Coming To A Cubicle Near You

What poverty exists when it comes to political images dealing with the economy and the corporate space!

Friday's rare example occurred at the New Jersey firm, Novadebt, a debt counseling service which provides bankruptcy, default/foreclosure and "home equity conversion" mortgage counseling.

All I can say is, it's a sad day when GWB deems to show his face under the fluorescent light to empathize with people who were played by largely unregulated lenders into assuming onerous debt.  Not only did the Bush management culture (if that's not a thorough contradiction in terms) ignore all signs of disaster, but now Bush comes to pitch for the paltry sum the government has put up for relief.

But besides that, this is probably the closest President Silver Spoon (looking like a pitchman for the Home Shopping Network) has gotten to a cubicle in his life.

And then, this image is particularly troubling, showing poor Dubya having to work for his handshake, as if the American worker, reaching out from behind glass, seeks nothing more than to feel his grip.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/02/business/02hope.html?ex=1364788800&en=1ac4bfadb0d25127&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

Distressed Owners Are Frustrated by Aid Group (NYT)
Bush remarks (check what he does with the phone number - whitehouse.gov)
White House photos 1 and 2
Novadebt website

(Image 1: Gerald Herbert/AP. March 28, 2008, Freehold, N.J. image 2: Jason Reed/Reuters.  Same. via YahooNews)

Comments

[black dog barking]

It took a while for it to register that the top image isn't photoshopped. Since it's not post-fakery maybe we can use it to divine the President's message to debtors.

1. He's talking from the workplace. He's not of the workplace. His light is better than cube farm florescence, he looks all 3D and alive and stuff. After the complete jump-the-shark contrivance of the speech backdrop this lighting differential was supporting evidence of photoshoppery.

2. The speech itself is yada yada. It looks like the President may be singing at this particular instant. Who knows, who cares? Someone give him a biscuit when he's done. Good boy.

3. No one cares what the President says. They've got work to do. There's debt to fight out there. Battle stations!

[jtfromBC]

Arrr ya ready
~
Many kinds of darkness in this world abound
Sin and want and sorrow, so we must shine
You in your small cubicle and I in mine

[gasho]

I wonder if the secret service has guns drawn. If these are real people, then statistically, 5 out of the 7 either "disapprove" or "strongly disapprove" of his performance. It wouldn't be unreasonable that at least one of them sees him as the WAR CRIMINAL that he is.

[Puka]

Whoever dresses W every morning did a superb job - his grey suit matches the cubicle farm perfectly.

[GPrimm]

Unless I'm dreadfully mistaken, that blond in the center of the frame is casting the Shrub what is often called a "scathing look."

Perhaps she objects to the Shrub's extravagant use of threatical makeup.

[g]

I actually thought that this was green-screened. Can it really be that he's there in front of them while they;re making calls? In any case - the effect is that he's totally irrelevant. Which, of course, he is.

And the second shot - that's Bush showing his playful side again. This man clearly did not get enough attention as a child, he seems to crave it.

[donna]

W visits the veal pens. Too bad it's not a federal pen.

[linda]

that proffered hand looks awfully limp... kinda like the owner isn't really into touching idiot son.

[Sage]

The first photo shows Bush as he is: toothless when it comes to solutions to our economic mess and venal when it comes to using people for his own purposes. These people know that. Just look at their faces.

The second photo makes Bush look like a child trying to figure out how to get out of his "play pen" and the hand extended isn't very eager to offer help. Perhaps reminding us that he is in his final months. Thank God!

[paulo]

He's really standing there with cubitrons in the background? I thought it was a fake photo. WTF was Rove recharging his cell phone?

On the plus side his suit does match the cubicle fabric.

[buckfush]

That is one of the most moronic pictures I've ever seen of this moron.
And there's so much to choose from.
Why aren't they throwing things at him?

[ryan]

I wish the president would come to my workplace. I would only have two words. The first starts with an F and the second is you. It would probably be followed up with Youre Fired from my boss but it would be well worth it.

[nffcnnr]

Does anyone notice the upside down cross in the second photo? The end times are near, cue the score to "The Omen."

[past peak oil]

I love that second photo.
He's STILL having trouble with finding the door!