The New Yorker Covers Obama
The New Yorker is getting it from all sides for the cover of their July 21, 2008 edition. With Barack Obama in traditional Muslim attire, Michelle dressed as a terrorist and giving him the official terrorist fist bump, an American flag burning in the fireplace under a picture of Osama bin Laden it definitely takes aim at some of the stereotypes that Obama is facing. Whatever was being aimed at, however, the Obama campaign is claiming that it is Obama who was hit.
"The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that
their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Senator Obama's
right-wing critics have tried to create. But most readers will see it
as tasteless and offensive. And we agree."
It may have sought to parody the "crazy ignorance out there" but supporters of Obama fear that he will be pulled off-message; forced to respond to the stereotypes rather than talk about substantive policy issues.
At least that is what they are saying.
Personally, I think they are using this to navigate away from substantive policy issues. When Obama talks about substantive policy issues he reveals how little substance there is to his campaign. And, further, he can't remember what policies he advocated a few hours earlier so there are news clips of him advocating exactly opposite positions on the very same day.
I think that the Obama campaign ought to hire their very own caricaturist and pass out her drawings to the media. That way they could avoid talk about real issues indefinitely.
