I Was In The Neighborhood

After a new-flawless Europe trip, I’ve got problems with this photo op from Obama’s anti-climatic stop in Baghdad.

I thought I read somewhere Camp Victory was not the originally-planned location. Holding this “rally the troops” event in Saddam’s former palace, however– conflicting with the modest, equinanimous, “all for one/one for all” tone sewn throughout the Europe trip, especially in Turkey — smacks visually of triumphalism. Further, the rock star/celebrity/paparazzi vibe — also largely absent this past week, despite the large crowds in Europe — is a meme the President doesn’t really need.

Remember this post, and discussion?

Sometimes, less is more.

(image: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images. caption: US President Barack Obama greets troops during a visit on April 7, 2009, to Camp Victory in Baghdad, Iraq.US President Barack Obama said on a surprise visit to Iraq on Tuesday that the next 18 months could be “critical” and told the war-torn country that it would soon have to look after itself. Obama, who has called for an end to US combat operations in Iraq by August next year, flew in to Baghdad aboard Air Force One on his first trip since taking office three months ago)