# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/21 "2011-05-04T22:16:05Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > The first thing that strikes you is how marginal Obama looks sitting over by the side. That’s because he’s Photoshopped in–don’t you read [blogs](http://boardstest.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=607127)? ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/22 "2011-05-04T22:18:10Z")
Is there a “outline” pic where they ID the people in the picture? ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/23 "2011-05-04T22:27:44Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Would anyone care to speculate on what the picture is on the papers on Ms. Clinton’s laptop? That…colour blob. Goatse? Maybe it was the first time she’d seen it. ---
**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, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/24 "2011-05-04T22:32:24Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Is there a “outline” pic where they ID the people in the picture? Post 11 has a link you can follow to the pic with a list of those shown, but I haven’t seen an “outline” key like the one I think you’re describing. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/25 "2011-05-04T22:44:18Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Post 11 has a link you can follow to the pic with a list of those shown, but I haven’t seen an “outline” key like the one I think you’re describing. What I meant by outline: A tracing of each person, with a # inside them, and a key at the bottom w/names. (You’re probably thinking of this) ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/26 "2011-05-04T22:52:46Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > 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. The White House photographer is always there taking pictures. I would be surprised if anyone is ever conscious of him, especially since the White House has full control over what he can release. I did not notice the stark contrast between Obama and everyone else before. Everyone has the same look of apprehension on their faces - except Obama. It’s a good thing he’s the one making all the decisions. ---
**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, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/27 "2011-05-04T22:57:00Z")
> [@Lakai](#): > > The White House photographer is always there taking pictures. I would be surprised if anyone is ever conscious of him, especially since the White House has full control over what he can release. Have other whitehouses had dedicated photographers that just followed the Prez around snapping pictures? I’m not sure its the greatest use of public money, but flipping through the galleries I linked to above, its pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/28 "2011-05-04T23:00:18Z")
It is the Situation Room, it’s just less than half the room visible in that shot. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/29 "2011-05-04T23:43:43Z")
There are lots of more detailed Sit Room pictures on the White House Flickr photostream, and they look different, more like what you’d expect the room to look like. Like [this one](http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/5680161629/in/photostream). Either the photo in question is everyone squeezed into a corner of the room or it is a different room, the Situation Closet. 🙂 The obscured photo near Clinton is a high-rez picture (and likely annotated) of Obama’s hideout, I’m almost certain, either from a drone or satellite. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/30 "2011-05-04T23:56:32Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > It is the Situation Room, it’s just less than half the room visible in that shot. No, it isn’t. I’ve seen the real Sit Room on the NBC series The West Wing, and it’s gigantic, and slightly darker than the Batcave, with very high-tech monitors on the walls and–well, it’s just scary-looking, is all. What a pussy fake that photo is!!! They expect us to believe this weak shit? ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/31 "2011-05-04T23:58:15Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > The obscured photo near Clinton is a high-rez picture (and likely annotated) of Obama’s hideout, I’m almost certain, either from a drone or satellite. Does he have a little treehouse in back of the White House or something? ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/32 "2011-05-05T00:00:17Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > Does he have a little treehouse in back of the White House or something? D’oh, I pulled a Fox News. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/33 "2011-05-05T00:23:58Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Have other whitehouses had dedicated photographers that just followed the Prez around snapping pictures? I’m not sure its the greatest use of public money, but flipping through the galleries I linked to above, its pretty cool. Yes. In fact, Pete Souza was Reagan’s White House photographer from 83 onward, too. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/34 "2011-05-05T00:58:34Z")
yes, there is always a photographer hanging around getting “historic” shots. sometimes it is a good thing, but it would get on my nerves quite a bit. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/35 "2011-05-05T02:41:14Z")
“Everyone was focused on General Webb’s epic pwning of some newbs when, to Hillary’s horror, the Playstation Network went down.” ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/36 "2011-05-05T03:57:33Z")
> [@Lakai](#): > > I did not notice the stark contrast between Obama and everyone else before. Everyone has the same look of apprehension on their faces - except Obama. It’s a good thing he’s the one making all the decisions. 😕 Everyone in that picture has the same look on their faces as the president. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/37 "2011-05-05T04:07:06Z")
No. Everybody else looks anxious and nervous. Obama looks dialed in, intensely focused, and resolved. I noticed that contrast on sunday night when the picture was released, and basically said the same thing as the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/38 "2011-05-05T04:10:18Z")
[Remember when people used paper maps](http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/west-wing/situation-room.htm)? Actually, I’m surprised no one has captioned Joe Biden. It looks like he has gas. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/39 "2011-05-05T05:30:28Z")
Different people seem to interpret the faces differently which makes the photo even more fascinating. Like I said [David Brooks](http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/category/the-conversation/) also made the same point about how the releasing the photo showed Obama’s self-confidence. However his read of the faces is different from mine. He says: > [@](#): > > On a human level I’m struck by the varied emotions etched on people’s faces. I can read nothing on Bob Gates’s face or even Joe Biden’s, whereas Obama, Denis McDonough and John Brennan look tense. Hilary Clinton’s face is the most riveting, a mixture of anxiety, dread and concern. I suspect most people will relate to her expression. I had a careful look at the photo again and I really don’t see tension in Obama’s face: just complete and all-consuming focus. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742/40 "2011-05-05T05:51:42Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > [Remember when people used paper maps](http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/west-wing/situation-room.htm)? Nice link. So basically there is more than one room and this was the smaller room. And I love the photos at the bottom with white tablecloths, flowers and breakfast. If you have to take decisions that could potentially destroy the world, you might as well do it in style. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-situation-room-photo/580742.md?page=3)