Any Comparison Between Obama and Bush Fly-Overs Strictly … Iconic

Here’s another instance where a White House photo-op echos an iconic image — specifically, the scene of George Bush’s disastrous flight over Katrina-ravaged New Orleans. In this case, Obama is flying over Colorado Springs surveying damage from the horrific fires on the way there. (And, here’s the gallery of the visit kicked off by this image.)

In contrast to the photos of Bush over New Orleans in September ’05, this image is photographed looking back inside Air Force 1. Yes, it echos the Bush Katrina photos with Obama looking out the window, but by capturing the lamp and it’s soft light, the comfy couch matching the earth tones of the carpet, and the view into the equally soft-lit office, there is a domesticity to the photo which makes it much more empathic. Not only is it the most homey photo I’ve seen from that plane, but certainly a person is going to appear a lot more concerned and connected observing a catastrophe from what looks like his living room window than from a random porthole at 30,000 feet.

(photo: Pete Souza/White House caption: President Barack Obama views fire damage from aboard Air Force One as it flies over Colorado Springs, Colo., June 29, 2012.)