Obama Unveils Something Historic At The White House
(RepublicanNews.org) – The White House recently hosted a family reunion of sorts as former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama visited to unveil their portraits. Biden, who once served as Obama’s vice president, opened the ceremony with a speech in which he told his old boss “welcome home.” Both the retired commander in chief and his wife delivered remarks about their White House portraits and how different America has become in recent years.
Subtle Imperfections
Both Obamas took their own approach regarding what they wanted the paintings to look like. The former president dressed in a black suit with a gray tie and stood against a completely white background. Robert McCurdy, the artist responsible for the painting, included subtle cues to Obama’s flaws, a wrinkled shirt and gray hair. The idea behind the inclusion of such details was to show that no presidency is perfect.
The former president touched on the topic a bit during his remarks, mentioning that once someone sits behind the desk in the Oval Office, they realize that presidents and their first ladies are human beings, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. He added that every president has their good and bad days and still has the same feelings as anyone else.
Contrasting Styles
The former first lady’s portrait took a more colorful approach, which subtly recognizes the differences between her and those who came before her. Michelle’s portrait has her in a formal blue dress sitting on a sofa in the White House’s Red Room. The former first lady mentioned a feeling of surrealness in speaking at the White House and having her portrait hung among the women who came before her. Mrs. Obama spoke about her biography, noting it will serve as inspiration to others to take paths they never thought were possible. She asserted that she was never meant to have her picture among the likes of Jackie Kenney and other former first ladies.
The celebration showed how a country can change in just six short years. Many of the problems the Obama administration faced have been replaced with more significant issues under Biden. Former members of Obama’s young staff now hold top positions, and a much older president is now in place of the once hip and young-spirited Obama. The unveiling ceremony was supposed to take place under Trump’s administration, but the 45th president refused to hold it, breaking a long-standing White House tradition.
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