I'm glad you saw through the artifice of Democracy In America. That photo is completely satirical. It was taken last Halloween (look at the date on the photo) when I dressed up as a homeless person. I got one of my friends to gush about how meaningful the poem was (socially) and I reinforced that with over-intellectualized twaddle. I wanted to see what people would say and most everyone else jumped on the band wagon and found it to be quite meaningful.
What I found interesting was that despite the obviously low quality of the photo in question, people found the lies just as compelling as the truth. That borderline territory between truth and fantasy (as it relates to art) really fascinates me.
Anyway...congrats for not buying in and questioning that photo. You are the first person.
-E