Barack Obama’s staff evidently wouldn’t allow a woman in a head scarf to be part of the crowd behind him in a photo op. For obvious reasons, such a photo would simply hand ammunition to the reactionary weirdos out there.
Here’s my solution to the whole issue: let Obama change the face of politics once again by abandoning this ridiculous practice of creating a backdrop out of human beings. It’s a Karl Rove-ish tactic that takes a page from fascist rallies where hand-picked boosters are employed to make someone look popular and beloved. I’ve always detested this trend (along with the network TV bug and the newschannel crawl) that became a de-facto requirement over the years.
I think it’s time for Obama to start appearing in front of a plain blue backdrop with no crowd… no slogans or logos repeating in a grid pattern… no projection screens with animated graphics. How about letting us focus our attention on the candidate for once?
