Funny politician pics.
I've noticed that one thing CNN does on their site is have pictures of the candidates that are the least flattering. Most are just still frames while they are talking. Not all of them are silly, though most are. Whether or not it shows bias...I don't know. but I'm going to go ahead and post them here, with analysis...of sorts.
Picture number 1: Hillary Rodham Clinton
I really don't know what to make of this picture. At first it seems that CNN is trying to make Hillary look bad, until it seems like this is probably the best view of Hillary smiling...though they probably could have gotten a picture of her where she's not faking a laugh at some joke she just made.
Picture number 2: Rudolph Giuliani
The thought of him as president scares me in ways...I can't even describe. Though this picture doesn't do a bad job of it. He's the only Republican on the site that is shown smiling. It's a respectable picture though...again...for him.
Photo number 3: Barack Obama
I don't like Obama that much. But if I had to guess which candidate CNN liked the best, I would guess the junior senator from Illinois. Clearly he is the most photogenic of the candidates, which is a huge help for him, what with Americans being as smart as they are. This is the best picture of all of the candidates.
Those three pictures are all acceptable representations of the candidates. Smiling...not in mid sentence...pictures that each of the candidates would likely pick themselves. the following pictures aren't awful, but they're hardly flattering representations of the candidates.
Photo number 4: Fred Thompson
Ok, so he's...kind of... smiling. It's more of an expression that indicates that he's choking...or just put something in his mouth that he really doesn't like after expecting somthing completely different. Though it's hard to make anyone with jowls like Thompson look photofriendly.
Photo number 5: John Edwards
C'mon. Tell me this isn't a little funny. CNN successfully picked a photo of Edwards that makes it hard to distinguish what sound his mouth must be making in mid-word. sh.....ooo....err....who knows. Or he could just be puckerin up to give someone a kiss. Nice hair though.
Photo number 6: Joe Biden
Again, not a bad picture, but something where he doesn't look so confused might be a better approach. He looks pensive...but it's clear he was going for thoughtful.
Photo number 7: Ron Paul
As far as being caught mid-sentence, Ron Paul could have done a lot worse. He doesn't look confused...or crazy. In fact it does a good job of capturing him. He is genuinely worried about the state of the country, and the concern on his face is obvious. Whether or not you agree with him is one thing, but I truly believe that he is sincere in what he says. Still, the picture is not all that great.
If the first three pictures were the finalists, and the last four were runners up, the following few are the onces who came in dead last. I'm saving my favourite until the end.
Photo number 8: Mike Gravel
CNN knows that he doesn't have a prayer. CNN knows he's kinda crazy. So who cares what his photo looks like. Is he laughing? Is he crying out in pain? Any picture that fails to make this very simple distinction is not a good picture (for the candidate).
Photo number 9: Duncan Hunter
I have no idea what is going on here. His eyes actually seem to be bugging out. I put this one here, because no one even cares about Duncan Hunter. Mike Gravel is crazy, yes, but people know him as that crazy guy. The best Duncan Hunter can hope for here is, "that guy who looks like he's having a stroke"
The last one, Photo number 10: Mitt "Mittens" Romney
The thing is that Romney is not an unattractive man. He looks like the quintessential politician. Nice hair, slightly graying, strong chin, yet in this photo all that seems to be working against him, due to the fact that the photo is taken midsentence, and clearly mid word. That word looks like it could be the Cher in Chernobyl...or it could be Jerk....or lots of other possibilities. This one is my favourite because, as with all these candidates, there are good pictures of them out there, yet CNN chose to have some good pictures...and others...not so good pictures. really I'm just having trouble going to sleep, so that's all I'm gonna do.
Picture number 1: Hillary Rodham Clinton
I really don't know what to make of this picture. At first it seems that CNN is trying to make Hillary look bad, until it seems like this is probably the best view of Hillary smiling...though they probably could have gotten a picture of her where she's not faking a laugh at some joke she just made.
Picture number 2: Rudolph Giuliani
The thought of him as president scares me in ways...I can't even describe. Though this picture doesn't do a bad job of it. He's the only Republican on the site that is shown smiling. It's a respectable picture though...again...for him.
Photo number 3: Barack Obama
I don't like Obama that much. But if I had to guess which candidate CNN liked the best, I would guess the junior senator from Illinois. Clearly he is the most photogenic of the candidates, which is a huge help for him, what with Americans being as smart as they are. This is the best picture of all of the candidates.
Those three pictures are all acceptable representations of the candidates. Smiling...not in mid sentence...pictures that each of the candidates would likely pick themselves. the following pictures aren't awful, but they're hardly flattering representations of the candidates.
Photo number 4: Fred Thompson
Ok, so he's...kind of... smiling. It's more of an expression that indicates that he's choking...or just put something in his mouth that he really doesn't like after expecting somthing completely different. Though it's hard to make anyone with jowls like Thompson look photofriendly.
Photo number 5: John Edwards
C'mon. Tell me this isn't a little funny. CNN successfully picked a photo of Edwards that makes it hard to distinguish what sound his mouth must be making in mid-word. sh.....ooo....err....who knows. Or he could just be puckerin up to give someone a kiss. Nice hair though.
Photo number 6: Joe Biden
Again, not a bad picture, but something where he doesn't look so confused might be a better approach. He looks pensive...but it's clear he was going for thoughtful.
Photo number 7: Ron Paul
As far as being caught mid-sentence, Ron Paul could have done a lot worse. He doesn't look confused...or crazy. In fact it does a good job of capturing him. He is genuinely worried about the state of the country, and the concern on his face is obvious. Whether or not you agree with him is one thing, but I truly believe that he is sincere in what he says. Still, the picture is not all that great.
If the first three pictures were the finalists, and the last four were runners up, the following few are the onces who came in dead last. I'm saving my favourite until the end.
Photo number 8: Mike Gravel
CNN knows that he doesn't have a prayer. CNN knows he's kinda crazy. So who cares what his photo looks like. Is he laughing? Is he crying out in pain? Any picture that fails to make this very simple distinction is not a good picture (for the candidate).
Photo number 9: Duncan Hunter
I have no idea what is going on here. His eyes actually seem to be bugging out. I put this one here, because no one even cares about Duncan Hunter. Mike Gravel is crazy, yes, but people know him as that crazy guy. The best Duncan Hunter can hope for here is, "that guy who looks like he's having a stroke"
The last one, Photo number 10: Mitt "Mittens" Romney
The thing is that Romney is not an unattractive man. He looks like the quintessential politician. Nice hair, slightly graying, strong chin, yet in this photo all that seems to be working against him, due to the fact that the photo is taken midsentence, and clearly mid word. That word looks like it could be the Cher in Chernobyl...or it could be Jerk....or lots of other possibilities. This one is my favourite because, as with all these candidates, there are good pictures of them out there, yet CNN chose to have some good pictures...and others...not so good pictures. really I'm just having trouble going to sleep, so that's all I'm gonna do.