Bob Collins“Photo opportunities” are always risky business for a president. The demands of office put you in some pretty weird situations, especially with the media constantly looking for the “money shot.”
This was the “money shot” in most newspapers today.
President Obama was promoting Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Olympics during an event on the White House lawn. Somehow, someone happened to have a light saber handy.
Depending on your political views, you either thought “Hey, cool! The president is a regular old Stars Wars fan,” or “The president is diminishing the decorum of the office.”
Lots of opponents of George Bush circulated this video under the latter category…
… and few of them know that what President Bush was promoting that day was Malaria Awareness Day.
Yeah, well, whatever. I’m in it for the laughs. So are the newspaper photo editors, which is why this picture wasn’t on the front page:
That’s Joel Pool, Louis Schaab, center, and Nate Murray, right, all with the National Rehab Hospital sled hockey team, a sport which I’ve never heard of before.
Sled Hockey — I’ve since learned thanks to this picture — “is played on a standard size ice rink with standard size nets and pucks. There are six players on the ice for each team — three forwards, two defense men and a goalie. Subs may be made when stopped or on the fly. Most of the same rules for hockey played in the United States apply to Sled Hockey.” (See Web site)
You can learn a few things from a good photo op.
(AP Photos/Charles Dharapak)
