Is the Cover of The New Yorker July 21st 2008 part of a Media plot against Obama?

The peace of God to all that belong to the light,

Dear Readers,

I open this thread to let start a free discussion about the political scandal that has started with this publication that even has produced the drastic reaction of the Barak Obama Campaign team. This news actually falls in the political arena, in moments in which all the polls showed a clear winner with huge advantage, as a genuine Atomic bomb which impact in the mind of the electors only the time can define.

Here is the extensive report of the Obama Campaign official reaction:
news.yahoo.com...



This illustration provided by The New Yorker magazine, the cover of the July 21, 2008 issue by artist Barry Blitt, shows Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama dressed as a Muslim and his wife as a terrorist. The magazine says the cover is meant to satirize the use of scare tactics and misinformation in the presidential election to derail Obama
(AP Photo/New Yorker)

Here are the reactions of both campaigns McCain and Obama about this illustration and condeming the action:
www.popcrunch.com...

Pls read the first notes of press about this incident and the reactions:

www.boston.com...

news.yahoo.com...

www.celebridiot.com...


During the last 24 hours, since this scandal exploided, Los Angeles Times has open in their website a discussion panel of this publication that has now hundreds of replies of any kind of opinions:

latimesblogs.latimes.com...

Feel free to participate in this thread and express your opinion, posting your anwers to this essential five questions about this incident that promise to be probably the Scandal of the Presidential Election of 2008.

thanks, for your atention,

your friend,


The Angel of lightness




[edit on 7/14/2008 by The angel of light]

A picture of Osama Bin Laden above the mantle. An American flag burning in the fireplace terrorists & Muslims and doing the secret hand bump. I wonder why they didn't just take a rope with a noose and hang it from a tree too. I guess the New Yahkaa is too sophisticated for that.

Only when America has a black president, it is proven that the shackles of slavery from the past are broken....

sorry for the one liner but it is time someone says it.

The Peace of God to all that belong to the light,
Dear Readers,

Hi,

I think is a good idea to start here in this forum a quick poll of questions about this so important incident and its influence in the election :

1) What do you think about this so radical way to satirize the use of scare tactics and what or who is behind it?

2) Is it indeed an acceptable way to warns about misinformation or even worst that the supposed bad practice that is trying to denounce?

3) Is this incident going to benefit Obama or the contrary to damage him politically?

4) is the damage to the public image of Barak Obama already done it does not matter how can be repaired or excused laterly by The Newyorker?

5) Is the New Yorker's Muslim Obama cover incendiary or satire?


6) "An image says more than 100 words" said Kong fu tse but the use of a writen message in one sense but matched with images in other completly opposed direction can be considered as a subliminal publishing?

and finally, just to prevent the consequences that this publication will affront and the situation that is coming soon for the New Yorker, let me ask a last so imperative question:

7) Do you think The New Yorker and the artist Barry Blitt must be demanded, banned or censored for bad use of the press freedom & possible illegal manipulation of the public opinion?


thanks, for your atention,

your friend,


The Angel of lightness


[edit on 7/14/2008 by The angel of light]

It has nothing to do with Polls. In fact, Obama had dropped 12 pts. in Newsweek and other polls prior to this illustration.

Obama screwed over New York's Senator so they're probably just getting back at him some for his more than dirty politics.

[edit on 14-7-2008 by jetxnet]

Why is everything about Obama? Did the parody hurt his feelings? Do we want a President whose feelings get hurt that easily?

Where was everybody when Bush was parodied numerous times by the same magazine? Were we worried about Bush and his feelings getting hurt?

Phill Gramm called us a "Nation of Whiners" the other day.

Obama proved him right today.

And to think I lost my debate to Andrew Wiggins came down to a deciding factor for one of two judges that McCain's temper was not fit for leadership (that and a missing a post) in tipping their vote. So much for going by the facts.

I didn't even get a closing statement or chance to address the last set of questions and no doubt would have pointed out Barack's spoiled child arrogance when things aren't going his way and that this is certainly no worse than McCain's temper when weighing in personality character traits.

Well,

I respect the different points of view expressed with respect to this incident of the New Yorker. However, this is at least is pretty unusual, not all the days a person that is a strong candidate for the most important job of the country appears ridiculized in connection with terrorist organizations and with his wife dressed as one member of those groups.

Anyway, it is important to mention that for a very similar incident happened only a year ago in Spain, a very famous magazine in that country was legally prosecuted and it was found guilty in the court of the crime of insult against a Public personality, in that case the Prince of Asturias.

The director and the journalist involved in that scandal were finned with 3000 euros, each one. The judge also ordered that all the copies of the magazine were confiscated. Those guys are even affronting the possibility to go 2 years to a prision for defame the Prince of Spain.

It is also important to clarify that the spanish incident less grave in several aspects that this one occuring with Senator Barak Obama, since the loyalty or patriotism of the figure that was victim of the cartoon difamation was never touched, it was only a case of invasion or lack of respect to his private life.

Please check the case at:

www.metabunker.dk...

www.typicallyspanish.com...

www.exposay.com...

www.thinkspain.com...

So is it really allowed in mature democracies this type of humoristic journalism that reaches the limits of the decency? `

Thanks for your participation in the thread,

your friend,

The Angel of lightness




[edit on 7/14/2008 by The angel of light]

reply to post by The angel of light


Here I always thought that the New Yorker was a bit on the Liberal side...

Mind explaining how a Liberal magazine is exploiting a Liberal candidate?

In fact, the article in question is insulting Republicans.

But I suppose it takes a little intelligence to get past pretty pictures.

The Peace of God to all that belong to the light,
Dear Readers,

Well as far as I can remember the cartoon of the New Yorker with respect to the way in which some media treat the image of Senator Barak Obama has only few precedents in the political journalism history of USA. All of them occured in a so different political context too, and never during a campaign.

The only similar cartoons, I mean the ones that show a public figure, a high ranked functionary of the goverment possibly linked with illegal activies were the ones published about the Iran-Contras scandal, pointed to President Ronald Reagan as possible intellectual author of that treason scandal, a real issue that linked a Federal administration with a foreign enemy goverment, or the Watergate, with respect to Richard Nixon sponsoring of political spionage and the subsequent cover up that finally forced his resignation.

you can see what I am talking about below:
























However, the situation was entirely different, since anyway there were official investigations opened in the Congress around political scandals in which the respetive President was at least a suspicious to be guilty.

This thesis is supported in part by the article of Seymour M. Hersh in the New Yorker to justify the use of the cartoon as a poltical tool. Nevertheless, as I told the circumstances were completly different, under the presure of actual political scandals in which grave corruption of public functionaries was exposed and being judged by the justice.

chk the article of Hersh here:
www.newyorker.com...

In the present situation, there is no formal accusation in any way against Senator Barak Obama that could justify the improper treatment that he is receiving for some diaries and probably his only "crime" is to want to be President.

Thanks for your atention,

The Angel of lightness





[edit on 7/15/2008 by The angel of light]

There is no media plot AGAINST Obama. More like FOR him (at least with MSNBC).

The cover of The New Yorker is satire. I think it's great BUT it isn't going to be understood by people and therefore there will be complaints. Obama doesn't understand the satire ... or he understands that lots of people won't understand .. and he calls it offensive (satire is lots of the time).

I can't blame him for not liking it.