By now you've heard about the cover. Provocative? Satirical? Incendiary? All of the above, perhaps.
The Obama campaign even issued a statement on it, calling it "tasteless and offensive." A McCain spokesman agreed.
There's a lot going in the picture: Michelle O sporting a Panther-esque afro, a very large gun and combat gear; the American flag burning in the fireplace; Obama clad in muslim garb; and a portrait of Uncle Osama hanging on the wall. And of course, the whole scene takes place in the Oval Office.
It's the whisper campaign personified, validated even, if only for a second, in a caricature of what the first couple of the United States would look like if (GASP) the rumors were all true.
It's funny. And it's timely.
Late last week, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki said his government was "looking at the necessity of terminating the foreign presence on Iraqi lands and restoring full sovereignty." Sunday's New York Times had a report on how the Bush administration is contemplating a drawdown of troops in Iraq starting this fall. While one presidential candidate has talked about a responsible but complete exit accomplished as soon as possible, the other has a brave new vision of a future Iraq, complete with permanent bases and all the fun stuff that comes with them.
It appears we are heading towards a place where on an issue he needs to win, John McCain is ostracized and on an island in believing our nation need maintain a permanent and robust military presence in Iraq.
If American voters overwhelmingly believe every citizen should have health care (and they do), that we need to end the Iraq War (and they do) and that Republican leadership has failed to accomplish much save bringing on the post profound period of malaise and fear in recent memory (yep, they believe that too), how can a Republican win a presidential election?
Yup.
And that's why this magazine cover is so important: it displays not only the absurdity of the attacks leveled against Obama, (here's my favorite terrorist fist bump btw) but how "mainstream" they've had to become at a time when a generally transcendent political figure is running against a man who can't even use a computer--a time when a man who will accept his party's nomination for president in a football stadium is running against a man who struggles to read off of a teleprompter.
The Obama campaign even issued a statement on it, calling it "tasteless and offensive." A McCain spokesman agreed.
There's a lot going in the picture: Michelle O sporting a Panther-esque afro, a very large gun and combat gear; the American flag burning in the fireplace; Obama clad in muslim garb; and a portrait of Uncle Osama hanging on the wall. And of course, the whole scene takes place in the Oval Office.
It's the whisper campaign personified, validated even, if only for a second, in a caricature of what the first couple of the United States would look like if (GASP) the rumors were all true.
It's funny. And it's timely.
Late last week, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki said his government was "looking at the necessity of terminating the foreign presence on Iraqi lands and restoring full sovereignty." Sunday's New York Times had a report on how the Bush administration is contemplating a drawdown of troops in Iraq starting this fall. While one presidential candidate has talked about a responsible but complete exit accomplished as soon as possible, the other has a brave new vision of a future Iraq, complete with permanent bases and all the fun stuff that comes with them.
It appears we are heading towards a place where on an issue he needs to win, John McCain is ostracized and on an island in believing our nation need maintain a permanent and robust military presence in Iraq.
If American voters overwhelmingly believe every citizen should have health care (and they do), that we need to end the Iraq War (and they do) and that Republican leadership has failed to accomplish much save bringing on the post profound period of malaise and fear in recent memory (yep, they believe that too), how can a Republican win a presidential election?
Yup.
And that's why this magazine cover is so important: it displays not only the absurdity of the attacks leveled against Obama, (here's my favorite terrorist fist bump btw) but how "mainstream" they've had to become at a time when a generally transcendent political figure is running against a man who can't even use a computer--a time when a man who will accept his party's nomination for president in a football stadium is running against a man who struggles to read off of a teleprompter.
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