New Yorker Obama Cover Sparks Uproar

This story was written by Mike Allen.

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Barack?Obama's campaign is condemning as "tasteless and offensive" a New Yorker magazine cover that depicts Obama in a turban, fist-bumping his gun-slinging wife.

An American flag burns in their fireplace.

The New Yorker says it's satire. It certainly will be candy for cable news.

The Obama campaign quickly condemned the rendering. Spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement: "The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Sen. Obama's right-wing critics have tried to create. But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree."

McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds quickly e-mailed: "We completely agree with the Obama campaign, it's tasteless and offensive."

The issue, which goes on sale Monday, includes a long piece by Ryan Lizza about Obama's start in Chicago politics.

At a press availability Sunday afternoon in San Diego, Obama was asked, according to a transcript by Maria Gavrilovic of CBS News: "The upcoming issue of The New Yorker, the July 21 issue, has a picture of you, depicting you and your wife on the cover.

"Have you seen it? If not, I can show it to you on my computer. It shows your wife Michelle with an Afro and an AK-47 and the two of you doing the fist bump with you in a sort of turban-type thing on top. I wondered if you've seen it or if you want to see it or if you have a response to it?"

Obama, shrugging incredulously, replied: "I have no response to that."

The magazine explains at the start of its news release previewing the issue: "On the cover of the July 21, 2008, issue of The New Yorker, in 'The Politics of Fear,' artist Barry Blitt satirizes the use of scare tactics and misinformation in the presidential election to derail Barack Obama's campaign."

Howard Kurtz of The Washington Post said Sunday on his CNN media show "Reliable Sources" that the cover is arguably "incendiary."

"I talked to the editor of The New Yorker, David Remnick, who tells me this is a satire, that they are making fun of all the rumors," Kurtz added.

Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune defended it as "quite within the normal realms of journalism," adding that "it's just lampooning all the crazy ignorance out there."

The panelists agreed it would succeed in its goal of getting attention.
By Mike Allen

[l00ker]

http://www.truthdig.com/cartoon/item/20080715_new_yorker_fist_bump

Not that''s satire, and funny to boot.

[tbweb]

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c
id=1215330966037&pagename=JPost%2FJPArti
cle%2FShowFull

Here''s the true aim of the Jew Yorker, as I have said here before, the jews don''t have that kind of juice here in America anymore, and not a moment too soon.

Posted by l00ker at 10:26 PM : Jul 15, 2008,,,

There is an effort underway in the U.S. to have all new Police Recruits around the nation visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as a part of their training. Many of the new Police Recruits who have already visited cited learning of the horrors in the way German Police were used against German Jews and how not to treat the public themselves! Based on the way Jews were mistreated in Germany I am always a little shocked at the way Jews in Israel "reportedly" mistreat Arab Palestinians having experienced mistreatment themselves at the hands of the Nazi Germans, then the thought came to mind that maybe new Israeli Police and Military should visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as part of their training too and learn how "not" to mistreat those under their responsibility since there are so many deaths and complaints!

[l00ker]

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1215330966037&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull


Here''s the true aim of the Jew Yorker, as I have said here before, the jews don''t have that kind of juice here in America anymore, and not a moment too soon.

[mtracy9]

The New Yorker is just another example of the U.S corporate media and its owner''s uncomfortableness with the prospect of Obama as President. So the corporate elite comes up with a cartoon that attempts to reinforce a scary stereotype of Obama among the masses. They defend their smear by saying this is just satire, and if others don''t see it as such, it''s because they are unsophisticated. Hopefully, many of the The New Yorker''s subscribers will see this editorial caracature for what it is -- dirty politics -- and cancel their subscriptions.

[libsluv2spit]

"Spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement: %u201CThe New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Sen. Obama''s right-wing critics have tried to create. But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree."

************
its liberal based news gone wrong..AS alays

[kemahcw]

I didn''t blame anybody for anything, I just stated a fact, white people created american racism. that magic wand you talk about is called racism, you have and have had many great advantages because of racism whether you like it or not, whether you admit it or not. and please don''t give me the old, I had it just as bad as you line, it only shows you how racism has blinded you from the truth.
I haven''t said anything hateful or unethical to you or in any of my comments but the racism and hatred inside of you has led you to attack me! like I said before, watch and learn...

Kemah

[mtracy9]

The New Yorker is just another example of the U.S corporate media and its owner''s uncomfortableness with the prospect of Obama as President. So the corporate elite comes up with a cartoon that attempts to reinforce a scary stereotype of Obama among the masses. Hopefully, many of the The New Yorker''s subscribers will see this editorial caracature for what it is--dirty politics--and cancel their subscriptions.

[mycomment-2009]

Then why doesn''t the New Yorker have another cover with McCain surrounded by Mexican illegals and a flag in the background that says "United States Of Mexico"???? That would be funny and true if people would be dumb enough to vote for Amnesty Mccain
Posted by TRBundro1277 at 06:06 PM : Jul 15, 2008

I can''t help but laugh at some people who post here. So TRBundro thinks it would be FUNNY if the magazine cover featured McCain as stated above....but NOT FUNNY if it''s Obama. Personally, I think they both are funny....the''re just caricatures depicting political humor and satire...nothing more...isn''t your Sunday paper full of them? I know mine is...and a lot of them are pretty over the top. I think this one is particularly brilliant in the way it depicts the absurdity of some peoples beliefs about Obama.

[trbundro1277]

Satire and sarcasm are generally not understood by people with a high school education or less or with an IQ of 95 or lower.
Posted by minnick8 Spoken like a true liberal. "Everyone else is just not that smart so we the liberal goverment must take care of you."
Posted by Barocalto at 05:57 PM : Jul 15, 2008
** Yeah, but your so-called conservative government under Bush/Mccain would give amnesty to over 12 million illegals and give rich people even more cheaper labor. The rich get richer and more corrupted! Find a true conservative candidate that is against amnesty as the Republican candidate, and I would consider voting for him as long has he doesn''t promise tax cuts to the rich people! The country does lean slightly right of middle, the only problem is that on the topic of amnesty for illegals, Mccain is way farther to the left of center than any of the democrats that ran for president. I hate Mccain! I would really honesty vote for a foreigner over Mccain, because atleast the foreingner wouldn''t give amnesty to over 12 million illegals like Mccain wants!

[trbundro1277]

17 months ago the Democratics took control of congress and look what has happened since that time.
The Democractic lead congress has in only 17 months, killed the housing market, got gas prices up to $4.30
per gallon and the stock market closed below 11K, man the Dem''''''''s sure know how to help the little guy... Posted by Barocalto at 05:22 PM : Jul 15, 2008
*** You always try finding a way to blame the democrats for high gas.. I wonder who the gas and oil companies give money to???? The Republicans! Duh! The Republicans are the ones that want high gas prices so that they make more profit, heck, between bush and cheney, they own stocks in over 12 oil companies! Do you not see how much money they are making off of this? The Dems only have one more vote than the repubs in senate and congress anyways!