The Bare Knuckled Pundit
Grand Inquisitor
Wearing a turban, sandals and a traditional Muslim ankle-length shirt, Barack Obama fist-bumps his wife, Michelle, in the Oval Office. Sporting combat boots with an AK-47 strapped over her shoulder, the two are warmed by a burning American flag in the fireplace behind them as the portrait of what appears to be Osama Bin-Laden watches over the tableau. Having successfully duped the American electorate, rumors that Obama is a Muslim Manchurian candidate have finally come to fruition.
At least that’s the image depicted on the cover of the latest edition of The New Yorker magazine.
While The New Yorker insists it is merely satire, the Obama campaign’s response has been anything but humorous.
Campaign spokesman Bill Burton roundly condemned the cover in a press release, stating that, “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."
Jumping on the indignation bandwagon, McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds quickly e-mailed: “We completely agree with the Obama campaign, it’s tasteless and offensive.”
Kudos to the McCain camp for boldly standing with the Obamites in their crusade to drive the slightest display of a sense of humor, as well as political satire itself out of politics.
Funny that the Clinton campaign actually displayed greater maturity; not only taking Amy Poehler’s lampooning of the candidate on Saturday Night Live in stride, but actually having Hillary appear with her wearing matching pant suits. She may be broke, but at least she's still got her sense of humor. You go, girl!
Providing fresh chum for the media feeding frenzy, the cover is double trouble for Obama’s image sensitive campaign.
Coming less than a week after Obama’s remarks on bilingualism set blogs and message boards ablaze with charges of elitism and shame of his fellow countrymen, the cover has thrust a favorite of the cultural and political elites into the heart of an ongoing debate over politics and class in America. Viewed in conjunction with Obama’s bilingual statement and his remarks earlier in the year to a San Francisco fundraiser regarding the bitterness of Middle American voters, it supports the impression that Obama is the champion of an elite class that views working class and evangelical Americans with disdain and condescension.
Furthermore, it fuels the fears of the 10 percent of registered voters that believe Obama is in fact a Muslim.
In a recent poll conducted by the Pew Center for the People and the Press, 79 percent of respondents said they had heard rumors of Obama’s purported Muslim faith. While those without a college degree outpace those with a degree by 15 percent to 5 percent believing those rumors, belief is relatively equal along racial lines with 10 percent of blacks and 11 percent of whites acknowledging believing them.
With 14 percent of Republicans, 10 percent of Democrats and 8 percent of Independents stating they believe the junior Senator from Illinois is a Muslim, the campaign is highly defensive in the face of anything that might reinforce the fear that Obama is a modern Muslim Manchurian candidate.
Clearly the issues of classism and faith remain to be addressed by the Obama camp, particularly in light of recent polls placing the presidential race in a virtual dead heat. With these lingering issues dogging the presumptive Democratic nominee, one wonders how much effort it will take Republicans to derail a candidacy that repeatedly shoots itself in the foot and is haunted by deep seeded misperceptions.
With friends like these, who needs enemies, faithful readers? Stay tuned for further updates as events warrant and the indignation grows.
At least that’s the image depicted on the cover of the latest edition of The New Yorker magazine.
While The New Yorker insists it is merely satire, the Obama campaign’s response has been anything but humorous.
Campaign spokesman Bill Burton roundly condemned the cover in a press release, stating that, “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."
Jumping on the indignation bandwagon, McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds quickly e-mailed: “We completely agree with the Obama campaign, it’s tasteless and offensive.”
Kudos to the McCain camp for boldly standing with the Obamites in their crusade to drive the slightest display of a sense of humor, as well as political satire itself out of politics.
Funny that the Clinton campaign actually displayed greater maturity; not only taking Amy Poehler’s lampooning of the candidate on Saturday Night Live in stride, but actually having Hillary appear with her wearing matching pant suits. She may be broke, but at least she's still got her sense of humor. You go, girl!
Providing fresh chum for the media feeding frenzy, the cover is double trouble for Obama’s image sensitive campaign.
Coming less than a week after Obama’s remarks on bilingualism set blogs and message boards ablaze with charges of elitism and shame of his fellow countrymen, the cover has thrust a favorite of the cultural and political elites into the heart of an ongoing debate over politics and class in America. Viewed in conjunction with Obama’s bilingual statement and his remarks earlier in the year to a San Francisco fundraiser regarding the bitterness of Middle American voters, it supports the impression that Obama is the champion of an elite class that views working class and evangelical Americans with disdain and condescension.
Furthermore, it fuels the fears of the 10 percent of registered voters that believe Obama is in fact a Muslim.
In a recent poll conducted by the Pew Center for the People and the Press, 79 percent of respondents said they had heard rumors of Obama’s purported Muslim faith. While those without a college degree outpace those with a degree by 15 percent to 5 percent believing those rumors, belief is relatively equal along racial lines with 10 percent of blacks and 11 percent of whites acknowledging believing them.
With 14 percent of Republicans, 10 percent of Democrats and 8 percent of Independents stating they believe the junior Senator from Illinois is a Muslim, the campaign is highly defensive in the face of anything that might reinforce the fear that Obama is a modern Muslim Manchurian candidate.
Clearly the issues of classism and faith remain to be addressed by the Obama camp, particularly in light of recent polls placing the presidential race in a virtual dead heat. With these lingering issues dogging the presumptive Democratic nominee, one wonders how much effort it will take Republicans to derail a candidacy that repeatedly shoots itself in the foot and is haunted by deep seeded misperceptions.
With friends like these, who needs enemies, faithful readers? Stay tuned for further updates as events warrant and the indignation grows.
