Obama to Portraitist: I’ve Got Enough Political Problems Without You Making Me Look Like Napoleon

He and I make ░░░░░░░░ sartorial decisions Laughter But ░░░░░░░░ we did find was ░░░░░░░░ we had certain things ░░░░░░░░ common Both of us ░░░░░░░░ American mothers who raised ░░░░░░░░ with extraordinary love and ░░░░░░░░ Both of us had ░░░░░░░░ fathers who had been ░░░░░░░░ from our lives and ░░░░░░░░ some ways our journeys ░░░░░░░░ searching for them and ░░░░░░░░ out what that meant ░░░░░░░░ ended up writing about ░░░░░░░░ journey and channeling it ░░░░░░░░ the work that I ░░░░░░░░ because I cannot paint ░░░░░░░░ m sure that his ░░░░░░░░ reflected some of those ░░░░░░░░ in his art But ░░░░░░░░ I was always struck ░░░░░░░░ whenever I saw his ░░░░░░░░ was the degree to ░░░░░░░░ they challenged our conventional ░░░░░░░░ of power and privilege ░░░░░░░░ the way that he ░░░░░░░░ take extraordinary care and ░░░░░░░░ and vision in recognizing ░░░░░░░░ beauty and the grace ░░░░░░░░ the dignity of people ░░░░░░░░ were so often invisible ░░░░░░░░ our lives and put ░░░░░░░░ on a grand stage ░░░░░░░░ a grand scale our ░░░░░░░░ and put them on ░░░░░░░░ grand stage on a ░░░░░░░░ scale And force us ░░░░░░░░ look and see them ░░░░░░░░ ways that so often ░░░░░░░░ were not The people ░░░░░░░░ Michelle referred to people ░░░░░░░░ our families people who ░░░░░░░░ to build this country ░░░░░░░░ who helped to build ░░░░░░░░ capital People who to ░░░░░░░░ this day are making ░░░░░░░░ this place is clean ░░░░░░░░ night and serving food ░░░░░░░░ taking out the garbage ░░░░░░░░ doing all the other ░░░░░░░░ that makes this country ░░░░░░░░ So often out of ░░░░░░░░ and out of mind ░░░░░░░░ this artist lifted them ░░░░░░░░ and gave them a ░░░░░░░░ And said they belonged ░░░░░░░░ the center of American ░░░░░░░░ And that was something ░░░░░░░░ moved me deeply because ░░░░░░░░ my small way that ░░░░░░░░ part of what I ░░░░░░░░ politics should be about ░░░░░░░░ not simply celebrating the ░░░░░░░░ and the mighty and ░░░░░░░░ that the country unfolds ░░░░░░░░ the top down but ░░░░░░░░ that it comes from ░░░░░░░░ bottom up.