# The situation-room photo **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 4, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742 "2011-05-04T20:25:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/1 "2011-05-04T20:25:07Z")
I am sure most of you have seen this [photo](http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/mt/assets/jeffreygoldberg/assets_c/2011/05/sitroom%20photo-thumb-600x400-49711.jpg)which is likely to become one of the most famous in US history. The first thing that strikes you is how marginal Obama looks sitting over by the side. I think it reveals a lot of self-confidence on his part that this photo was released. He knows he is in charge and therefore doesn’t have to show he in charge every single moment. The faces are equally interesting. There is a wide range of expressions but Obama’s face looks different from the rest. He looks almost scarily intense and focused. It’s the face of a person not to be messed with and someone who is utterly ruthless when he has to be. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/2 "2011-05-04T20:34:52Z")
I’m struck by how small that room seems. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/3 "2011-05-04T20:43:42Z")
I’m struck by the fact that you basically plagiarized Jeffrey Goldberg’s accompanying [article](http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/05/a-revealing-photo/238284/). ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/4 "2011-05-04T20:47:24Z")
Um not really. I read his post but the same thought had occurred to me when I saw the photo. It’s hardly that original. David Brooks said exactly the same thing in the Times and I am sure many other people have too. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/5 "2011-05-04T21:12:18Z")
Yea, I was mainly struck by the fact that our half-trillion a year military industrial complex is apparently run out of an unremarkable conference room the size of a walk-in-closet. I mean, I didn’t expect it to be like the movies where theres a cavernous room with hundreds of computer stations and big 3D displays of the globe on the wall, but you think they could at least spring for some extra chairs. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/6 "2011-05-04T21:27:20Z")
I agree it’s a fascinating image. Based on some other threads on this site, though, I have to point out that they’re not in the actual situation room, and despite the look on some of their faces, they are not actually watching the raid. The CIA director did have a live video feed and I assume he’s describing it to them here. And I don’t think any of them are thinking about the camera- it’s almost a surprise the photographer is. There’s a lot of tension in that room. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/7 "2011-05-04T21:28:07Z")
If you have had the opportunity to ever visit the West Wing of the White House, you would quickly realize it’s really not that big. Pretty standard office digs. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/8 "2011-05-04T21:33:27Z")
Is that John Lithgow standing behind the chair in the blue shirt? ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/9 "2011-05-04T21:38:05Z")
I’m struck by those oversized government-issue notebook computers. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/10 "2011-05-04T21:44:03Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Is that John Lithgow standing behind the chair in the blue shirt? It is, and he’s… GORGEOUS!!! Any Third Rock fans here? ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/11 "2011-05-04T21:46:59Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I agree it’s a fascinating image. Based on some other threads on this site, though, I have to point out that they’re not in the actual situation room, and despite the look on some of their faces, they are not actually watching the raid. The CIA director did have a live video feed and I assume he’s describing it to them here. And I don’t think any of them are thinking about the camera- it’s almost a surprise the photographer is. There’s a lot of tension in that room. According to [the white house](http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/photogallery/may-2011-photo-day), it is the situation room. The link also gives a “who’s who” if your curious (John Lithgow is apparently playing National Security Advisor Tom Donilon). They’re apparently getting “an update” on the mission. Don’t know if its from a video or live, but your right that it probably isn’t a live feed. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/12 "2011-05-04T21:48:27Z")
I’m struck that Hillary’s yawning at a time like this! Any guess as to what that printed image is on her laptop? It looks like it’s been pixelated. I know I’ve seen a higher-resolution image of this photo a day or two ago. Agree that it’s a striking photo. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/13 "2011-05-04T21:54:07Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > I’m struck that Hillary’s yawning at a time like this! She’s not. Look again. Her mouth is pretty clearly closed. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/14 "2011-05-04T21:54:42Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#): > > She’s not. Look again. Her mouth is pretty clearly closed. (whooosh) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/15 "2011-05-04T21:55:08Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > I’m struck that Hillary’s yawning at a time like this! To me it looks more like a look of potential shock (are they seeing footage of the actual firefight?), but even if it’s not, I know that in times of huge stress I tend to yawn a hell of a lot. Not sure why, but it happens. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/16 "2011-05-04T21:57:50Z")
> [@Sierra\_Indigo](#): > > To me it looks more like a look of potential shock (are they seeing footage of the actual firefight?), but even if it’s not, I know that in times of huge stress I tend to yawn a hell of a lot. Not sure why, but it happens. Whooosh again? Sorry my sarcasm rarely translates well on the net. I thought it pretty clear that she was covering her mouth in shock/incredulity. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/17 "2011-05-04T21:58:55Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Any guess as to what that printed image is on her laptop? The very first time I saw this image, the caption made a point of saying that it had been altered to blur out something classified. I took it to mean that part of the image. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/18 "2011-05-04T22:01:20Z")
It’s okay, **cmyk** - I get you (and chuckled out loud). 🙂 Would anyone care to speculate on what the picture is on the papers on Ms. Clinton’s laptop? That…colour blob. ETA: But apparently my other reading skills are sub-par. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/19 "2011-05-04T22:01:20Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Whooosh again? Sorry my sarcasm rarely translates well on the net. I thought it pretty clear that she was covering her mouth in shock/incredulity. Heh, not your fault. My sarcasm meter is broken at this time of the morning. Also, as I said, I tend to yawn in stressful situations so I could see how someone would be confused by someone yawning (or appearing to) in a very tense situation 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/20 "2011-05-04T22:11:13Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > I am sure most of you have seen this [photo](http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/mt/assets/jeffreygoldberg/assets_c/2011/05/sitroom%20photo-thumb-600x400-49711.jpg)which is likely to become one of the most famous in US history. Well, a famous photo, certainly. There’s no question it’s going to show up in history books. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742.md?page=2)