Obama Electric (Or: Sputnik Moment)

As Obama simultaneously hits the field for the term’s second half, kicks off the campaign and also morphs into a Chamber of Commerce man, I’m loving these shots from his GE photo-op (in which, while in Schenectady, he cut Paul Volker in exchange for Chairman Immelt).

Standing in front of this generator, this sci-fi-ish picture is beaming so many message into our brains.

I see:

• Obama recharged, fuel-injected, electric.

• A picture that captures Obama (finally) as futuristic.  (Coming out of ’08, especially after that Neo pic, I thought they’d own this theme, but except for a jaunt through a solar farm (and this), I’ve seen next-to-squat.)

• A picture, after all the talk, talk, talk, that says “new energy future.”

• Then, we see the Stars-and-Stripes wonderfully positioned beyond the “portal” symbolizing that America’s future lies just on the other side of investment in new technology (or the corporate life preserver, or the big business donut hole).

(photo 1 and 2: Scott Applewhite/AP. caption 1: President Barack Obama peers into a high tech hydrogen-cooled generator being manufactured for a power station in Kuwait as he tours a GE plant in Schenectady, NY, to talk about clean energy and green jobs, Friday, Jan. 21, 2011. caption 2: President Barack Obama stands in front of a generator as he visits the birthplace of the General Electric Co., to showcase a new GE deal with Kuwait and to announce a restructured presidential advisory board to be led by GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt, Friday, Jan. 21, 2011, in Schenectady, N.Y. photo 3: Mandel Ngan/Getty Images. caption: US President Barack Obama stands infront of a generator during a tour of  the General Electric Plant with GE Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Immelt January 21, 2011 in Schenectady, New York.)