# Obama and Dr. Carson-Why The Scowling? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 10, 2013, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-dr-carson-why-the-scowling/652566 "2013-03-10T20:15:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-dr-carson-why-the-scowling/652566/1 "2013-03-10T20:15:44Z")
I was just watching the speech by Dr. Carson…Obama was clearly unhappy. Granted he (Obama) doesn’t like being upstaged. But I found his expressions pretty strange-why didn’t he just adopt a bland smile? The scowling implies extreme anger-seems that professional politicians ought to avoid such posturing. I also heard that Obama was mad because the speech had not been submitted in advance (for review and approval)-is this true? I find it strange that such an informal, non-political gathering should not be an occasion for politicking-or am I wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-dr-carson-why-the-scowling/652566/2 "2013-03-10T20:17:30Z")
I have no idea who Dr. Carson is, or what the hell you’re talking about. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-dr-carson-why-the-scowling/652566/3 "2013-03-10T20:25:34Z")
Link:[- YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_BXiEcy5cI) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-dr-carson-why-the-scowling/652566/4 "2013-03-10T20:33:32Z")
That’s the most neutral scowl I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-dr-carson-why-the-scowling/652566/5 "2013-03-10T20:42:50Z")
Because Obama is a master of the [Evil Eye](https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=obama+evil+eye&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.43287494,d.eWU&biw=1152&bih=697&wrapid=tlif136294809532810&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=_O88UZzwCZGs8QT02YHwDA). (Some people have faces that just retreat to a scowl for the neutral position.) ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-dr-carson-why-the-scowling/652566/6 "2013-03-10T20:51:58Z")
I was just reading the post by **ralph124c** …he was clearly concerned about Obama scowling. Granted he ( **ralph124c** ) doesn’t like Obama. But I found his weak-ass concern troll shtick pretty lame-why didn’t he just say “Obama is teh suxx0rz”? ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-dr-carson-why-the-scowling/652566/7 "2013-03-10T22:30:38Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > I was just reading the post by **ralph124c** …he was clearly concerned about Obama scowling. Granted he ( **ralph124c** ) doesn’t like Obama. But I found his weak-ass concern troll shtick pretty lame-why didn’t he just say “Obama is teh suxx0rz”? If you need to call out another poster, **Vinyl Turnip** , you know where to go. Keep it out of IMHO. - Gukumatz, IMHO Moderator ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-dr-carson-why-the-scowling/652566/8 "2013-03-11T01:10:06Z")
Um, the President is looking UP. He’s trying to look at the face of a man whose head is 3’-4’ above his eyes. Pretty much impossible to avoid having the sides of your mouth pulled down in that circumstance. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-dr-carson-why-the-scowling/652566/9 "2013-03-11T14:27:45Z")
> [@Gukumatz](#): > > If you need to call out another poster, **Vinyl Turnip** , you know where to go. Mistakenly thought we were already in _that place_. Apologies. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-dr-carson-why-the-scowling/652566/10 "2013-03-11T15:08:33Z")
I have not listened to the audio of the Youtube clip, but I did zip through it. I can’t tell if Dr. Carson was talking about planning an all expenses paid golf vacation to Scotland with the President, or telling the President that he was going to get a surprise colonoscopy after dinner. Primarily because my audio was off, but also because I really didn’t see any visible reaction from Obama. Yet again, I have no idea what **ralph124c** is looking at, because he certainly hasn’t shown it to us. ---
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-dr-carson-why-the-scowling/652566/11 "2013-03-11T19:10:57Z")
Obama is scowling because Dr. Carson was [criticizing](http://www.policymic.com/articles/25666/ben-carson-makes-obama-sit-through-the-longest-27-minutes-of-his-presidency) many of Obama’s fiscal policies, as well as other things. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-dr-carson-why-the-scowling/652566/12 "2013-03-11T19:22:37Z")
> [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](#): > > Obama is scowling because Dr. Carson was [criticizing](http://www.policymic.com/articles/25666/ben-carson-makes-obama-sit-through-the-longest-27-minutes-of-his-presidency) many of Obama’s fiscal policies, as well as other things. Is [this](http://fcw.com/articles/2012/11/07/~/media/GIG/FCWNow/People/O/Obama_Barack_370.ashx) a scowl? Or is is the obnoxious smirk of a socialist? [This](http://boygeniusreport.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/obama.jpg?w=942) must be a super-duper scowl. [Dagger eyes!](http://global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/fn2/video/obama_guns_011613.jpg) [Obama](http://www.wnd.com/files/2012/10/OBAMA-RING-closeup-14-clear-photo-as-president-hands-clasped-together.jpg) daydreaming about “annihilating Republicans.” This one is just one of those [burps](http://media.salon.com/2012/12/obama-fiscal-cliff.jpeg20-1280x960.jpg) that you suppress by half-swallowing it. [World record scowl.](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lr3U0xw0Ql4/UPQWcVufNVI/AAAAAAAASyE/dEwzSohA3bo/s1600/peiling-zet-obama-op-kop-in-ohio-en-florida-id3635876-1000x800-n.jpg) Obama [menacing](http://a.abcnews.com/images/Politics/ap_obama_univision_cc_120920_wg.jpg) conservatives by showing his teeth. [Scowl](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/Images/Obama-sad-blue.jpg) at a vertically challenged American. [Pensive scowl.](http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/600x4231.jpg) I’m sure if we knew the context of each one of those photos, it would be even easier to conclude that Obama was deeply unhappy in each picture.