# Did the RNC get the wrong "Walter Reed"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 5, 2008, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-rnc-get-the-wrong-walter-reed/462186 "2008-09-05T14:19:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-rnc-get-the-wrong-walter-reed/462186/1 "2008-09-05T14:19:27Z")
[This](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/213806.php) could be pretty funny. The guys over at Talking Points Memo were curious what the hell that building (“mansion” as they first put it) was behind McCain while he was speaking (I’m in Taiwan, so I still haven’t actually seen the speech). After a while, they got an answer, it was “Walter Reed Middle School in North Hollywood, California.” They apparently didn’t think of this right away, but I did the moment I saw “Walter Reed.” Why did they put up a picture of Walter Reed Middle School? Is it really, as some are insinuating, that they googled “Walter Reed” (the hospital) and got Walter Reed (the middle school)? ---
**Author:** ![Winsling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Winsling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winsling)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-rnc-get-the-wrong-walter-reed/462186/2 "2008-09-05T15:45:43Z")
It seems unlikely. Walter Reed hospital has a much larger footprint on the net than the middle school does. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-rnc-get-the-wrong-walter-reed/462186/3 "2008-09-05T16:08:13Z")
> [@gitfiddle](#): > > Is it really, as some are insinuating, that they googled “Walter Reed” (the hospital) and got Walter Reed (the middle school)? I looked at the first 20 pages of google image results for “Walter Reed” this morning, and didn’t see a picture of the Middle school. The GOPpers may have used Yahoo, or had access to a database of “royalty free images” or some such. Since McCain didn’t mention the school, it’s probably safe to say that the image was a screwup. ---
**Author:** ![kellner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c2a13f/32.png) [@kellner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellner)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-rnc-get-the-wrong-walter-reed/462186/4 "2008-09-05T16:14:22Z")
I think in a professional setting you not supposed to grab your images from Google but from a proper stock photo merchant. In that case the larger web footprint might not help you as much and without context it seem easier to pick the wrong photo tagged “Walter Reed, building, something, something…” ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-rnc-get-the-wrong-walter-reed/462186/5 "2008-09-05T16:49:52Z")
That whole big screen was a complete mis-fire. Besides getting the wrong building, it played horribly on TV, usually only showing a single color behind the speaker. I am sure it played well in the venue, but on TV it was a complete miss. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-rnc-get-the-wrong-walter-reed/462186/6 "2008-09-05T18:02:24Z")
Especially when the foreground was mostly grass. At the start I thought McCain was supposed to be in front of a greenscreen. In fact, it’ll probably be pretty easy for those who want to to put some new images behind him. Colbert could have a field day. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-rnc-get-the-wrong-walter-reed/462186/7 "2008-09-05T22:14:33Z")
Note from the Principal of [Walter Reed Middle School:](http://reedmstech.com/home/) > [@](#): > > Republican National Convention > September 5th, 2008 by admin > > “It has been brought to the school’s attention that a picture of the front of our school, Walter Reed Middle School, was used as a backdrop at the Republican National Convention. Permission to use the front of our school for the Republican National Convention was not given by our school nor is the use of our school’s picture an endorsement of any political party or view.” > > Donna Tobin > Principal A bit more from the Contra Costa Times: [RNC folks accidentally use North Hollywood middle school as backdrop for military hospital with same name](http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_10391093) ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-rnc-get-the-wrong-walter-reed/462186/8 "2008-09-05T22:29:56Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Note from the Principal of [Walter Reed Middle School:](http://reedmstech.com/home/) > A bit more from the Contra Costa Times: > [RNC folks accidentally use North Hollywood middle school as backdrop for military hospital with same name](http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_10391093) Maybe they’re big fans of [The West Wing](http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/mccains_speech_backdrop_was_us.php). [Direct link to video](http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/mccains_speech_backdrop_was_us.php).