to be ambigious when if she felt a certain emotion she should have just said something like “yeah I was covering my mouth, that was gory stuff. I didn’t look away but it’s not the kind of stuff you see everyday either”. She should just have owned it. But it is funny that she is the one to receive the judgement.… Read more »
The dude in uniform is clearly tweeting Dwayne Johnson.
You’re right: people see what they want to see.
I mean, to me she looks composed. Her pose with her hand over her mouth looks more like intense concentration rather than nervousness.