New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson has sent out a holiday greeting card which features former President Bill Clinton. It may be one of the creepier Holiday cards you will see this season.
A “special note” is attached to the card which reads:
Catie and I wanted to add a special note this year to express our thanks for your support and encouragement during the course of the campaign. It was a privilege to work with so many people we admire, and we could not be more grateful.
If our 2013 photo is a little more formal than usual, that’s because it was taken at a fundraiser, which ended up being about our only time together as a family! We’re hoping to see each other a bit more often in 2014, and hope that for you and yours the coming year will be filled with health and happiness.
With since appreciation and every good wish for the season.
Noam
This card is a bit of a puzzle.
Noam “apologizes” because “our 2013 photo” is “a little more formal than usual” then explains it was taken at a fundraiser and it was “our only time together as a family”.
There are actually two photos and two “families” depicted in them. Based on wardrobe and backdrop, both photos were taken at the same time and location – the Rye Town Hilton where Noam held a fundraiser featuring Bill Clinton.
The card includes a traditional family photo of Noam, his wife and children but a second photo of what is, presumably, Noam’s extended family.
If Noam means that the Bill Clinton fundraiser was the only time that Noam was together his wife and children then that makes no sense. Noam was running for County Executive not President. Presumably he was home with his family on a regular basis and I personally observed Noam with his family and various County Executive debates. Further, the election was over for more than a month before the card was sent so his campaign would not have interfered with his ability take a photo with his wife and children.
He cannot be referring to his immediate family, the photo with just his wife and kids.
If Noam means that the Bill Clinton fundraiser was the only time that all of Noam’s extended family was together in one place then that might make sense on one level but begs the question, why would he send out a holiday card with both photos? Who sends out a photo like that in a holiday card?
He has to be referring to the second photo with Bill Clinton but does so with his typical false modesty.
Anyone who knows Noam knows he is thrilled to have photos with Bill Clinton. He had to be dying to use one on his holiday greeting card. But how? There are certainly photos of Noam’s immediate family with Bill Clinton but how weird would that be – for Noam to send out a photo of just his immediate family with Bill Clinton in the center (Bill would never stand to the side!).
What to do?
Noam’s solution was to use two photos — his immediately family in a traditional photo accompanied by another photo of him with Bill Clinton that would not seem quite as creepy.
Noam Watchers know that this is just being Noam being Noam. He does not even mention that Bill Clinton is in one of the photos but of course is silently screaming “Look at me! I’m standing next to Bill Clinton!”.
The sad part is that Bill Clinton stands at the center of Noam’s extended family while Noam is shoved off to the side. For the kind of money Noam paid to get that photo you think he could have been a little closer to the former President.
Of course, these are my own theories. What do you think?
UPDATE: Coincidence? 15 Minutes after posting this, Noam tweeted out his holiday card.
With appreciation for your support during the campaign, and every good wish for the season — Noam. pic.twitter.com/otsXoZ2CPQ
— Noam Bramson (@NoamBramson) December 17, 2013
