One week ago today, the President of the United States took part in what was seemingly the most disgusting photo-op at a time of national crisis:
This past week, Bush continued to grab photo-op after photo-op to give the impression he was doing something.
Photo-ops have taken on a whole new dimension with this Administration. It is this emphasis on image that hurt us greatly in the last election and will continue to harm this country and its future unless something is done about it.
Well, if we want to put the power back into the issues that matter, then we need to take the power out of the image. Right here on DKos, I'd like to make the initial proposition for a new system for all us bloggers to start using whenever we see the President, or any politician for that matter.
Let's call it the Photo-Op Alert!
Everytime the President, or any politician for that matter, makes a calculated appearance designed to boost his/her political appeal (serving turkey for the troops, kissing babies, etc.), we should begin our discussion with a
Photo-Op Alert! If they do another one shortly thereafter,
Photo-Op Alert! again. We should no longer let politicians, Democrats & Republicans alike, get away with cheap political points that only let more people suffer and die.
Of course, we will need to determine what constitutes a photo-op. One example: Photo-Op Alert! - Bush hugging black people in a hurricane-demolished community; Sen. Landrieu touring and describing the devastation in New Orleans (no need for an alert).
I make this proposition due to the fact that I have grown increasingly sick of the lame photo-ops that politicians like Bush use to show they are doing the people's business. If we are really wanting to change the business of politics, we need to start making the lame photo-op as radioactive as possible for any politician. We must make it so dirty that politicians will work to avoid having a Photo-Op Alert! stuck to their lapel.
I have no clue how well this work, but for the past week, people didn't want to see lame pictures or videos of politicians trying to show they care; they were wanting action, and action now! If this is how we shame our elected officials to get up off their asses to actually do something finite rather than abstract, such as sending food, water, and aid to people that desperately need it, then so be it!
I encourage all bloggers and virtual online magazines and journalists (like Atrios, TalkLeft, AMERICABlog, etc.) to start using this system. Whenever that lame abstract action is produced by one of our elected officials, simply begin your post with Photo-Op Alert! and then proceed to discuss the occasion.