5 living presidents: the body language is... interesting

[MannyGoldstein]

I was reminded of this picture while listening to today's commemoration.

[Autumn]

1. I love that Jimmy. The two best vote of my life

and yes, he stands apart from the rest. In every way.

[quinnox]

2. interesting how Carter is standing slightly apart from the others

It would be interesting to see the one on one relationship between Clinton and Bush Jr.

[Bay Boy]

3. I'll bite...

...what did you read into that?

And remember this is the photographers selection from the dozens of pics he snapped at the moment.

[MannyGoldstein]

4. All of the official pictures from that event were similar

Does one of them seem... alone?

[KittyWampus]

20. He looks presidential

[JI7]

24. W is the one who stands out in all the pics as looking like doesn't know why he is there

and like he doesn't really belong.

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.953138!/img/httpImage/image.jpg

[LondonReign2]

54. Buffoon Boy yucking it up

[DhhD]

60. Yes, W is the one that was not elected by the people but was put in the WH twice by the

Ruling Class on on the Supreme Court (2000-2004) and the Economic Royalist (1%) as FDR called them.

[Berlum]

98. xCommander AWOL (R) looks soused.

as usual.

[Thor_MN]

73. Did Obama just Gibbs slap DoubleDum?

W looks wasted, hair askew, unfocused... looks like he didn't get the joke.

[Blanks]

75. Like he normally looks. Yeah, he does.

[zeemike]

79. Notice how the attention of the picture is on W.

They are all reaching out to and touching W except Carter...
Yep that says a lot.
Clinton and Obama are going to rehabilitate the Bush brand...so prepare yourself to concede that Bush was not all that bad...

[Brigid]

92. In the words of my six-year-old nephew:

NEVER!

[HoneychildMooseMoss]

95. ABC News has already been rehabilitating the "Bush brand"

by, for example, fawning over his "good deeds" in Africa earlier this month, while ignoring his bad deeds everywhere else.

[wyldwolf]

83. where's the rest of the pictures so we can compare?

[MannyGoldstein]

84. I.e.,

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3552255

[wyldwolf]

87. yup

A photographer snapped (maybe) dozens of pics with a high speed camera. All of these were taken withing seconds of each other. But you're technically right.

[wyldwolf]

86. ooh ooh ooh - I know!!

Carter was the first to recruit Islamic fundamentalists, who later became Al Queda, to engage in a "Jihad" against the "atheistic communist regime" in Afghanistan. He stands alone in that respect.

I think he may be the only one of them who campaigned against school busing...

After Lt. William Calley was court martialed on charges of massacring civilians in Viet Nam, he declared "American Fighting Man's Day" in support of him. He may have been the only guy in the picture who did that.

Hmmm...


(see, we can all play the game... )

[Brewinblue]

94. Yup.

I don't recall Carter being a liberal back then, not by a long shot. Hell, Teddy didn't primary him for nothing.

[Zen Democrat]

102. Then your memory is faulty. Carter got more done legislatively than anyone but LBJ.

And that includes successors Reagan and Bush. You must have forgotten that Carter was a huge environmentalist, and one of the first American presidents to make Human Rights a campaign issue.

The deal with Teddy was personal. Goes back to when Carter was governor and Ted came to Georgia and spent the night at the Gov. Mansion. Carter later said that when he realized that he knew as much or more than Teddy, he first entertained thoughts of running for president. Teddy and Jimmy had few personal attributes in common.

Me, I love Jimmy and loved Teddy. It's like having two good friends who don't like each other. Carter loathes Bill Clinton and vice versa. When Clinton lost his 1980 reelection in Arkansas, he publicly blamed his loss on Carter. It was downhill from there. Clinton snubbed Carter at his inauguration in 1993. Carter then really pissed off Clinton by going around the world and becoming a champion of human rights and health around the world. I remember that Clinton named Carter, Sam Nunn, and Colin Powell to handle the Haiti crisis, and that it was Jimmy Carter who settled the matter before it came to an invasion.

And I think Carter is disgusted with Bill for being so cozy with Republicans, such as the entire Bush family. Jimmy ain't going there.

[woo me with science]

5. Four corporate sellouts and one statesman who speaks the truth:

"America no longer has a functioning democracy."

[Autumn]

8. We need to elect him again.

[Laelth]

81. Spot on, woo. n/t

-Laelth

[leftstreet]

6. Did Poppy Bush croak yet, or what

Wasn't he in the hospital or something?

[Swamp Lover]

13. class

real class

[JackRiddler]

15. Why, is the mass murderer Bush sacred to you?

Fuck him.

Would you respond this way if you heard about the death of the son of his buddy, Assad?



Did you respond this way when you heard about the death of his buddy, Saddam?

What about his buddies Osama and Hekmatyar?

Fuck him and his CIA coven.

[leftstreet]

17. Fuck him

50 ways to Sunday

[blm]

74. Not for NWO Poppy Bush. He's a big reason much of the world is a clusterfvck.

.

[frylock]

77. respect is earned, it's not standardized.

[Ghost in the Machine]

78. Ummm... "Respect should be a standard." LMMFAO!!! Respect for the "Office" is one thing, respect

for the person IN that Office is totally different. When it comes to respecting a person, that respect still has to be *EARNED*. Period.

As far as I'm concerned, all this "respect your elders" bullshit died out in the late sixties/early seventies. Just because someone is older, does that automatically assume they're wiser? Should my kids automatically "respect" a teacher who thinks the world is only 6000 years old, and artifacts proving otherwise were "planted by the Devil to trick us and make us question our faith"? How about the guy down the road who spouts bigoted, racist bullshit and has "White Power" placards in his yard and stickers on his truck? Then there's the local COP who was busted at a graduation party last year after someone called in a noise complaint. He was supplying minors with alcohol, pills and weed, not to mention he was caught in bed with a minor female when officers arrived, or the fact that he was *married* to our County Roads Superintendent's daughter at the time.

I could go on and on.... and this is just a small, backwoods town in the 4th smallest County in our State. I have plenty of other instances involving cops, teachers, Aldermen, County Politicians, school bus drivers and lifelong residents who are "Pillars of the Community".

The bottom line, though, is the simple fact that *Respect* has *got* to be *EARNED*, not just *given* because of your age, your occupation or some office you may hold. I've taught my kids that all their lives...

Peace,

Ghost

[Swamp Lover]

82. Agree with you C.

Class is not how you treat people you agree with, it's how you treat those with whom you disagree.

It seems too many around here are the other side of the Freeper coin.

[TBF]

101. He cycles in and out of Methodist Hospital down here in Houston -

as far as I know he is doing ok this summer.

Other people die - but old presidents have pretty good health insurance it seems.

[gopiscrap]

7. Were the Bushes invited to the MLK event today

if so, why didn't they attend?

[struggle4progress]

12. They both declined for health reasons

[pangaia]

80. Health my ass. :>)

[struggle4progress]

85. Whatever the "real" story is, there's no political upside to adopting your PoV here

GHW Bush is 89 and GW Bush had heart surgery a few weeks ago

[pangaia]

96. You are right..I stand corrected.

I just can't stand those two P'sOS.

[struggle4progress]

97. I know the feeling

[hlthe2b]

9. Just feel I need to point out, this photo is old... Neither Bush* was at the MLK speech event today

Nor, apparently were any of the invited RETHUG congressional morons.

That said, our Jimmy tore it up with his speech, IMHO.

[Agnosticsherbet]

10. The picture has an Abbey Road sensibility...

you know the one where Paul is barefoot.

But the way Obama and Bush have their heads turned forming an M with Bush SR and Clinton makes me think of the Last Supper and the Da Vinci Code.

[JI7]

11. this is an old picture, there are a lot of pics today of only Carter, Clinton , and Obama

i wonder if this is an attempt to take away from today .

[Autumn]

69. I would think that since the Bush's didn't attend today's events, there are

no pictures to of all five living Presidents that were taken today. It takes nothing away from today.

[Rex]

14. Carter stands out in any crowd?

The only non-corporate POTUS is standing off to the right?

[JI7]

16. they must hate the first bush

[KittyWampus]

22. HA! we found the same photo. Which I remembered cause it got captioned widely.

[hfojvt]

29. no flag pins for Clinton or Carter

nor, apparently, for Bush Sr.

Yet there would be a big scandal if Obama wasn't wearing one.

[Phentex]

18. Clinton is pulling on the tail of

the ass.

[Kennah]

21. Must have some long damned arms

[benld74]

19. My only winning votes were for Obama and Clinton

Have an abysmal voting record really for winners.

[DevonRex]

23. No, you just had to do whatever you could to blight Obama and Clinton.

Today. Because it's an African American celebration, a civil rights celebration. The celebration of MLK and his beautiful words of hope. Can't let Obama have a good couple of hours, can you? That's my opinion, Manny. You should be ashamed.

Criticize yeah. But to relate it deliberately to THIS celebration??? That's low.

[leftstreet]

25. I thought it was about Carter, not Obama?

Wasn't Carter at the ceremony? Doesn't the picture in the OP feature a Carter who 'stands apart' from the rest?

[JI7]

31. that picture isn't from today , but there are a lot of posts today about Carter, Clinton and OBama

and i guess some didn't like that .

[Spazito]

32. LOL, DUers are not naive...

we all know the intent behind this OP, as do you. It is not about President Carter, it's to marginalize President Obama yet again.

Obvious is obvious.

[leftstreet]

37. Clinton took a major shot at Obama today

Clinton: MLK did not 'live and die to hear his heirs whine about political gridlock'
By Justin Sink - 08/28/13 02:50 PM ET

Former President Clinton on Wednesday railed against political gridlock and bickering, saying that Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy demanded that Americans come together to confront the challenges of the times.

"I would respectfully suggest that Martin Luther King did not live and die to hear his heirs whine about political gridlock," Clinton said. "It is time to stop complaining and put our shoulders against the stubborn gates holding the American people back."

http://thehill.com/video/administration/319219-clinton-mlk-did-not-live-and-die-to-hear-his-heirs-whine-about-political-gridlock

No one on DU has said anything quite so shocking

[Spazito]

41. Yes, I see his words "President Obama" there...

oh....wait a minute...I don't see that at all. There are those who have put those words into Clinton's mouth but, then again, they have a habit of reading things and deliberately interpreting them in a way that attempts to put President Obama in a negative light. This type of interpretation, too, is beyond obvious.

[leftstreet]

43. LOL DUers are not naive

We all know who's been clamoring about gridlock and obstruction

[Spazito]

51. Yes but it is interesting how rarely the word 'Republicans' is attached...

DUers are NOT naive, we all know why that term is rarely used in attributing responsibility to the gridlock, it doesn't work when trying to marginalize the President, hence it's rarity regardless of the facts.

[DevonRex]

46. Good grief. You'd have to work at Fox News to interpret it that way.

Or watch Fox constantly. Just my opinion. But nobody in their right mind could possibly EVER think one President would insult another President directly, especially a white one doing it to a black one in front of a huge African American audience on this day.

[leftstreet]

52. Try Google. Lots of people think it was a dig

I took this particular quote link from 'The Hill' but I don't know if that's associated with Fox news

[Hekate]

57. I'm sure that "some people say" and "a lot of people think"...

... especially those with the impetus to post online.

[Hekate]

53. "His heirs"? That would be ALL of us. You, me, every DUer, voter, African American....

Was the Big Dog looking right at PBO when he said that? cutting his eyes at him?

"It is time to stop complaining and put OUR shoulders against the stubborn gates holding the American people back."

[leftstreet]

56. LOL I don't personally know what Clinton meant

online outlets are buzzing that it was a dig at Obama

I can easily see it given how the Clintons used not-so-subtle racism in campaigning against Obama. Has everyone forgotten that?

Seriously

[Hekate]

64. Seriously -- that was a campaign for high stakes and a lot of things got said and done. Note that...

... all involved were experienced politicians and ended up singing Kumbayah around the campfire. Awarding the SoS position to a former political opponent is hardly a slap with a cold fish, is it?

Online outlets love the buzz -- and a significant number of them love divisiveness. But go ahead, meanwhile IRL, both Presidents Obama and Clinton take the very long view.

[leftstreet]

67. Maybe that's why it's surprising

Indeed Obama and the Clintons are singing together around the 1% exclusive campfire, and we all know Hillary is the next POTUS

Maybe that's why pundits were surprised at what they saw as a hit

[Hekate]

71. Divisiveness is fun for some. I'm not as impressed as you seem to be. nt

[treestar]

61. Using past presidents to insinuate

That Obama is not a strong President. It's been done before.

[Spazito]

63. Yep, it is being done on a regular basis here in recent months...

a vomituous practice, imo, but no longer surprising.

[JI7]

26. it's so fucking obvious too

[CakeGrrl]

33. +1000

[LordGlenconner]

44. Sickening, but expected

The Ideological Purity Mafia doesn't take days off here.

[one_voice]

50. +1

might be low, but it's predictable.

[sheshe2]

93. Oh you have Bingo!

Well said Devon!

[Jenoch]

27. As far as Carter standing off a little at the exact moment

this photo was taken, I do not believe it significant in the least. If video showed him standing off and not interacting with the others, well, then something could be read into it.

[JackRiddler]

34. Sure, sure.

This is not the only such photo, but more importantly:

Look at the chumminess among these pretend rivals.

Who at DU does not understand at least that Bush Jr. is a primary perpetrator of aggressive war?

And the present admin just filed a motion to grant him generalized immunity against such charges.

Is there a reason why the present officeholder invites this perpetrator of mass murder to a chummy photo op?

[KittyWampus]

35. More importantly- every elected republican declined to appear today at the celebration but Manny

decides to try this gambit.

[Jenoch]

40. I was commenting on Carter's position in the photo,

not on the politics of the photo op itself.

[JackRiddler]

47. Here are a bunch of other photos...

Useful in considering what Carter's stance may have been.

https://www.google.com/search?q=carter+oval+office+obama+bush+clinton&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=EtT&rls=org.mozilla:en-US fficial&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=lWceUo6VFKbN2QXzq4H4CA&ved=0CCwQsAQ&biw=853&bih=436

[MannyGoldstein]

58. Seems consistent

Part of your link is getting turned into a smiley face, but copying and pasting works.

[polichick]

28. The ones who play the 1% game - and the one who doesn't.

[avaistheone1]

30. Well said.

A picture worth a thousand words.

K&r

[joeybee12]

36. You need to correct this...there are only 4 presidents there...

One is an election-stealing, brain-dead, POS war criminal...thank you.

[Zorra]

55. +1 ^^^

[joeybee12]

62. Yup!

[gopiscrap]

91. I fully agree with you!

[joeybee12]

100. Yup, as much as I loathe the elder Bush...

He at least was elected.

[defacto7]

38. It's more an editorial

on those who chose the photos and the editors than on the presidents.

[bvar22]

42. Carter was the last Statesman President.

He was willing to tackle BIG Problems,
and explain it to America like we were adults.

If we had followed HIS plan for Conservation & Alternative Energy,
we wouldn't have near the problems we have today.
We also wouldn't have such a dependent relationship on the Middle East for OIL.

He was NOT a "Liberal", and did nothing to further the advances of the New Deal or The Great Society,
but I liked the man,
believed him to be honest,
and have always given him HIGH MARKS for recognizing the Environmental/Energy Crises we faced,
figuring out a PLAN to Deal with it,
AND getting his plan Implemented
despite the uproar from the usual places.

You just don't see "Presidents" like that anymore.

[polichick]

68. So true. Now we have corporate spokesmen.

[Dreamer Tatum]

45. Is there anything stupider than when DUers look at ONE PHOTO and draw stupid inferences?

I submit there is nothing stupider.

[DevonRex]

49. See post 37. It might come close. nt

[NYC Liberal]

48. Looks like 5 guys doing a friendly photo-op

[GeorgeGist]

59. Carter NEVER dropped a bomb, or launched a cruise missile, or sent a drone.

Odd man out.

[Aldo Leopold]

65. Yes! I just saw it! The face in the window!

(Insert "rolling eyes smiley" here.)

Whatever...

[quinnox]

66. Kicked and Recommended

It's definitely an interesting picture, and one I had not seen before. Thanks for posting it.

[xiamiam]

70. blue tie??? carter is the best man among them..nt

[Thor_MN]

72. How did tweedledum wind up in the middle?

[Scuba]

76. Barack: "Your boy is an idiot." Dubya: "Looks like Barack likes my Daddy."

Jimmy: "I'll need a shower after this."

[wyldwolf]

88. Here's one...

Looks like Carter and Bush I are apart from the others, perhaps plotting the new world order. Looks like W is pushing Obama into something...

[wyldwolf]

89. WAIT! Looks like Jimmy is getting cozy...

[wyldwolf]

90. ok, this explains who Carter was more comfortable with... or does it?

[CrispyQ]

99. There was a cartoon at about the same time as that photo.

It was Danziger or Oliphant, can't recall which. The five presidents were gathered for a meal at a round table. Bush, Obama, Bush & Clinton were all seated around the table. Carter's chair was empty. Carter had on a tool belt & was fixing an electrical outlet.

Maybe you had to be there, but it was so perfect. I regret that I didn't save that one.