New Yorker cartoon ignites a firestorm
Monday was a typical Washington day, with the media providing us with a kerfuffle du jour to distract us from all of that repetitive stuff about gasoline prices, people losing their homes and soldiers dying in far-off wars.
And this time the kerfuffle was all about ... a cartoon!
In case you spent Monday in a submarine exploring the depths of Lake Erie and somehow missed it, The New Yorker this week ran a cartoon on its cover that featured Barack Obama in a robe and turban. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee was shown fist-jabbing his rifle-toting wife in an Oval Office where a portrait of Osama bin Laden hung above the mantle and the U.S. flag burned bright in the fireplace.
Now this was supposed to be a parody of all the Internet-fueled hooey that's convinced some Americans that Obama is, well, just not one of us.
And it reminded me of the woman I met in North Carolina a couple months ago, who said to me: "I hate Barack Obama. I think he's a Muslim. And I can't stand that minister of his!"
Now what do you think she will make of that cartoon?
-- Jerry Zremski
Ok, maybe it was in bad taste for some, everyone has a right to thier opinion. But I am one liberal, who agrees...ITS A CARTOON! It was satire!
Why does no one object to the Hilary-as-a-nutcracker gizmo that you find in all those junk catalogues you get in the mail? The Nation cover-and tshirt, portraying Bush as Alfred E. Newman?
Chill, folks, have a laugh!
Posted by: Karen | July 21, 2008 at 12:58 PM
Why are there no threads to follow on the Buffalo Snooze's blog regarding their story of Buffalo cops, living in the suburbs taking home cars at taxpayer expense? An Escalade - cmon - sell it, fund some Crime Dog activity or something. Someone start a thread please (I think I just did).
Posted by: I Love Broken Gold | July 19, 2008 at 01:31 PM
It amuses me that some of you tools cling blithely to belief that the right will save you when they sold you all down the river in order to line thier own pockets. You want an example of republican leadership, look at the gas prices, the forclosures, the devaluation of your currency, your lack of economic opportunity, questions about your retirement, questions about your childrens future, the corrupted legal system......these things have all been brought to you by the GOP
If thats the future you want then enjoy it.
Posted by: The Relocated | July 19, 2008 at 10:46 AM
From a campaign in 1988 defined by mudslinging, to a campaign in 2008 defined by effete whining.
How the mighty have fallen.
Posted by: TC | July 17, 2008 at 03:40 PM
Question: are Barack and Michelle Obama more special and more important than Jesus and the Virgin Mary?
In September 1999 the Brooklyn Museum of Art sponsored controversial art exhibit that included a doll of Jesus wearing a condom and a painting of the Virgin Mary surrounded by elephant dung and cut-outs pornographic pictures.
Rudy Giuliani, who was Mayor at the time, said the exhibit was offensive and threatened to withhold future funding from the Museum. All of the liberals and elitists from around the country including Hillary Clinton, who at the time was First Lady, harshly criticized Giuliani for his stance on "art".
It will be interesting to hear Hillary Clinton and her bunch of liberal elitists screech and howl and tell us how offended we should be about the cartoon on the New Yorker Magazine cover that features Barack Obama in a robe and turban and fist-jabbing with his rifle-toting wife in an Oval Office where a portrait of Osama bin Laden hangs above the mantle and the U.S. flag burned bright in the fireplace.
Posted by: OP Mike | July 17, 2008 at 02:24 PM
The Senator being a public figure running for President needs to develop a stronger backbone to handle the pressures of a foolish Magazine like the New Yorker. The New Yorker surely went over the top on this cover. Now there room for questions...
Posted by: WilliamTell | July 15, 2008 at 10:33 PM
DUHHHH!!!! It's a cartoon...Like it or don't like it. If you do, vote. If you don't, vote. You get the last say.
Posted by: Observer | July 15, 2008 at 07:08 PM
You mean Osama and Obama aren't the same person????
Posted by: Steve in Wheatfield | July 15, 2008 at 05:32 PM
Perfect' I ordered my New Yorker today and may order for a friend. Finally somebody had what it takes to wake people up' it's who they are. I believe this may change the minds of many on the fence, it's hard to get that picture out of your head.
Posted by: bout time | July 15, 2008 at 03:16 PM
It's very bad taste, entirely inappropriate and not even remotely funny. If you want to take a jab at the people who stupidly think Obama is an America-hating Muslim then doing a cartoon depicting Obama as a Muslim without also including in the cartoon the intended object (the people who stupidly think Obama is an America-hating Muslim) is not the way to do it.
Posted by: Chancellor Carlyle Roberts, II | July 15, 2008 at 02:47 PM
It's funny that two left-wing elitists (Obama and the NY'er) are arguing over who is politically correct.
On the other hand, I have seen Bush drawn as a monkey, and Hillary as leather-clad dominatrix with whips and chains. No tears from the Obama camp on those. How about if Obama is drawn as a Monkey? When dealing with Obama, it's all about political-correctness.
Posted by: pgr88 | July 15, 2008 at 02:09 PM
I feel that he is not one of us either. I dont trust him for a minute.
Posted by: Anti Obama | July 15, 2008 at 10:42 AM
I think the cover represents a new low in journalism. The New Yorker may think it is wonderful but to me the magazine now represents nothing more than the tabloid trash we see at every supermarket.
Posted by: Ron | July 15, 2008 at 09:55 AM