Thread: Can Anyone Answer This?

Originally Posted by HNSB

I don't understand why the smoke is a big deal. Real smoke or not doesn't change the point of the photo.

Not the point. Or rather, not the reason why they released the picture. I think eveyrone gets the intent.
However, even I -as a layman- find that the pic looks doctored, or at least 'off'.
They should have anticipated that, and taken a picture of him actually firing the gun. Or rather, regardless of whether this pic is real or not, they should have made sure it also looked real.

Because now it looks doctored, and people will start looking for motivations behind the doctoring. Was it a matter of convenience (take one pic and then color in the smoke later) or was it because Obama didn't want to shoot / could not shoot properly (and was embarassed about it) or was it real but just a bad picture, or was it because something else entirely.

Regardless of what the actual message was and whether the pic is real or not, his media team should have anticipated the scrutiny and made damn sure that the pic showed what it was meant to show and prevent embarassing questions.

people will start looking for motivations behind the doctoring. Was it a matter of convenience (take one pic and then color in the smoke later) or was it because Obama didn't want to shoot / could not shoot properly (and was embarassed about it) or was it real but just a bad picture, or was it because something else entirely.

I guess that's what I'm getting at. I can't think of a good reason to doctor a photo vs. taking a photo of the gun actually firing or even firing a blank or smoke round.

Originally Posted by Bruno

I hear you. Otoh, if he is just a recreational shooter, it is exactly the sort of thing he would say.
.

Except the entire statement was "We do Skeet Shooting all the time" Not "I have done Skeet Shooting once" not "I tried Skeet Shooting once"
it was the "All the Time" that caught my ear and the bad "Mount" of the gun in the pic that caught my eye, These are things that you say or do once, before somebody corrects it for you..

So either the guys he shoots with "All the time" are kinda jerks and want to see him make a fool of himself -or- he was telling a slight untruth the choice is yours on which you believe...

Photo looks to me like a person firing an over under double with a compensator built into the barrel. From the persons stance and hold of the shotgun, it appears to me that the person is a novice or infrequent clay pigeon shooter or bird hunter. I usually take these kind of photos at face value and do not believe that Obama would fake a photo and risk his credibility when it is so easy to take a real photo. If he had participated in shooting sports with any regular frequency, it would now be well known from the other participants. There are many novices and people who shoot infrequently.

Originally Posted by sheajohnw

If he had participated in shooting sports with any regular frequency, it would now be well known from the other participants. There are many novices and people who shoot infrequently.

I would expect the secret service to be slightly nervous about having their man surrounded by hundreds of armed people There are certain things you cannot do as a president. Shooting competitions are one of them. Martial arts competitions are another.

Obama's opportunities as POTUS are clearly limited, hence the photo's Camp David setting. There would have been no unusual security issues before his becomming president. There are many instances of congressmen and senators hunting.

Originally Posted by sheajohnw

Obama's opportunities as POTUS are clearly limited, hence the photo's Camp David setting. There would have been no unusual security issues before his becomming president. There are many instances of congressmen and senators hunting.

There has even been a Vice President who enjoyed good old fashioned manhunting

Yes indeed.

It's so obvious isn't it? He clearly got that picture from the same place he bought his birth certificate from right?

Originally Posted by HNSB

I guess that's what I'm getting at. I can't think of a good reason to doctor a photo vs. taking a photo of the gun actually firing or even firing a blank or smoke round.

Of course there's no good reason. It's POLITICS!