So, from a strictly visual standpoint, the enduring images of the first Clinton-Trump debate: a confident, satisfied, beaming Clinton and a sneering, scowling, unhappy Trump. Small wonder, for anyone who absorbed the debate’s verbal content. In 90 minutes, Trump managed to alienate any undecided African Americans, Latinos, and women whom he might have swayed to his side. […]
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Summer Days, Summer Nights Are Gone It has seemed like endless summer, the latter part of it including six weeks of a heat wave that just wouldn’t quit. Only on Sunday, September 11, did it abate, and only the past few nights have been cool. That wilted us, but our garden has thrived. […] The observant individual who noticed that anomaly, brought it to the world’s attention, and thereby made a real if minor adjustment to the historical record, had no training or expertise in either photography or military history. His effort did, however, require one particular and relatively rare skill: the ability to pay close attention to photographs without making assumptions about their content or allowing their contextualizing material to influence your thinking. In my book, that makes him a critic. […] A. D. Coleman as Donald Trump, selfie, 3-16-16 Handing It to Rubio Let me start this week’s commentary on the 2016 presidential campaign imagery with a note about Marco Rubio as the author of a powerful image. Yes, I know, Rubio’s long since out of the race, pretty much dead […] |
 SPJ Research Award 2014 |
Election 2016: Image World (15)
This picture of him with the Clinton accusers represents Donald Trump’s total disregard for the opinions of others — even presumably trusted and trustworthy others — and their sound, considered advice. When he loses this election, as he will, he will have no one to blame but himself, no matter whom he scapegoats. He will have done it his way — stubbornly, spectacularly, and all on his lonesome. And, as ever, he will leave it to others to clear away the wreckage and repair the damage. […]