The Obama "New Yorker" cover

I'm sure you've all seen it.

My $0.02? It's a mildly amusing portrait of an image of what a lot of Obama supporters would like to think a lot of the Obama haters have in their minds when they think about him.

In a certain way, it's "cute". But it's also obvious, not very clever at what it's doing, and it's certainly controversial given the media climate.

It's more controversial than clever or creative, which is what I think the big shame is. It's easy to be controversial. I'd be all for something that was potentially way more offensive, if it was more clever in its approach than this cover was. This was just obvious and didn't push any boundaries.

Anyway, they've got a right to print it. I suspect everyone who sees it and appreciates it is already an Obama supporter. And a few people who are not will latch onto it as propaganda for their anti-Obama cause, regardless of whether or not they "get it". So net-net, I think this harms the Obama campaign a little bit, if it does anything at all. That's not "The New Yorker"'s concern, of course.

But regardless, what's refreshing to me is that the person with the most reasonable take on the whole thing turns out to be- drumroll please- Obama himself. Check it out- he's note-perfect in my opinion, from beginning to end:



There's also a great clip of him at a press event where he is first told about the cover, before he's actually seen it. As he's listening to the reporter describe it, he gives a comically exasperated look and shrugs his shoulders, as if to say, "This whole thing is silly." I can't find that clip, but it's gold.

I love this guy.