The sad thing is that the New Yorker adores Obama and wants him to become president. I assume that thinking people can agree on that point?

So here's this bus load of ardent liberals trying to make Obama and his wife blaze in glory on the cover of an important national magazine and essentially promote his run for the presidency but ultimately -- and with the best of intentions -- end up tossing Obama and his wife under the same political bus where Obama has already tossed so many people that used to love and adore him before they became political liabilities or simply served as expedient sacrifices during his run.

Poetic justice, eh, what?

Poetic Justice, perhaps.

But, I am not so sure The New Yorker didn't know exactly what they were doing with that cover.

At The New Yorker Magazine... I mean, yeah 'that's their story and they are sticking to it' of course, in regards to their public explanation about why they did the cover.

........but as a long time fan of the magazine and having subscribed to it myself when I was in college I strongly suspect they indeed knew what a fury this sort of satire would create from the fanatical Obama-ites themselves.

And I think that knew it was long overdue to infuriate and arouse and therefore show that edge of coin in America.

As a few other posters I have read on this subject have noted it has been far too long already that the main of the press and the satirical media commenters have been gun shy and terrified to even show an inkling of negativity against the Obama ites appointed 'crowned prince of light', and I believe the New Yorker knows that and wanted to expose the insanity of the Obamabots because they had to have known the overt outrage from his fawning bots would ensue when they ran the cover.

They had to have known that at The New Yorker.

And boy did the Obama bots ever comply.

The screaming and gnashing of teeth from Obamaites is still raging from sea to shining sea.

lol.

Great Congratulations to the New Yorker for having the courage to even begin to take a satirical look at the dynamics that make up this election season.

LaurieAnn, you point out what makes this cover so brilliant. It takes a big risk for a big payoff.

On the surface it's a satire of the nation's dumbasses, who actually believe Obama is the Manchurian Terrorist Sympathizer, as well as their masters, who would like to promote this notion.

But, below the surface it is calculated for controversy, bringing to light the thin-skinned people (and interest groups of course) who can't help but subscribe to Obama's cult of personality. As you say, this satirizes the whole dynamics of this election season.

Not to mention, this $ells magazines!

exactly. The precise point I was making. Thx for getting that.

That's the age old historical M.O. of The New Yorker..i.e..to provoke, expose and make people think about all the various dynamics and implications of such dynamics, on all sides of and around every issue and beyond.

They certainly have succeeded in their efforts to maintain that spectacular cutting edge with this cover.

Obama-bots? Seriously?

Wouldn't you be upset if someone drew a cartoon of you or your candidate depicted as a terrorist? I think it's a natural gut reaction. And I don't think it's fair to call people thin-skinned for having a visceral reaction to such a powerful image. This isn't pointing out something that may be true about Obama and taking him to task on it, like being too naive or not having enough experience. No, it shows him and his wife plotting to take down America from inside the oval office. Of course The New Yorker has every right to put this picture on their cover, but supporters of Obama also have every right to be upset about it.

Nobody has drawn McCain as a terrorist per-se, but they do depict him as an old buffoon and an incompetent. They also depict Bush as a terrorist and a war criminal and recently accused Antonin Scalia of indirectly murdering innocent people. So I think Jesus Ghandi Obama should be fair game too. The Muslim thing is way off base, I'll agree with that, we have evidence in that asshole Jerimiah Wright that Obama attended a Christian church for years. Now the Angela Davis caricature of Michelle Obama, weeeelllll, let's just say if Michelle Obama tells me and a crowd of my friends and family to go take a shower, I think I'll elect to stink. I truly believe she hates whites as much as that racist bastard David Duke hates blacks. But it's not racism when black people engage in it is it? No, the media paints it as a natural and justified reaction. And I do believe that Obama hates America, at least in its present state, so the flag burning in the fireplace is a little more on the mark than any of the Obama fanatics are going to admit because they too hate America in its present state and love Obama because they feel that he's going to play fruit-basket-turnover with the present order and usher in some kind of utopian vision.

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe The New Yorker does think Obama is a closet terrorist who hates America and is plotting to take it down from the inside and that his wife is a militant conspirator. If that's the case, then this cartoon is brilliant and hits the mark dead on! I have no problem with that, if that is their intention. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs.

Quick note though, hating the current state of affairs is not the same as hating America! In fact, that is why we should all love America, because if the government isn't reflecting the will of the people, we have the right to change those in power:

"...governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness."

-Declaration of Independence

Gatewood, welcome back! I've missed you, schnookums.

And some of us are just laughing so, SO hard. Couldn't have happened to a nicer manipulator -- and I don't mean David Remnick, either. Good to see you posting again, my friend.

Fun times up here in Colo. watching the pre-DNC Convention frenzy begin. My commuter train passes the convention venue, The Pepsi Center, every day & all sorts of special construction and adaptation efforts are going on. The excitement is building -- too bad we can't all share or take part in it, emotionally at least.

Be well, my old friend. As ever, The Speaker / "L."