From the McNaughton Fine Art Company:
All the Presidents of the past gather around a man sitting on a park bench. That man, with his head bowed appears distraught and hopeless as he contemplates his future. Some of the past Presidents try to console him and look in the direction of the modern Presidents as they exclaim, “What have you done?” Many of these modern Presidents behind Barack Obama seem to congratulate each other on their great success oblivious to the man on the bench. In front of the man, paper trash is blowing in the dust. Crumpled dollar bills, Amendments of the Bill of Rights and like a whisper – the U.S. Constitution beneath the foot of Barack Obama.
And he addresses the criticism.
I found it interesting that FDR was standing and clapping, not supported by crutches or in a wheel-chair.
Yea right! That painter is deluded. He claims that both parties are to blame and that the painting is not partisan. I can partially agree with the both party statement , but his argument is specious at best. All one has to do is observe the way the last several presidents are portrayed. Talk about polarizing effect! As it turns out, he has become part of the problem.
And what about the working mother, the elderly, the Iraq/Afghanistan war vets, the children of the poor; all those suffered greatly through the 2000's.
If "both parties are guilty" then it's curious that the painter depicted the last four Republican presidents as showing any attention to the man on the bench. Ford, Reagan, Bush Sr, and Bush Jr are all looking towards the man, while the Democrats are looking away. FDR is even smiling. How again is this not partisan?
The Artist did make sure he was facing east towards Mecaa. I guess he wasn't willing to include the prayer mat too.. LOL.
There is so much to comment on here. But I'll limit myself to just one observation. The most hilarious insinuation in this painting is that Reagan et al were chiefly concerned with the well-being of poor people! Hilarious!
Perhaps, since the artist seems to have found a tear in the space-time continuum, he found a way for universal healthcare to reach back and treat FDR's paralysis. Or perhaps in his mind we stepped back a generation earlier and discovered the polio vaccine and immunized him.
For historical accuracy, though, I wonder why Shrub isn't depicted trampling the Constitution.
To Liberals; Truth hurts, doesn't it.