The Mystery of the "Hands Touching Obama" Photo

[goclark]

I believe that a photograph can be a window to the soul.

Who do the "Hands" belong to? Who took the photograph? What was Obama thinking at the time?

Please post any information here or links so that we'll know more.:hug:

In another thread I wrote my impressions about the "Hands Touching Obama" photograph ----

It is thrilling to be African American and see how he is adored but there is another part.

All the hands in the photo are many sizes, tones and genders.

The Hands of Humanity seem to be telling us....

"If it can happen to Obama,then my dreams, whatever they may be, can come true too."

It means that a poor little White girl can be whatever she dreams. She doesn't have to have fancy clothes like Paris Hilton.

It means that a Hispanic Soldier that came back from the war with only one leg can walk with an artificial leg. Yes.He.Can.

It means that even though you are a box boy in the local market,you can RISE.

It means that Karen Bass,who once was an African American Physician's Assistant and later a Community Organizer, can be sworn in as the SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE(the 1st African American woman to hold that position in California) and RISE to even greater laurels.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-speaker14-2008may14,0,6338559.story

Obama is every man, every woman,every child all over the world.

His achievement is a beacon that all of us can follow.

My grandmother always reminded me, " Don't ever let anybody tell you how to dream and what to dream ~ YOU are your own DREAM MAKER."

Obama isn't telling us what to Dream, he is showing us how to make our DREAMS come true.

[Cronus Protagonist]

1. I dream of President Dennis Kucinich

When will that come true?

:P

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Dreaming the impossible dream...

Well, some dreams are more impossible than others.

I love Kucinich on the issues...{I would make one of my infamous wisecracks here, but I don't want to bruise any feelings}

[goclark]

6. Here is a thread all about the photo

There are several threads all over DU and the photograph made the front page of major newspapers all over the world.

Here is just one link that includes the photograph...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6306693

By the way, I dream of Dennis too. : )

[LaurenG]

7. Heh you too huh. However I am happy with Obama, he's a good guy. nt

[Cronus Protagonist]

42. he seems a'ight

I pine for Dennis, though :P

[global1]

2. I'm Curious Now - Can You Post The Pic? I Haven't Seen It.....nt

[Jackpine Radical]

5. Ditto.

I assumed that, as usual, everyone in the world but me knew what this is about.

[phrigndumass]

17. Here's the pic :)

I love the expression on the lady's face in the middle! It emotes a feeling of absolute joy.

[goclark]

20. I love it too ! no one seems unhappy

at all,all seem to be enjoying the experience.

Wish we could find out more about their feelings.

I wonder if the local newspaper would have any information about it.

[yellowdogintexas]

29. fabulous picture, fabulous and captures the essence of Obama

so well. I am glad this was posted as I had not seen this photo or the subsequent photos in the links. Awesome

[K Gardner]

26. I made it a t-shirt !

[gristy]

27. Obama is Me

Yes. It's all about projection, and Obama's success at it. Somehow he is able to project his hopes and dreams on us. We become him.

[phrigndumass]

31. NICE! Screen 'em up and print 'em, K

I'd buy one :D

[goclark]

32. Awesome! Simply awesome!

Are your shirts for sale.
If so, I want to buy one. :)

[K Gardner]

50. Yeah.. you can order anything anyone made and posted at

Zazzle, and you can customize the text or pic or even the style of shirt.

I enlarged the picture, so I don't know if it's going to be pixelated or not. I'm waiting to get my first one in the mail before I order anymore.

Obama Gear

[phrigndumass]

51. I ordered one :)

Thanks for linking me up, K! :hi:

[goclark]

57. Creative and Cool

[Cha]

64. That's great, K!

We're tapping into somethin' somethin' that he has.

[Eurobabe]

89. I want to order an organic tee

Oh I am stuck on stupid this morning. The site says you should receive your shirt within a few days.

I will wait until you get yours and see if you like it first. :)

Let us know how it turned out, would you?

[undeterred]

28. I do have to wonder what the Secret Service guys are thinking...

[quakerboy]

87. I feel bad for the Secret service guys

Who have to break that up. What a f'd up world we live in where that has to be a major concern.

[cboy4]

92. Oh my, look at the secret service agent getting ready to

pry that woman off of him.

Those poor agents who guard him must have been freaked out.

[phrigndumass]

4. K/R - - - Obama is me!

What a great slogan that would make!

:D

[goclark]

8. Obama is me too!

:)

[ecstatic]

9. This is what I like most about Obama. It's not

directly about his race--it's the HOPE... the hopeful feeling that maybe things are changing in this country for the better. In this day and age, hope is required to believe that people will change.

[goclark]

13. He leads by example

and the photo seems like he was OK with all those hands reaching for him.

That's what I want to know, how was he feeling when the photograph was taken.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

10. OMG That's Just Creepy.

Some of y'all are realllllly taking this whole worship thing too far. Creeps me out.

[rug]

11. I'm going into the voting booth with garlic around my neck.

[goclark]

16. Great, just so you get there

:)

I'm going to the voting booth with this photograph in my hand.

Thanks for inspiring me to carry the "Hands" with me. :thumbsup:

[Butch350]

54. I'm going into the voting booth with garlic around my neck

Won't the breath be enough?

[movonne]

12. Unlike the hillary people...

[EstimatedProphet]

15. Yep, unlike the Hillary people.

[phrigndumass]

19. It's not worship, it's pure joy

If that creeps you out, Soury McSourgrapes, then you creep me out. :D

[AZBlue]

67. Consider the source.

Always a negative one.

[WillyT]

21. I Don't Find It Creepy At All

Joyful, Enthusiastic, Transcendent, maybe... but creepy, not so much.

It's a shame you haven't had the opportunity to have such feelings for a candidate. I have, and do again.

:shrug:

[grace0418]

23. It's a sad state of affairs when joy and hopefulness are creepy.

You know I like you OMC, and I'm as sarcastic and jaded as it gets, but sometimes joy is warranted. And good.

[JoFerret]

53. Extremely creepy

disturbing.

oh dear.

[greguganus]

63. If I could just touch the hem of his garment....n/t

[durrrty libby]

80. ....

:rofl:

[Maddy McCall]

91. Me, too.

I will support the guy for president, but I won't worship him.

Creepy, indeed.

[Silent3]

14. Personally I think it's creepy

Treating another person like they're some sort of magic totem you just HAVE TO TOUCH, even if it means awkwardly groping the top of his head?

Please. These people need to get a grip on themselves and show some dignity, both for themselves and Obama.

[BigBluenoser]

18. Seriously, between this and the "lightworker" thread...

DU is creeping me the fuck out today.

edited: got me some spiritualist terminology wrong.

[phrigndumass]

22. You mean, like Lincoln's statue?

A Springfield, Illinois, legend says that rubbing the nose of sculptor Gutzon Borglum’s bust of Abraham Lincoln conveys good luck.



:D

[goclark]

33. On that is absolutely rich and beautiful

Obama is an Abe Lincoln fan too. :hug:

[texasleo]

39. I agree and disagree, lol

The picture would have been better with no faces, just hands.

[roguevalley]

43. you've never been in a large crowd that is deliriously happy. too

bad. its a transcendent moment. they aren't saying he's a deity. they are saying that they are happy and moved and uplifted and they want to thank him. try it. it is a wonderful thing. and they are not being undignified. really, I am at a loss for your pov. But that's okay. this is my opinion, having been there, done that. :)

[Tatiana]

46. Guess you never saw RFK campaigning, eh? Was that creepy too? n/t

[Silent3]

48. If people were rubbing RFK's head, yes

Wanting to shake a guys hand is one thing, but wildly throwing your hands out to grope any body part that comes within reach, yes, I call that creepy. I'm not fond of mob frenzy, even when the emotions are positive.

[goclark]

58. I saw JFK at West LA college ~ it was

simply amazing.

It was a starry night and the entire football stadium was filled to the brim.

All of a sudden they announced the arrival of the future President, John F. Kennedy.

There he was in a convertible sitting up on the back and waving to everyone.
The car drove slowly around the stadium and there were just waves of teenage type screams of excitement.

He was so young and vibrant. So different from any politician that my college eyes could remember.

It was thrilling!

Everybody was screaming and crying and jumping up and down and hugging whoever happened to be sitting next to them.

Perfect strangers just melted into each other and it was just surreal.

That was the defining moment for me - from that day to this I have been hooked on politics. JFK was the spark for me that starry starry night.

[goclark]

59. I've got a grip

on Obama! :bounce:

Thanks for inspiring me to donate $100 tonight to his campaign.

I noticed that he has a place on his website to Thank Hillary Clinton.
How thoughtful of him.

Maybe his kindness will rub off on others and they will be able to see that we need to CHANGE the way we act.

[undeterred]

24. When John Kerry came to Madison to speak

right before the 2004 election, we had 80,000 people in the street. It was overwhelming. I was volunteering for security up in front, so I was fairly close to the 'stage'. Afterwards he walked to the edge and leaned over with his hand outstretched... there were so many hands reaching out to him that an individual handshake was impossible. But for a moment my hand was in a sea of hands touching his and that was a powerful moment too.

[goclark]

34. I would have loved to shake John Kerry's hand

I did get a chance to shake the hand of John Edwards!

It was during the 2004 campaign.
I was behind the ropes,by the exit door, at a small Rally in Culver City,CA as he made his exit.

I believe I was the only African American in the first row on the line.

He had such a smile/so handsome!

He walked down the row waving to everyone. He just kept on smiling and waving until he reach me.

He smiled, looked right at me and shook my hand. I didn't wash my hand for the rest of the day!

I'll always remember that moment.

[undeterred]

35. Very cool.

Kerry is handsome too, in that dignified elder statesman kind of way.

[goclark]

36. You do mean President Kerry

:)

That is what I've called him since 2004. :)

[undeterred]

41. Oh, I wish.

I liked him before he came to Madison, but that day I loved him. I felt full of hope. He doesn't have the same charisma as Obama, but that was some rally. It took me a week after the election for the loss to sink in, and then I cried for 2 days. After that I became an activist.

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

55. I can clearly remember watching that rally on C-Span.

And yes I cried too for days in 2004.

[goclark]

60. I was so depressed I slept for two days

and was just in shock.

We can not let them steal this election.

[mamalone]

61. Shock...

That's what I felt too... that election night started out so promising, then it slipped away. We could watch them stealing it and there wasn't a thing we could do about it.

I will be devastated if that happens again:(

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

62. For me ...

it was a mood of depression/despair/shock/hopelessness.

I never thought that I would get that emotional for that election.I remember the day of his concession speech walking from my grandmother's house back to my house (we lived two houses away then) and I felt hopeless.There was so much excitement the weeks before the election and the day after election day 2004 was a gloomy grey day.As Kerry made his concession speech,I laid on the couch away from the tv (but I could hear his speech) looking out the window at the leaves left on the tree.The leaves falling looked like the hopes that we all had.When my mom came home I went into the room where she was and I cried "What are we gonna do ?" - she looked at me like WTF because my voice was trembling. I think back to that feeling now and I don't want to feel like that in November.I want to feel the exact opposite.

[grantcart]

25. Its an iconic photograph that captures a great deal goclark

We can hardly seem him. The only thing we can see clearly of him is his ear. His greatest political skill was his ability to hear what people were the most hungry for.

[Life Long Dem]

30. All three

I like all 3 shown at once.

[goclark]

38. I see his ear now ~

They can call it a cult and I don't care.

The man is simply amazing.

[mia]

40. Looks like the hands closest to Obama belong to

Secret Service agents. One seems to be lightly holding the wrist of the woman hugging Obama.
The joy in this woman's face makes the photo.

[Window]

37. K/R.

:kick:

[goclark]

44. Thanks so much ~ I hope we find more answers

to the people in the Mystery Photograph

[me b zola]

45. IMO, there's no mystery

Those hands are yours and mine. We are we are reaching to touch hope manifest, reaching to touch history.

[goclark]

47. The mystery for me is that I want

to know who the hands belong to so that we may find out how they felt about the moment.

:hug:

[me b zola]

74. Kicking for your answer!

:hug:

[goclark]

97. Txs me b zola ~ There must be an article

that has given the picture an official m=name so we can stasrt doing googles searches.

[BlackVelvet04]

83. ....................

:puke: :puke: :puke:

[me b zola]

93. Did you eat some bad sushi?

:shrug:

[me b zola]

94. And another kick for goclark to get the answer to her question

:kick:

[BlackVelvet04]

104. Much worse than that....

I read this nauseating thread.

[phrigndumass]

49. Le Kicques!

:kick:

[phrigndumass]

52. another kick

for a fine post :)

[goclark]

56. Txs phrignsumass

Still looking for Clues to the photo.

[crankychatter]

65. Muse

I don't believe in "soul mates" per se.

I do believe that love and creative energy are found in our temporal relationships... all relationships

People can be catalysts... it is each person's choice whether or not to be a vehicle of love and encouragement

Muse, in that way that I use the word, is an aspect of our own internal cosmology... a projection of our own heart's longing

When that "spirit" for lack of a better word, takes seat in a mortal person... we are energized

hope is renewed

Celebrants raise their hands with open palms... to receive energy... we extend our hands with open palms... to impart energy

to touch one another without threat... with love, grace and encouragement... more than hope for another... for ourselves...

True delight at the vision of our shared potential

When dreams become realities...

[goclark]

68. Bravo ~ that is beautiful

[crankychatter]

66. I was walking Pike Market alone one Winter.... living on the street

there was a lady giving away hand made Christmas cards to anyone that would take one

they were ink drawings of landscapes... with rivers and mountains... birds and other wildlife...

all over a watercolor wash...

looking closely, I could see that every line was full of hands... it was all made of human hands... every line... every natural feature... all hands

I noticed and mentioned that to her and all she said was... "It's us... it all US... we make it and we are made by it."

later I saw her as I walked uptown, in the doorway of a building... she saw me... raised her car keys over her head and jingled them like a Salvation Army bell... holding out her hand toward me.

I didn't take her hand that day... but she'll always be my Muse.

[goclark]

69. Your thoughts make so much sense to me

What is the name of that movie about the Muse?

Sharon Stone or someone like that~

[crankychatter]

70. yeah I saw that... mildly amusing eh?

to me... it's this impartially developed gestalt from my "in-betweens" in life...

sometimes I think I'm psychiatric... but I look around at the chaos... and I'm encouraged to allow myself these peculiar notions

[goclark]

72. Helps you keep your sanity

in an insane world of Bush. :)

[crankychatter]

71. I should say "thank-you" because that was a bit risky up in THIS house

so, thank you

yeah... this is hardly the place to display vulnerability

I responded because your question is very intriguing to me

you ARE onto something

[grantcart]

73. Its interesting how some photographs have a power in them

they tell so many stories and invite you to go back and look at them again. The flag raising at Iwo Jima did the same although the people that took it and saw it initially did not have a big reaction to it.

I am not sure if this one will too but it does for me.

Each hand and each face seems to be telling a story.

[DCofVA]

75. I can completely understand their enthusiasm

I feel it too. I'm fired up and ready to go! This is truly a momentous time in our history. It's ok to be excited about it.

[Catherine Vincent]

76. The photo is okay but I don't care too much for it.

That woman is too close to Obama. She probably gave the SS agents a heart attack.

[qnr]

77. yawn n//t

[saracat]

78. Sorry this is a bit creepy I have to say.This is going way beyond

supporting a candidate . it is going into quasi religious and weird. JMHO>

[goclark]

84. After Iraq I am delighted

to hear and see people that are happy about politics.

Weird is GW Bush and the criminals that have tried to destroy our spirits for 8 years.

Expressions of kindness are unusual in Bush America but they should be welcome at a Progressive website such as this one.

I don't allow anyone to define my happiness.

I will do one more thing this evening to make my day ~ I'm donating to www.barackobama.com!

:bounce:

[saracat]

86. Enjoy.Sorry my candidate support is more 'traditional" and less about "personality".

But each to his own.

[2rth2pwr]

79. Some of you guys are hella trippy.

Bookmarking to place in a time capsule.

[FrenchieCat]

81. Time Capsule?

Now that's creepy! :eyes:

[2rth2pwr]

88. There will be a day, fairly soon, when OP's like this will be studied and

dissected by researchers around the world.

[BlackVelvet04]

82. "Obama is every man, every woman,every child all over the world. "

I swear I think some of you have gone completely around the fucking bend. He's not the friggin' Messiah....he's a Chicago politician and you don't get much further from sainthood than that.

[greguganus]

85. If we could get close enough to pluck a hair, we could have him cloned. n/t

[BlackVelvet04]

103. ..................

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[MagickMuffin]

90. Lay Your Hands on Me: song lyrics with video links

THOMPSON TWINS:

Lay Your Hands On Me

This old life seemed much too long
With little point in going on
I couldn't think of what to say
Words just vanished in the haze
I was feeling cold and tired
Yeah kinda sad and uninspired
But when it almost seemed too much
I see your face
And sense the grace
And feel the magic in your touch
(chorus)
OH LAY YOUR HANDS
LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME
OH LAY YOUR HANDS
WOO-OO-OO-OO!
OH LAY YOUR HANDS
OH LAY HOUR HANDS ON ME
Back and forth across the sea
I have chased so many dreams
But I have never felt the grace
That I have felt in your embrace
Oh I was tired and I was cold
Yeah with a hunger in my soul
When it almost seemed too much
I see your face
And sense the grace
And feel the magic in your touch
(REPEAT CHORUS)
Now you made me feel so good
Yeah like I never ever thought I would
You know you make me feel so strong
And now our laughter just goes on and on
So c'mon lay your hands on me
Cause close to you is where I really wanna be
And if it ever gets too much
I see your face
And sense the grace
And feel the magic in our touch
(REPEAT CHORUS TO FADE)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjB65VtBqyA
_____________________________________________________________

PETER GABRIEL:

Sat in the corner of the Garden Grill,
With plastic flowers on the window sill
No more miracles, loaves and fishes,
Been so busy with the washing of the dishes
Reaction level's much too high - I can do without the stimuli

I'm living way beyond my ways and means,
Living in the zone of the in-betweens
I can see the flashes on the frozen ocean,
Static charge of the cold emotion
Watched on by the distant eyes
Watched on by the silent hidden spies

But still the warmth flows through me
And I sense you know me well
No luck, no golden chances
No mitigating circumstances now
It's only common sense
There are no accidents around here

I am willing - lay your hands on me
I am ready - lay your hands on me
I believe - lay your hands on me, over me

Working in gardens, thornless roses,
Fat men play with their garden hoses
Poolside laughter has a cynical bite,
Sausage speared by the cocktail satellite
I walk away from light and sound,
Down stairways leading underground

But still the warmth flows through me
And I sense you know me well
It's only common sense
There are no accidents around here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj6AsmUAsy8
____________________________________________________________

BON JOVI:

"Lay Your Hands On Me"

If you're ready, I'm willing and able
Help me lay my cards out on the table
You're mine and I'm yours for the taking
Right now the rules we made are meant for breaking

What you get ain't always what you see
But satisfaction's guaranteed
They say what you give is always what you need
So if you want me to lay my hands on you

Lay your hands on me, lay your hands on me, lay your hands on me,
Lay your hands on me, lay your hands on me, lay your hands on me,

Lay your hands on me

I'm a fighter, I'm a poet, I'm a preacher
I've been to school and baby, I've been the teacher
If you show me how to get up off the ground
I can show you how to fly and never ever come back down

Everything you want is what I need
Satisfaction's guaranteed
But the ride don't never ever come for free
If you want me to lay my hands on you

Lay your hands on me, lay your hands on me, lay your hands on me,
Lay your hands on me, lay your hands on me, lay your hands on me,

Lay your hands on me



Don't you know I only aim to please
If you want me to lay my hands on you

Lay your hands on me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCFwPnZgqjI

______________________________________________________________________


SIMON WEBBE:

Lay Your Hands

Sometimes life can be a burden
Tryna stay one step ahead
I feel the world upon my shoulder each time
I'm standing out on the edge
And my hopes have all deserted me
Like they washed away in the sand
And it's hurting my pride
Tryna survive
But i know i stand a chance

When you lay your hands
Oh yeah
'Coz it's the only thing I have that still makes sense

(Oh baby, when I'm calling out)
Give me love and affection,
Keep telling me, show me the way.
(Oh, if you see me falling down)
Lift me up from the shadows
Will you take me away to a better place?
(And when I'm in my darkest hour)
You're by my side, to turn the tide,
Until the suffering fades.
When life is getting me down,
getting me down, i'm close to defeat,
Come and lay ur hands on me.

Feel this road is getting longer now
And i'm too far away from home
Still I gotta keep on moving on
But I can't do it on my own
Baby keep my head above water
Help me swim for my life
'Coz the game is getting harder
The strain is gettin stronger
And I can only face the fight

When you lay your hands
Oh yeah
'Coz it's the only thing I have that still makes sense

(Oh baby, when I'm calling out)
Give me love and affection,
Keep telling me, show me the way.
(Oh, if you see me falling down)
Lift me up from the shadows
Will you take me away to a better place?
(And when I'm in my darkest hour)
You're by my side, to turn the tide,
Until the suffering fades.
When life is getting me down,
getting me down, i'm close to defeat,
Come and lay ur hands on me..

'Til I'm healed again,
Rediscovered my strengths,
Those bitter blues are gone...
Oh, gone...

(Oh baby, when I'm calling out)
Give me love and affection,
Keep telling me, show me the way.
(Oh, if you see me falling down)
Lift me up from the shadows
Will you take me away to a better place?
(And when I'm in my darkest hour)
You're by my side, to turn the tide,
Until the suffering fades.
When life is getting me down,
getting me down, i'm close to defeat,
Come and lay ur hands on me.

Come and lay your hands on me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6VbYndCE0I

[goclark]

95. That is simply beautiful ~ It should be its own thread

I would wait until there is no more GD:P because there are still a lot of posters that are from Freeper Land here.

:hug: thanks

[MagickMuffin]

107. I was surprised by how many songs there were ;=D

Maybe after Wednesday I'll start its own thread. Thanks for the suggestion. :hug:

[MorningGlow]

106. Hey MM thanks for that

Serendipity--when I saw the photo, my first thought was Peter Gabriel's song you posted and how he was brave enough to allow the crowds at his concerts to actually touch him--carry him over their heads. I saw his concert at the Meadowlands in '87--when he crowd surfed there, he lost a shoe, but nothing worse. It seems like Obama trusts people the same way. May no-one ever betray his trust.

[MagickMuffin]

108. I also Peter when he toured (Dallas) with this release

I happened to see the Thompson Twins when they toured with their release as well.

I wasn't familiar with the other two songs. I liked Simon Webb's song very much. Bon Jovi's not so much.

[Mudoria]

96. He's the Enlightened One.. he can do no less..

[goclark]

98. He is giving us more bright light in our days

than GW gave us in 8 years.

When I think of how George Bush depressed a nation,it's TIME for us to smile again when we look at our President.

It's time to be thrilled to know that somebody cares about what happens to the poor among us.

It's exciting to have a future President that plays basketball and goes on bumper car rides with his kids and gives a hand punch with his wife.

Our country, IMO, has been in a deep depression for 8 long years ~ yes we want to lay our hands gently on a person that is positive and is fighting for a better America.

Let the sunshine in on all of us ~ let's laugh again and GOTV for him. :bounce:

[demokatgurrl]

99. Very beautiful thougts, but I have to confess

My first thoughts where, HoW and WHY did the Secret Service let all those people get close enough to touch him? And that hug- very sweet but very fortunate she was a real supporter.
Sad, but that's what comes to mind these days.

[goclark]

101. I understand how you feel but your fears

could happen if they circled his body so that we don't even see him.

[durrrty libby]

100. "Obama isn't telling us what to Dream, he is showing us how to make our DREAMS come true."

Oh really? Do tell exactly how that works. What is he "showing" you?

That channel doesn't come in here. Looking forward to an in depth explanation

[comradebillyboy]

102. sounds like you had some pretty good acid . I'm too

old to do that stuff any more, but it was fun while it lasted.

[Autumn]

105. Hands of Humanity?

Wow.