Hey we do have freedom of speech. And you are free to take the pic and think of it as you will! No matter what pictures are posted there will always be people who don’t like the Obama’s and think that they are bad people. So to each his own I say.

We just need to be glad that we live in a country where we can say or do anything in the press with out fear.

Cindy…Ga.

Why do you think Obama made the speech where he said the hate is coming?. This will all blow up in the face of the GOP. The more you hate the worse it looks on you after awhile. So………keep it coming Republicans. That is the way your party always plays the game. Obama is ready…………………..

I get what they are saying about it being satire but I still find it offensive and disrespectful to the Obamas. Can’t wait to see the one that they do on the McCains.

Geez…the New Yorker. Another stereotype bites the dust. Why would they do that. Of course, your own Jeff Toobin scoffed at the idea that “someone whose middle name is Hassein could beat a Clinton” So, it goes on.

People need to look in the mirror and see where The New Yorker got the concept for the images. This country is gonna end up like Nazi Germany and we’ll have Gestapo police watching our every move.

Satire really only is effective when there is a little truth behind it. So no, I don’t call it “satire” at all. What WOULD be satire would be a cartoon of a boozy Cindy McCain being carried around in a litter on a mattress stuffed with old money, and being carried by old, out of work, and underinsured, union brewery workers, while throwing money-filled hot dogs to the fat, special interest “fatcats” lapping at her feet.

To Every Last New Yorker Employee,

I am disgusted, hurt, insulted, and disheartened by the lame excuse for satire that reared its hideous face today on the cover of your magazine. Have sales been declining? Are you really all that racist? Have you any idea what you have just done to the mentalities and sentiments of those who have for years been afraid of and intimidated by this country’s political process? Perhaps that notion is what motivated you to publish the sick, sad, lack of artistic expression that you have shoved into the sight and minds of those innocently trying to make an honest effort to learn about and understand the political process. The New Yorker has foolishly mistaken the true meaning of free speech; evidenced by your excuse for publishing the cover as is. While I am sure you are aware of the impact it will have on this year’s political process and the persons of African decent that were considering participating in it, allow me to take a moment to explain to you why so many Americans are upset and hurt by your latest publication. You see, this is not the first (and probably not the last) destructive, fear motivated depiction of us as a people. For years, we have been depicted as monkeys, terrorists, drug addicts, sex-crazed, and much, much more. Images of us have long been used to scare white people away from supporting dialogue about issues pertaining to us and the candidates that dare to bring them to the forefront. For even longer, media has done the same to insure that there is an imprint in the minds and souls of Black people reminding us that we really have no place in your society/politics. How sick of you to even consider such an illustration. You should all be ashamed of yourselves. In fact, the person who drew the image should step down IMMEDIATELY. I am a 23 year-old African American recent college graduate who, for the first time is excited about this country’s political process. I expected people to attempt to reopen the wounds left by slavery, jim crow, the civil rights, movement, and just the basic every day mistreatment and degradation brought about by such entities as yourselves, but never did I expect this. I was in tears the minute I saw this on the news. I don’t read your publication, never have, and never will; yet somehow I have been exposed to your garbage. I sure hope this isn’t your attempt at marketing your tasteless magazine. Even if this were honestly your attempt at satire, it is proof of the racism that exists within your hearts and proof that when it comes to intelligently bringing the politics of race to the mainstream of political discussions, you made a deliberate attempt to do so at the expense of black people. What a sad day this is for America .

From the heart,

Destiny Thomas

Oakland , CA

Unfortually they have the right to do it ,but it shows how mentally challenged the staff of The New Yorker odviously are.To think they set around a table thinking of some ideas ,and someone suggested this cover ,and the rest of the staff was like thats awesome,that will be the greatest cover ever.Like i said MENTALLY CHALLENGED,

Yes, we do have freedom of speech. However, the reason so many of us, Obama supporters are upset by the New Yorker’s cover is that a vast number of Americans will NOT read the corresponding article, they will simply see the cartoon online. A vast many of these people, do not understand the meaning of satire, nor do they “think” for themselves. They will look at the cartoon and take it at face value.

Sadly, most of us, do not read, we get our ‘news’ through AM Radio sound bites from the likes of Limbaugh, Savage, Reagan & Hannity. Or they get emails, like the ones floating around the web about Obama being Muslim ( A LIE). POLLS SHOW THAT 29% OF AMERICANS BELIEVE HE WENT TO AN ISLAMIC SCHOOL! And another 12% believe that he is Muslim. So when the cover of the New Yorker shows Sen. Obama & his wife, in a light which these people believe to be TRUE………. ITS A PROBLEM!

I can’t believe that the New Yorker published this pathetic image. The First Amendment gave them the right to do this, but where is their sense of responsibility to the American people? Will next week bring us a caricature of John McCain making propaganda tapes for the North Vietnamese?

Funny, I don’t seem to recall reading any of your blogs while Hillary Clinton faced sexist remarks from the media and their political pundits. So I guess this blog isn’t about ALL of our daughters, just some of them?

I completely agree with you destiny .I am a white male 28 that is also excited for the first time about the opportunity we have as a country ,and i am very dissappointed that people would resort to this.You can clearly see that someone had to be racist just to draw people depicted the way they did .They can say what they want ,but the saying is “a picture says 1000 words”

I strongly feel that the cover of the New Yorker magazine was very offensive to Senator and Mrs. Obama. It reminded me, a 57-year-old African-American teacher, of an awful time, in this country’s history, when African-Americans were characterized as “childish”, uneducated and “buffoons”. Blacks were depicted as caricatures that were “satirized” in the form of drawings, photographs, toys, salt and pepper shakers, etc. The Obama picture on the cover of the New Yorker magazine that is depicted as “satirical” reminds me of the Black memorabilia of long ago in which Black adults and children were portrayed in a false, misleading and cruel light.

So Remnick, like i said the hood is off and here comes the real people. If a person that is running for the president of your country and you can be such a dirty bastard for free speech. just imagine what the other country and the world is saying about these US of A. Sgaskellhels others and the media relishes in such distasteful journalism along with all the other gutter news media who just enjoy this kind of mud, like the pigs they are. ” Like this comment or not”. These are the reason the USA is so not respected and its citizens not liked abroad. Because cartoons or no cartoon where does it begin and where does it end. No one can blame young folks for the garbage they portray on TV or in the music media. The way we disgrace our leaders, our country and ourselves comes in many different forms. This is just one of the bigotry, shameful, decayed and disgusting so called art or so called cartoon gutter news. Like I said all the hoods are coming off and it is not even close to November as yet. WHAT’S NEXT

I’ve been listening to the New Yorker people and other journalists defending this cover all day –but they haven’t convinced me. I realize the cover is supposed to be satire for the sophisticated–but I find it offensive and abhorrent and not even thought-provoking (as satire should be). I’m afraid it will fan the fires of ignorance, fear, stereotyping, and racism. I remember the day many months ago when my hairdresser said to me that she didn’t like Obama, whispering “Did you know–he’s a Muslim!” There is so much ignorance and prejudice out there, and I’m afraid this cover will just feed the fire. Even if people realize that it is perhaps “exaggerated,” I think many will also say, well, where there’s smoke there’s fire–so maybe the Obamas wouldn’t BURN the flag, but they aren’t really patriotic, maybe they wouldn’t hang up a picture of bin Laden, but maybe they would be “soft” on him, or whatever. Also, I think depicting Michelle Obama as a black miltant is really racist and shows more fear-mongering, implying that any strong black woman (or man) must be angry and militant and anti-American. We are already dealing with trying to overcome a lot of fear and ignorance to encourage people to be broad-minded enough to consider a candidate on his merits and judment and ability to govern, not on whether he looks like and has a name and background like Presidents from the past. I think the New Yorker people are preening themselves because they think they are so sophisticated in putting forth this cartoon, but in this case I think they have not examined this deeply enough to realize that this cartoon isn’t smart, it’s dumb, in more ways than one.

Larry, ignorance is bliss. Does bigotry an excuse for what you don’t understand or do not believe in. What does your comment got to do with the price of tea in China? So you voted for the dummy we now have, Where did that get us. Again, what does cartoon bigotry got to do with your comment?.

All sewer smears and bigotry are coming out daily. Who will “bee” the next Xhole?

PEOPLE JUST DO NOT BUY THE NEW YORKER ANYMORE.
whatever it takes, when they come out with this trash either turn the channels or hit them in the POCKET WHERE IT HURTS DEEPLY. That is what Martin Luther King did, now we have the technology to do even more.

Sad !
Two different messages come out of this cartoon. Ridiculing the Obamas and the burning of the flag ?
Shame on you New Yorker!

JAG

I found this cover offensive and divisive. It only fuels fear of Muslim Americans and hurts Obama’s chances for unity. It’s disgusting. I will never read that rag again. I mean the rag THE NEW YORKER.

SHAME on you New Yorker!! I immediately canceled my subscription as my small symbol of the disgust I feel toward your staff and the heinous cover.

This is not satire- this is hate mongering at the basest level. There is no positive message to be gotten from this – have you all become so puffed up with your own importance at the New Yorker that you have lost touch with what hurts, offends, demeans, and sickens? Are you so desperate for attention that you could stoop this low??? Leave that to the tabloids, please…..

Jesse Jackson already threw Obama under the bus for wanting unity.

For those people who won’t know that the cover is satire they probably don’t read the New Yorker anyway. For those that do, they need to educate themselves on what satire is and isn’t and then make up their own minds as to the cover. The New Yorker is pitched at a specific audience – one that knows these things are not true about Obama.

If this is what the next 8 years will be like if Obama is elected President where everything we say or print is decried as tasteless and offensive unless its laudatory of Obama then I fear for our freedom of speech and literary expression.

Obama probably in a way loves this cover and the controversy it has created – it keeps his name at the forefront of the news without him spending a dime.

Annie Kate
Birmingham AL

Yes – what a great country we live in where this is not censored.
But…how stupid can the New Yorker be to think this is amusing? I’ve lost all respect for the magazine – I mean, Satire?? What does promoting the slanderous email chain letters with this cartoon have to do with Satire.?

Those people from the New Yorker need to take a lesson from Barack Obama .The school he attended was, and still is a Christian influenced Prep school.He attended classes with children of many diffrent races and religous backgrounds. He went to the beach and shot hoops with them after school. He learned that what is IMPORTANT is not the color of your skin or what church you attennd but who you are and how you treat people. He grew up, studied hard and married a smart , beautiful woman. They are the kind of people this country needs in the White House. Shame on you New Yorker!!

Kent, before you go pointing fingers at The republicans,please get your story straight. The NewYorker, likes the Obamas this I do not understand,but to each his own. And if this picture made you cry, you must not have much of a life. Since when did Blacks become AA’s, if you were born in The USA, and your parents were born here you are Americans, If you were not born in Africa, or lived in Africa how can you be AA’s. If America has treated you and your family so bad maybe you should move to Africa.

@IGNOR Did the Gestapo tell you who I voted for? I’m an American not a hyphenated American. If you actually read past the cover then you would become educated ( that is the promise of Barack) .

Its incredible how the cover of a magazine can generate so much explosive hate. But then its not the magazine, its that this undercurrent of divisiveness was just looking for an excuse to let some people say how they really feel about other Americans while blaming a cover illustration. Those Dutch cartoonists showed us that we are not immune to radical outcries for censorship in this country; that scares me.

Why the vitriol?

Who cares about the magazine cover?

As satire it was effective. If you think it was bigotry, quit whining , just exercise your right to not buy it. Like it or not, we live in a country that still does give the right to free speech and choice. Granted, we seem to be moving towards a social structure that wants to limit the basics our country was founded for.

Have we become a nation of victims? Or do we find ourselves in a position of our own making? As a nation, we elected this president, not once but twice. Well maybe just once, depending on your views of the Supreme Court’s decision to involve itself in the election.

Look deep inside and see what your gut tells you about the state of affairs, the intentions of those running for office and let go of the need to react to every little blip the media blow up into rating and profit.

There are tremendous forces of self interest and special interests at work in all things and we, the electorate, have the opportunity to send a message.

Quit being reactive. Quit being victimized. Take responsibility our actions and work through the tough times our prior choices have created.

@destiny: being that YOU’RE not racist, why are you excited for the first time about the political process THIS YEAR?

” I am a 23 year-old African American recent college graduate who, for the first time is excited about this country’s political process. I expected people to attempt to reopen the wounds “… I’m gonna take a wild wild guess and say you’re voting for the bi-racial Obama??? You see, TRUTH BE TOLD, everyone is racist in some form or another. Most are HUMAN enough to never act on it.

CNN: I thank you for allowing destiny to post that much. She had a lot to say and it was worth merit. Congrats on your college graduation and I wish you much success in any future ventures, Destiny.

I find a huge difference between satire and bad taste….although not an Obama fan I found this offensive.

It is apparent that the New Yorker is attempting to smear Barack Obama name, culture, religion, family and our great country. Instead of the American Flag in the fire place it should be the New Yorker MAGAZINE. This is a despicable reference to this man and his family. If this was a boxing match, this would be a below the belt hit, or worse a bite to the ear.

Correct yourself.

This is not slander. It is libelous.

Published falsehood.

Chris Fotheringham
Elko, Nevada.

Wow well let me count the covers of the New Yorker have had over the years that are controversial…hmmm out there are too many.

Anyone who doesn’t find this funny is obviously not a New Yorker reader and not smart enough to get it.

No most New Yorker readers are smart enought to get it. It is everyone else who doesn’t read the magazine who are “bent out of shape”

Oh yea and did they actually read the related article…i doubt it.

The fact that the media is even talking about this on their broadcasts, is disgusting and plays right into the hands of those who perpetuate these hateful and completely false lies.

The media should be ashamed. We have real issues out there but they would rather talk about distractions. Shame.

It’s a good thing that Don Imus didn’t have anything to do with this cover or the magazine would be removed from circulation until a thorough Congressional investiagtion could be conducted.

I consider myself a democrat and I think the primary race broke the party into two factions of democrats that supported Clinton or Obama and I sensed intellectual supporters of Clinton’s that looked down upon those of us who backed Obama. This cover seems like some high brow attempt at satire that instead looks like something that MAD magazine wouldn’t even show. Freedom of speech? Sure, they have their right but the cover isn’t clever, it’s just plain tasteless.

god forbid if anything is said against obama. how cnn allows the same inarticulate people on their programming is puzzling. you have to laugh though!

the problem is that many people don’t understand satire.

As soon as I saw the upcoming New Yorker cover I cancelled my subscription. While they can claim all they want that it is a satirical statement, I find it offensive and not at all amusing.

Since when did Satire become Stupid???

The New Yorker!!! And they LIKE Obama, How could they get it soooo wrong! With friends like that who needs enemies.

I think the cover shows the lack of respect “americans” have for our presidential candidates. If the cartoon was inside I might say OK but to be on the cover is despicable.

This cover was slime jounalism of the worst kind. It was not funny, it failed as satire but accomplished one thing, and that was the the pandering to the fears of an ignorant, an uneducated demographic.
Are the editors of the New Yorker really that stupid?

It’s disappointing to see how we’re discussing this New Yorker Cover. Regardless of whether or not you’re insulted, offended or even disgusted by the illustration shouldn’t be the point.

Fear mongering and the manipulation of less informed voters has been practiced for decades…and we see that alive and well in this election cycle…perhaps even stronger than ever.

Let’s all get off our high horses of needing to express how insulted or upset we are over the image — and actually take that time and energy to discuss the very issues and concerns the New Yorker cover represents.

why was did he get sworn in to his office in a privet seramony on the karon ?

i don’t know what the new yorker was thinking when they published it, but this picture is tasteless and offensive. yes, we have the freedom of speech, but this freedom of speech doesn’t need to be abused.

putting obama and his wife in the same picture as osama’s portrait and a burning american flag is unfair on the hopeful presidential candidate.

I think the news networks need to invite those who really believe in these rumors in order to show how crazy they are.

The front page of ” The New Yorker” , is not a comic strip , that is until they changed it .
Evelyn Kaye

New Yorker magazine really blew it with this one. They are feeding into the racism and fear that runs rampant in this country. I am thoroughly disgusted with the New Yorker’s lack of sensitivity to the Obamas, they deserve much better.
Lakshmi Kerner
Oakland, CA

I think this is a blatant, wrong-headed ploy for more customers…and that’s all it is, it’s not good satire, not by a long-shot, the cover has nothing to do with the actual article…it’s just perverse and stupid, shame on the New Yorker…doesn’t Obama have enough obstacles? I’m canceling my subscription….

Not to be surprised by this since the standards of addressing others with civility have eroded over the years. I don’t understand the “outrage” for years we have watched what used to be individuals in positions that once demanded respect be demeaned by humorist, comedians, news media, and the behavior slowly became the expected norm. Now, we watch an awakening to the conscious to exactly how debased it really is. Civility should be taught and practiced at all levels and respect should be paid to everyone; especially those in positions of the highest offices in our United States.

this just highlights the problem with Muslims and Arabs in this country. I mean when did Muslim become synonymous with terrorism? when is it going to change? I mean if this was about another religion would we even care? I am a supporter of Senator Obama but this has become too much. Look at his website, Jews for Obama and Christians for Obama. i am just amazed at this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the more things change the more it stay,s the same?

This is clearly a smear tactic to discredit the Obamas and to promote racisim in America. I wonder, will The New Yorker portray Senator McCain in the Oval Office dressed in a Klu Klux Klan robe with the Confederate flag waving, a burning cross in the background and a portrait of George Wallace hanging above the mantle? I think not.

Thought “The New Yorker” had more sense and
taste. It is so degrading and I feel that the New Yorker is not a magazine I want to read anymore.
Natalie Wittke
An American who lives in Germany.

The New Yorker has had their ‘15 min. of fame’, and my guess is they will fade to black… Because of the instant news provided by the internet, many magazines are going broke these days… Perhaps this was a last ditch attempt to salvage this rag.

What they don’t seem to understand is the fact many simple people believe this to be the truth… It’s just so very sad…

Portraying Michelle Obama as Angela Davis ??
That isn’t remotely satire, but it is definitely incredibly dangerous and irresponsible of the New Yorker. Their greed for attention at the expense of foresight makes one question why the magazine deemed their hi-brow needed such a poisonous shot of sensational botox.

As for throwing the american flag in the fire if/when Obama wins the White House… that slight fraction of satire is way overshot by the contagious image’s power to fuel holy-patriotic assassination plots.

Whatever one views the value of this “satirical” drawing, it is too dangerous an image to display on the cover… it should be inside the magazine where genuine New Yorker readers would be the only ones to see it.

That cover is ugly.

What an absolutely disgusting cover. It is racist, it is divisive, it is unpatriotic. New Yorker and its editor Mr Remick you should be ashamed of yourself. Everyone said that this election was going to get nasty when a black man stepped in. This is just the beginning. God Bless the Obamas-they are going to need it.

If a so called liberal publication can do this can you imagine what the conservative publications have in store for this man. I hope he lives to see his next birthday in this so called land of the free and home of the brave.

I am a republican. I will not be voting for Obama. However, I find this cover to be disrespectful and distasteful to someone that was elected by Americans .Yes, we have freedom of speech but let’s have a little class with that freedom. As a teacher, I work to get my students to respect themselves and others. What kind of example is this???

I think the issue here goes beyond slander of Obama. The real problem presented by the cover is the portrayal of Muslims as terrorists. I am a strong supporter of Obama, but am more offended by the New Yorker’s encouragement of such racial profiling!

What is the religion of the editors and publishers of the New Yorker? Are they Jewish? Do they have a problem with a Black presidential candidate?

Yeah, they do.

Religion does it’s hateful thing again.

I’m so mad, as an American, about the savagery that each religion inflicts on the Constitution that I hope all the major religions just go ahead and destroy those of us who consider ourselves to be a part of “humanity”.

The religious folk aren’t worthy of the name “American”.

May they all just drop dead.

Well, I think the New Yorker and other periodicals should survey people on how they perceive a picture when they want to do satire that is that controversial. I appreciate the fact that they were trying to bring light to the false rumors running a muck about the Obamas but the picture actually reinforced those rumors. With no headline, the picture standing alone represented what they were attacking.

And for John who made the comment on this blog “God forbid if anything is said against Obama”, that is not the point here John! The picture, the cover of the magazine was tasteless, not thought throug properly and unnecesary!

The real issue here is that most people will only ever see the cover and never read the article. The cover will make exactly the wrong impression on those who walk past it as it’s displayed on the sidewalk newsstand. The New Yorker published an excellent article that pints out the mis-characterizations that are being propogated out there, and the cartoon would have made the point had it been printed inside the magazine as an illustration. Putting it in the face of the general public by spplashing it on the cover (with not even a headline indicating the intended satire, by the way) was a college newspaper editor’s kind of stupid mistake.

The fact that the media is even talking about this on their broadcasts, is disgusting and plays right into the hands of those who perpetuate these hateful and completely false lies.

The media should be ashamed. We have real issues out there but they would rather talk about distractions. Shame.

As Anderson said, today was the deadliest day in Afghanistan in three years. But the media decides to lead with this story?

This article made me question if The New Yorker magazine is a conservative magazine. It’s actually a liberal magazine. The editors are liberals too. This just shows the idiocy of these liberal editors.

I wonder if anyone would consider it satire if they put a cartoon of McCain in a Klan suit and his spouse holding an oozie on the cover of Ebony Magazine. Racism has reared it’s ugly head people. America has not changed one bit. This is racial hatred and smear not political satire.

The New Yorker is a Satire publcation. The Obama cover is Satire! I don’t remember anyone, especially the Liberals, who are all upset over this, coming around and demeaning the New Yorker when they had George W. Bush on the cover dressed like Saddam Hussein, in an Iraqi uniform with medals, including a Saddam mustache! Where were you then? Let’s talk about this!
Robert

How soon we forget,The First Amendment and Larry Flint of Hustler Magazine. You all pick and choose what rights you want and don’t let the others have a say. Soon no one will have rihgts because you are all shouting. You can’t gore my ox,but i can gore your’s. Lets not forget Maplethorpe.

I am sicken by the cover..it is 2008 and yes we are on our way to a black President, Like it or not! This just shows how some Americans still think and how ignorant some can be.

Newspapers and magazines have been doing these types of cartoons for a hundred years! The only reason its being brought too light now is because Obama is an “African-American” ! If a cartoon of McCain like this surfaced it wouldnt be an issue! Race has everything too do with this election.

I think the New Yorker cover is disgusting and the editor should be fired. I’d call it smear. It’s somebody’s attempt at satire that didn’t work.

It was defiently a smear, the article did not even fit the cover. In response to WinB, evidently New Yorkers are not the smart if they felt that it was funny. Only a closed minded person would enjoy something like that.

I am so offended by the New Yorker cover featuring Obama and his wife that I intend to cancel my subscription to the magazine. I am waiting to receive this New Yorker. I live in New Mexico and as soon as it comes, I intend to tear off the cover and cancel my subscription via mail. I encourage others to do the same.

This is an example of(a lot of ) white america ’s real feelings/racism. Pretty sad and two faced.

I “got” the point of the cover, and if nothing else, perhaps anyone who is still under a rock about the facts versus fiction have been educated via all the media buzz. I personally have been amazed at how many people believe what they get in their in boxes. It reminds me of the early days of TV commercials where consumers believed everything they saw. The silver lining? Ive yet to make up my mind on who to vote for, but today i was impressed by how both campaigns handled this. Obama didn’t give it any noise, and mccain didn’t try to use it to gain airtime for himself. I’m 50 and have voted in every election I’ve been eligible for. I’m hopeful for the first time that we have 2 candidates who will not go for the low blow but fight a clean fight on the issues

The fact remains if Obama had not twice worn muslim garb and if michelle had not been so anti-American and if Obama did not have fflag burning friends and muslims terrorists friends he wants to play wants to play footsie with, this picture would not exist or be taken so serious…The New Yorker did not make these things up…They merely used Obama’s profile against him..

I am an 48 year old African American female. I am a volunteer for Senator Obama. I find the cover truly offensive and in very poor taste. Since their organization claims that it is meant as a satire of a presidential candidate, does this mean next month that they will do a satire of Senator and Mrs. McCain? Also I would like to know how many other presidential nominatees have the magazine done this type of “satire” cover story?

I find this is nothing more than an excuse to hide behind racial prejudice and pretend that it is funny. Just as this country is beginning to make major racial progress through this election process and an opportunity to improve the United States’ image in the eyes of other countries, the magazine, a well known once respected magazine, has decided to make this country appear as nothing more than backwards idiots who are still living in the 18th century. Shame on you.

A picture says a thousands words. This picture (drawing) will stick in the minds of people who won’t read the article and believe Obama is just like the picture. I know many people in Minnesota who believe to this day Obama is muslim and wants to make this a muslim country. So the New Yorker is perpetuateing the stereo type whether they intended to or not.

The New Yorker cover is disgusting. And there is no question it’s intent is to reinforce an image that keeps popping up. Sature, my foot. The question is, what organization, what lobby is behind that ugly image? Perhaps the creator David Remnick (?) has a hidden agenda of hatred? I do think the Obama family should put this behind them and let the rest of us protest to the New Yorker and boycott it. Obama is a gentleman, Remnick is not.

This is yet another example of racial sterotypes and American ignorance. What would be the uproar if the New Yorker depicted John Mcain with a missile strapped to his back and Cindy standing just behind him popping pills? Do you think America would be outraged by the display? Or would they try to excuse the filth as “all in fun satire”?

Outraged by the display = Caucasians
“all in fun satire” – “get over it” – Freedom of Speech = African Americans continuely disrespected.

Now….How far have we come as a nation since Jim Crow?

The cover of the New Yorker is simply a smear. Call it and explain it how they want, it only feeds into the stupidity of those who do not seek the truth but feed into what is told them. Barack Obama has been on the political scene for some years now and if he was indeed a Muslim, there would be facts instead of inuendo and hints. Mr. Remnick, as smart as he is knew better. There is freedom of speech and then there is “freedom of speech”. The cover of the New Yorker is tasteless. The North and the South is very far apart and what may be seen as satire in New York may be taken as fact south of the Mason Dixon line.

I have followed this very closely today and the comments on various blogs and I am absolutely flabbergasted. I was like most and didn’t know much about Obama or McCain at the beginning of this race and I want to introduce you to a obscene revelation of how I found out more about them…..read. Don’t just read articles by those against them, read from those who are for them, then make a decision. Ignorance is what the world expects of the American people and most of world is not experiencing disappointment. The excuse that you don’t know anything about Obama just makes you look more ignorant especially in this information age. It is truly sad that the world knows more about Obama and McCain than the most American people do. This is more so with Obama, It makes me sad to believe that rumors and inuendos will determine an opinion, rather that a educated view of his background and beliefs. So go on America, have ater. The only ones that will pay for true ignorance is America.

I can’t buy this magazine any more…so tastless and stupid!

This is not about being liberal or conservative. This is about basic values…respect for differences. It feels like blatant racism, cloaked as satire. It is not funny, it is not satirical, it is not healthy for our country which has dangerously low morale right now. The only possible good that can come from it is to create some outrage among thinking Americans, especially young people, and create push for a mea culpa from the New Yorker.
Some wise commentator said earlier today that it’s satire if the reader thinks it is. It appears the New Yorker editors think we should believe it is satire if THEY say it is. I say, THEY are wrong.

Anderson,

I live in the south and prefer the racism down here that is up front and in your face. The racism displayed by New Yorker magazine is the kind that is hidden by a smile…by so called liberalism. It rears its ugly head when white liberals feel wronged by blacks in some way. In this instance “wrong” that occured was Obama winning the democratic nomination. The New Yorker magazine ran a negative article about the Obamas with an ugly shameful racist cover picture and then says this was meant to be positive?? Michelle had to have an afro? Large exaggerated lips? And this is just “satire”? Come on Anderson, us African Americans are too smart to believe that one.

Horrah for freedom of press, this is not an issue. First, the New Yorker because they are part of this country can post whan they wish. I just don’t understand why everyone is calling it satire. What the New Yorker put out was not satire but instead an awful attempt at humor that if it wasn’t for the people getting so emotional about it would have made them appear ignorent and foolish. Satire is based on some truth, the comic has none. We all know Obama and Osama rhyme, hahah grow up. I just think people should get over the comic, it shouldn’t even be news worthy and I feel Obama take offense to it is a bad political move and would also not show good character

I would not be surprise if at the end of the day a connection is made between this headline and someone he beat to become the democratic dominee. There seems to be a deliberate and calculated under current doing its best to put Obama in a spot when he makes his VP pick. I am surprised & disappointed at Carvill’s remark saying, “it is satire and its fine.” And his (James) remarks should give a heads up about the forces against Obama.

I feel that we as Americans are just taking things way to seriously and blowing things out of proportion. I feel that the cover should be a wake up call to all the rumors out there about Obama and his wife. I don’t feel that the cover is a smear. As Americans we should really uncover who Obama is for ourselves and stop listening to all the rumors.

Interesting that James Carville is defending the New Yorker and Bill Bennett is the one arguing that the cover is in bad taste. Bennett is right: “this joke is not funny.”

I can’t believe Carville is saying that the cartoon is funny and inoffensive. As Martin points out, the article has NOTHING to do with the cover. That means that the intention of the New Yorker was to offend Obama. I now believe it was entirely intentional and was supposed to undermine his campaign.

The worst enemy of people of color are liberals very often and this is yet another example

We should all cancel our subscription to The New Yorker and show our disapproval by wielding our wallet.

I’m seething. Not only is it in poor taste, The New Yorker historically had higher standards. It’s not funny or the least bit amusing. For those who don’t read the article, it is extremely misleading, thusly subtly planting the seed that Senator Obama is really a dark skinned terrorist- someone we good Americans need to avoid, at all costs. Personally, I believe Senator Obama will make a good and more so an effective President of the United States.

I was in DC last week with my kids. Their is a man outside the White House Protesting with a picture of Bush dressed like a “terrorist”. I think that it’s good to have a satire like this. It probably would have been funny if it was in Mad Magazine. Then we could all write it off as a joke. But now I think that how you look at it probably says more about you than it.

There are still people in the US who think someone who believes in a Muslam religion should not rule the USA. Perhaps the proper question is why can’t he believe in whatever he wants? The Muslam’s should be offended.

Also, anyone who thinks that race will not play a role in this election, is wrong. It is just a matter of how big a role it will play. The world is not black and white. There are many other kinds of people.

I will defend satire to the utmost degree, but what most are failing to see in this “satire” is the tacit implication that IF Obama were Muslim, THEN it would be bad. I am so sick of the Islamophobia in this country. The Republicans/right wingers who imply that Obama is a Muslim is playing on a racist attitude towards Muslims. Obama’s campaign not allowing Muslims behind him at a speech is racist towards Muslims. All news coverage from ABC, to NBC, to CNN use the word’s like “Islamic Extremists”, ” Islamic Terrorists”, and so forth always linking Muslims with something BAD is racist towards Muslims. Get off it. Can’t people remember relatively recent history, such as Hitler and WWII. Racism and hate towards one particular group or religion is NOT acceptble and should be called as the racism and hate speech that it is.

Jon
Chicago

Hear Hear Michael .. I couldn’t have said it better … even if I tried to earlier … lol

This is yet another example of racial sterotypes and American ignorance. What would be the uproar if the New Yorker depicted John Mcain with a missile strapped to his back and Cindy standing just behind him popping pills? Do you think America would be outraged by the display? Or would they try to excuse the filth as “all in fun satire”?
Outraged by the display = Caucasians
“all in fun satire” – “get over it” – Freedom of Speech = African Americans continuely disrespected.

Now…..exactly ….How far have we come as a nation since Jim Crow?

most people will miss the satire. They missed on this one!

The New Yorker has really done them self in on this one. They are stupid for allowing this to happen. I will never read this magazine again.

I think it would be best if the press stopped showing the images from the cover and highlighting the offensive images included in the New Yorker’s satiric cover. By showing the pictures with random commentary from panelists in the background, people focus on the images and not on the comments. As a result, the press perpetuates this image without proper context just as the New Yorker has done.

This is a slap to the face of every American and promoting hate to our country. Many ways to express ourselves but this was not one of them an apology is in order from the New Yorker to the Obamas for fueling the fire on religion, patriotism and poisoning the media.

I think the picture is hilarious !! Even though it was meant for satire, there is alot of truth in it. He associates himself with several anti-patriotic, blame-America-first type people. William Ayers, Jeremiah Wright, Father Flager, etc.. If he becomes president, the terrorists will love him because more buildings will fall. He and his former pastor will throw up there hands and say that we deserved it and the chickens are still coming home to roost. I do not trust Obama to protect us. He would rather cater to the terrorists than fight them.

The New Yorker cover is disgusting. The question is the intent which reinforces an image that keeps popping up. Satire, my foot. What organization, what lobby is behind that ugly image? Perhaps the creator David Remnick has a hidden agenda of hatred? The Obama family should put this behind them and let the rest of us protest the New Yorker and boycott it. Obama is a gentleman. Remnick is not. Shame on the New Yorker!

I find the cover smart and witty, and I don’t understand why everyone is going after the New Yorker. People should be outraged yes but at the those with malicious intents whose goals are to misinform the public about Obama. Thank you New Yorker for getting people talking.

…Maybe, however, it was too smart.

This cover of Michelle and Barack is NOT satire, but offensive.
I have been shocked all day each time I saw the cover of the New Yorker on tv.

I think the New Yorker magazine needs apologize for the slander.

The magazine is trying to portray Obama as Muslim and Michelle as Militant.
Am disgusted and will NOT ever purchase the New Yorker magazine

I am outraged at the New Yorker! Free Speech does not merit such a tasteless and insulting front cover! I usually agree with James Carvell and David Gergan, but not this time! I think Bill Bennett is on target with this one! WHAT WERE THEY THINKING????

So now your mad. We finally see the true Obama. Ms. Obama doesn’t like the good ol USA, Mr. Obama is proud of his islamic herritage. Excuse me but this is America. We are proud of our country. We may not always be right but we are the most proud people on earth. You want to elect a man that has no, I repeat zero experience in world politics. He has not shown he can lead not only his state but the UNITED STATES of AMERICA. His I have a dream/change speach has you hoodwinked. I am not by any means a racist person. A black or woman president is fine with me. It just has to be the right person. We as Americans need to realize that this man, Barrack Obama is not the person to lead us out of our currant demise. We cannot afford our currant ways and this man wants to give out FREE medical insurance to ALL Americans. WAKE up America, who do you think is going to pay for a goverenment insurance policy. WE WILL ! You think taxes are high now, wait until this man, Barrack is President. I’m not a wealthy man by any means, but why should my hard earned dollars go to support and insure people that do not want to help themselves? I don’t believe there is a perfect solution. There is no perfect cannidate, except Ronald Reagan. We must choose the person that has EXPERIENCE and has proved the they can lead this great nation with its great people to a better time like we had in the past.

That is clearly racist. Would you show a picture of John McCains that selling out America during his time as a POW, by stating that America unlawfully invaded Vietnam and killed women and children. This prove the point that Black American have to always perform above and beyond their White counterparts. There is no way you can justify this. This show how racist America is.

I wonder,if this cartoon had been drawn on a bar napkin at a local tavern,and the artist was Imus,would he have lost his job or been called a racist??

This is yet another example of racial sterotypes and American ignorance. What would be the uproar if the New Yorker depicted John Mcain with a missile strapped to his back and Cindy standing just behind him popping pills? Do you think America would be outraged by the display? Or would they try to excuse the filth as “all in fun satire”? Outraged by the display equal Caucasians respected.
“All in fun satire” – “get over it” – Freedom of Speech equals African Americans continuely disrespected.
Now…..exactly ….How far have we come as a nation since Jim Crow?

This is the most Un-American act I have ever seen. This publications does not take into account the many lives that were lost at the hand of Bin-Laden and to depict him with the american flag burning should be an outrage by all americans.

Thank you, New Yorker, for finally having the courage to tell the truth. I love the cover and think all the points you suggest are the truth. I dont consider it satire. I just appreciate that the mainstream media is showing Obama for what he really is. I’m sick of every criticism of him being called a rumor. He is a danger to America and the facts must be told. we need to put “politcally correct” on hold until after the election. We need more covers and stories exposing Obama for what he really is

This is ridiculous. Tell me, if the same “satirist” drew a picture of Cindy McCain, in 6″ heels and a 2″ miniskirt, with a crackpipe trying to buy drugs on the corner of 14th and K, would anyone be laughing or even having a discussion? What if there was an illustration of Laura Bush, behind the wheel of a car leaving the scene of an accident? I don’t even think the New Yorker would consider it for a second . . . and the community would be outraged. “Satire for discussion” is a beautiful cloak for racism and bigotry in 2008. I’m disgusted, and my two sons watching this are as well.

This article; in my opinion, only reveals how deep bigotry runs in this country. Political correctness has everyone calling this satire, when in fact it reveals the level of prejustices; i.e. racism,sexism etc. My take is: it’s an attempt to stir striff, to divide the masses. In closing, this is a prime example of the “olde school politics” that Obama is attemping to “change’. Bigotry still runs rampant in our societies, especial among older Americans. Tired of all the cover-ups and denial of how deep prejudices runs in our country…racism, sexism, homophobia etc. Even prejudices against the elderly and physcially challenged.

Perhaps the regukar readers of this magazine might get the “satire”…but those who really feel Obama is a Muslim who will encourage terrorism and the downfall of our country will see this cover as JUSTIFICATION OF THEIR FEELINGS. These are the people who only see Obama as “black”, who see his wife as militant…the people who do not know, nor WANT to know, anything about this man and the difference he can make in our country. G-d help us if he doesn’t win this election!
This cover is neither funny nor clever….it ’s a disgrace.,

I feel that the magazine cover was racist and whoever came up with the idea is arrogant. Obama and Michelle are just people who are trying to make a difference within the United States. America is in need of a change. God is not pleased with the progress that has went forth for the past 8 years.
We have to look at the facts and trust that God will lead and guide him in the right direction and path. We have to stop looking at color and put forth an effort for change. We can’t keep living in a world of confusion and lies. We need someone to stand up for the country and fight for the people.
The New Yorker cover is disgusting and enough to make people see what some people are really about.

The cover is a bust and totally off base

I agree with Andrew L. This focus is absurd, and the satire is easily explained and quite obvious to anyone who would read what’s behind the cover.

I think that we’re overlooking a pretty crucial point here. Even most cursory knowledge of the New Yorker’s past provocative covers or, moreover, its absolute love affair with Obama (Hendrik Hertzberg may as well be the treasurer of the Obama editorial fan club), makes this kind of media explosion seem absurd, if not surprising. It’s doubtful that the satire would be lost on The New Yorker’s readership. The so-called controversy relies entirely on the idea that many Americans are intellectually lazy enough to not only look at the cover and let our flaccid minds draw absurd conclusions, but that we would be swayed without so much as flipping to the table of contents. It’s not in the style of the New Yorker to try to pander to the lowest common denominator, but rather to be fairly provocative. This is great satire. It’s not over the top. The fact that these ideas exist is an unfortunate reflection on a portion of society, and like good satire, the New Yorker is pointing out how ridiculous these “debates” about Obama’s pretty clearly defined identity really are.

It’s a sad state that we are in when we as Americans have made being a Muslem something that is negative. As history has proven we as Americans continue to denegrate people because of race, religion, sexual orientation and heritage. There are countless Muslems in this country that because of religious beliefs are condemed to a life of negative connotations, for but a few extremists.
If a politician is Muslem, Buddists, Catholic, Christian or Jew what does it matter. If Obama was running for Pope I could see where it might make a difference. The question should be what is the politician going to do to better our society that we live in and the current problems that we face.
As for the cover of the New Yorker, freedom of press. I choose to form my opinions on fact not cartoon.

The New Yorker cover supports, not denies the lies about Obama.

Anderson, couldn’t you find an objective, credible Democrat to make that point?
Carville is neither. Bill Bennet, the Republican, was the reasonable voice with the accurate analysis about how the cover failed and sends
a despicable message.

Every time you have Carville on, I turn you off. I am a Democrat who
finds Carville a source of embarrassment. Please find a Democratic spokesman as credible as David Gergen. Get rid of Carville!

I agree with John in San Diego and the many others who say… Bad timing, terrible editorial choice, and a true lack of understanding of the American people and the deep roots of racism, and fear in this country. Another major unnecessary distraction. Unfortunately… Sad!

I think the cover shows the lack of respect “americans” hve for our presidential candidates. If the cartoon was inside I might say OK but to be on the cover is despicable.

Where is the outcry from the Muslim community?

Shame on the new yorker, as if we don’t already have enough ignorant people in this world, to put out a tasteless front cover like that sends out the wrong message. What were they thinking? or were they?

With friends like the New Yorker, who needs enemies? Today’s New Yorker cover , from the known liberal publication, stands as the latest in line with all the rest of Obama’s friends, like Rev Wright, Jessie Jackson, etc. Geeze…. the supporters are shooting him in both feet! Is the New Yorker editorial staff not aware of the fact that many fearful folk out there BELIEVE what they see? Most everyday people never read the New Yorker, but will see this cover (as its in all the media now) and it will confirm their unfounded fears!
Shame on all who are allies… saying and doing things that could bring their hero down!
Can we all just THINK before we speak or publish?

Hi,
I have a question i want to throw out into this crowd and see if i can get an answer. Obama is 46 yrs old. He said himself that he was and still is a Christian for 20+ yrs. Well, what i want to know is, What did Obama identify himself as before he became a Christian. I did my research and i found that barrack’s father, Hussein Obama, was a muslim and usually one takes on the religion of their father. So please, anyone have an answer?????

The photo in the New Yorker and the article contained therein is a protected right under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and goes to the core ot this constitutional freedom and is on cutting edge of free speech and press. The disturbing aspect of the matter thus far is Sen Obama ’s response when presented with the issue, he indicated he had “no comment ” unlike his Republican opponent Sen McCain who displayed courage and strength in calling the photo inappropiate and wrong, which should tlikewise tell you something about the character, leadership, courage and experience of the two presidential candidates when faced with controversial matters. I hope Sen Obama if elected President will not stand on the fence and be noncommital when confronted with tough, controversial issues and assaults that may be waged against the United States whether domestic or international.

We haven’t progressed as far as we thought in the struggle for racial equality. Frankly, I’m surprised at the lack of sophistication regarding this so-called liberal satire. This crapola should get exactly the reception it would receive if it showed up on one of the rightwing wack job publications. The New Yorker has no monopoly on liberalism. A key element of satire is humor; if it has to be explained, it ain’t funny.

Anderson.. what is it about American’s and politics?
They continue to hit, slam and eat alive people (like Obama) trying to do the best for your country. Your country needs a popularity boost.
As a Canadian.. I watch American politics daily, to see how it will affect the rest of the world.
This tacky tastless New Yorker cover is exactly why the world’s view of the U.S. is so very low.
Pathetic.

James

I do find the cover very offensive whether I was democratic or republican. I do not recall ever seeing such a depiction of any of our presidential hopefuls in the past shown in this kind of manner. I have read so many comments on this blog and do agree that this may fall within the free speech category. I still find shame for what it represents. Many must know that a picture in fact is worth a 1000 words as mentioned in an earlier blog. Did the New Yorker realize that it was playing into the fears of the people affected by 911? I am sure that this magazine is sold around the world-what is the New Yorker trying to say to international nations about our candidates? If Obama was to become our president, how will this affect foreign affairs? Poor taste-not proper satire

We should stay with what believe to be true and not let what others choose to publish bother us, after all, we to have respect freedom of expression, that’s great part of being an American. I am voting for Obama regardless of what others say, d o ,or publish. I truly believe he and his wife are good for and love America. Believe or not I am a Republican, however have had my fill of how things are going under our present leadership,change is a must. Their are no guarantees in Politics or in life, sometimes one must go with ones gut feeling, let’s face it they all lie, I guess I need to decide who will keep most of their promises.

They say ignorance is bliss. Anyone we doesn’t see racism, sexism, religious bigotry etc. active in most all layers of this country, (both in its normal and reverse forms) is certainly living in bliss.

Intolerance in all forms creates barriers to understanding and resolutions to old issues that might, if given the opportunity to air out, get resolve. Why let others polarize your views and incite you to become defensive, which makes you vulnerable or appear racist or reverse racist.?

The US seems so politically righteous and intolerant on all sides. Campaigning seems to involve using sound bites to atack and jab your opponent. Why not put out a solid platform and stop digging at the other team?

Didn’t our politicians learn anything in kindergarten?

Certainly caricatures don’t always mean that the person portrayed is being put down– it isn’t unusual to see a positive article following the caricature. In the case with the New Yorker, however, it is taken to such an extreme that it does appear to vilify the subjects- Obama and his wife; it looks like a perfect cover for a right-wing extremist publication. How many newsstands will this cover decorate? How many of the “uninitiated” will continue in their misconceptions fueled by this terrible error in judgment?
Comparing this to Steven Colbert’s satire is a mistake; people tuning in know what he’s about; this, on the other hand, will be glanced at by many passers-by and perhaps even discussed on radio by some ignoramus of a talk-show host in a small redneck town who isn’t even familiar with the New Yorker (yes, these people do exist). The damage would have been mitigated had their been a conspicuous headline ridiculing the concept.

The New Yorker cover was stupid and did nothing but further fuel the ignorant misconceptions surrounding Obama. But what is even more ignorant is CNN’s and the rest of the media’s focus on the 12 percent of the population perpetuating this ignorance. There will always be ignorant people. The good news is, 88 percent of the population gets it. Let’s focus on them and let their views drive the discussion. I’m sure they have much better topics to talk about.

The New Yorker disgraced itself. Disgusting!

On the The New Yorker piece, you and your some of your guests insulted the intelligence of your listeners. You are assuming that we don’t know the difference between satire and a smear. That we don’t have a clue as to who Obama is. It’s time you focused on the Chicago political machine he came from, rather than fluffy diversions from the truth.

i understand that the New Yorker may been trying to play on the false beliefs that the Obama’s are radical and un-american, but did they ever think that the common man also sees their publication? I wonder if anyone in the process of publishing this cover thought that this could cause an uproar, or did they even care? I believe that some people that put this illustration out there believed it was somewhat funny and had some idea that it was hurtful, but simply did’nt care because it’s a right to do so. I hope that this whole fiasco can open up the minds of voters and not fuel any ideas that the Obama’s are not good for this country.

Sam
Sumter, South Carolina

The new yorker cover was an example of an editor (david remnick) who is a very racist new york jew. Perhaps next time they should run a cover depicting Iran nuking Israel and a whole bunch of jews dead with their yamukahs lying beside them. I wonder how david would feel about this. It was an exceptionally inappropriate cover. Both Obama and McCain are the least prejudice candidates that have run for high public office in a very long time. If I were Jewish, I would be treading on thin ice at this time in history, because showing prejudice is just going to make your cause in the middle east not very sympathetic to the rest of the world.

P.S. Bill Clinton is so pissed off about everything because his calculating move of opening an office in Harlem years ago to get his wife elected did not pan out. Bill, you generated a lot of “BAD KARMA” with that monica lewinsky deal. “BAD KARMA” is something you do not want to have in life, dude. Good luck with that.

I think we should live in a country where there is freedom of speech. However, I do believe The New Yorker has crossed the line, this satire did NOT work. Obviously, controversy has come out of it; proving the satire was NOT understood and a joke should not require this MUCH explanation. It is important as a publication to display accurate information and to be very sensitive to politics and the impact your information can have IF you decide to have a political satire.
Just in case, anyone is doubting, Obama is NOT muslim, if he were, he won’t have had all these issues with the various pastors he has been affiliated with and the church he used to attend. He can’t be both Muslim and Christian at the same time, get the information straight and stop being ignorant!!!.. Again, Obama is NOT muslim; New Yorker, your magazine cover did NOT help educate people.

In this country, where we pride ourselves to be open and accepting, what in the world does it matter if ANYONE is Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Athetist or of any religion affiliation and is running for political office? As long as the person’s issues are vital to the country and he or she can relate to the American people and is qualified to be the president. This is the United States of America, please stop being so close minded.

This is coming from a PROUD Christian who is open minded and loves this country passionately!!!!!

Freedom of speech, freedom of the press …you take this for granted in a democracy.
The only thing NewYorker did wrong was to underestimate the demand for this issue….every bookstore, every newstand is sold out.

The New Yorker claims this is satire? I thought they were supposed to be smart, not stupid.

I’ll believe them when they satirize the criticism they are receiving as racist and anti-Muslim. I’ll believe their excuse if next week they run a cover cartoon — with no explanation and nothing mentioned in any article, as with Obama — showing David Remnick and Ryan Lizza, and the cartoonist, in Ku Klux Klan robes, holding white robes lynching a black man and burning the Koran. Real funny, huh? I dare them. I especially wait for the fatwa against them.

PS Just hear James James Carville making excuses. New Yorker, hmmm. Follow the money, as Deep Throat said. Can some enterprising journalist track down the relations with Hillary Clinton? You know, the Senator from the New Yorker… I mean, New York. Seems Hillary’s last, secret hope is for something that makes Obama “unelectable,” isn’t it. Then she could take another turn at swinging the Super Delegates.

Maybe Carville and the New Yorker are just stupid? As Newt Gingrich complimented Bill Clinton, when asked if his remarks after SC were intentional — as predicted in early Jan by Dick Morris — Newt replied, “Unless he’s not as good with words as we all think he is…”

Me thinks the Lady — and the New Yorker — doth protest too much.

I think an established magazine such as the New Yorker is should have know better than to release such a cover of a candidate for the presidency without thinking about what the real or implied first glance impressions would have been especially on such a volatile subject as Terrorism is for America.

The New Yorker cover was a brilliantly calculated move, in SUPPORT of Obama. It was neither a mistake, nor an attack. The Obama campaign now gets hundreds of extra hours of news coverage, plus the race discussion continues; all to the benefit of Obama.

Rather than debating satire vs slander, why don’t face the fact that Obama is a born muslim, even though he claims that he converted to Christianity.
How many muslims are “allowed” to be converted to other faiths? If a Muslim girl tries to convert to other faith for whatever reason, she is most likely to be murdered. And, a non-muslim girl is forced to become muslim if she wants to marry muslim boy. This is the sad situation in India.

As I previously stated before, many are ignorant of the facts and post comments likke FT (more likely ET). Obviously speaking out of the doldrums of ignorance. The blind being led by the blind.

The New Yorker gives the “average american” way, way to much credit in understanding satire. With a college education, you might “get it”. Hell, I’ve got a degree in journalism and I didn’t get it . But for 95% of the country who does not read the New Yorker, all they are going to see on this cover at the grocery stores, the airport or on t.v. is having it play to their darkest fears, (no pun intended).

Maybe next week we will see a cartoon of John McCain in an airport bathroom stall “with a wide stance” passing visas to Mexicans under the separating wall.

There are other newsworthy subjects to talk about today, but I guess this one is now a headline on cable news. It’s like a political cartoon. I thought the New Yorker would know better than this?

People are clearly not viewing this as satire.

Well I think the picture of Barack Obama & Michelle Obama wasn’t funny .Also ,whats wrong with being a Muslim ? One more thing the picture may have hurt the feelings of some Muslims.

E.Z.K NY

rodney dollar July 14th, 2008 10:15 pm ET

why was did he get sworn in to his office in a privet seramony on the karon ?
————————————————
Your comments prove the point of most of the people who’ve made comments here and on other blogs. Maybe, just for once, do a little research yourself instead of repeating rumors.Barack was sworn in publically on his Bible, not the Koran.

It is amazing to me that people could even think that this is satire. It is plain and simple a slap in the face to African American people. Why do we have to be twice as good at anything in order to apply for a job and when we are you will try to destroy us by any means neccessary.

I notice that with the mortgge meltdown, no one remembers the Savings and Loan mess in the early 90’s and that John McCain was connected with the Keating five. No one ever even mentions that but they are on Barack no matter what and it just goes to show that the country is not ready for the power of the president to pass to any other Nationality.

I have been voting since I was 18 years old and I am now 63 and my choices to vote have always been a white man, whether he had my best interest at heart or not. I simply do not understand this hatred that people seem to have for Barack and it is all because of his race.

The New Yorker should be ashamed of itself for publishing this cover. The question I have is why didn’t the New York depict Senator McCain bombing Iran instead of using Obama and his wife in this despicable cartoon to defile their person. At least McCain was very clear that he would bomb Iran if he were President, and he would have been a good candidate for the cartoon picture on the front cover of the New Yorker. I have been a life long Republican, but that was in the past.

Obama supporters,get over yourselves. The Clinton supporters do not give a rats-behind about your or him. How will in feel in Nov. to be the losers, lets just see how long it will take for you to get over-it. If he does win it will be because he made back room deals with THE DNC,clearly not because he was the better WOMAN for the job. I think the picture is hilarious.

I wonder how many “average” Americans know what a satirical drawing is or what the message is suppose to convey. This was a terrible mistake by the New Yorker and certainly was not funny. SHAME ON YOU.

The cover of the New Yorker is a poorly thought out attempt at satire. The First Admentment gives those in publishing the right to print. Lawsuits and good taste (or lack thereof) offer a check on that right. Satire is a carefully crafted subject with a hint of truth and offers mirth. The cover does neither. We need to remember the average person most likely has not studied satire. In pockets of America there are those who still question many of our scientific achievements. I was astonished at the large percentages of people who believe Obama is a muslim and all the other issues that are not true of a man who does not look like previous politicians running for president. If this cover helps the public to better understand Obama, then perhaps it will have added to the process. However, if it strengthens lies and misrepresentations, it does a disservice to the voting public. I believe the editors missed the boat on this one and only contributed to personal attacks on Obama instead of contributing to the understanding of the issues facing this country. Might I suggest the next cover of the New Yorker depict a farmer trying to plant corn in his flooded fields; a person waiting for funds from a failed bank, a person filling out a job application; cameras on every utility pole; the oil barrons partying; and the patriot act catching someone (gasp) reading the words of Benjamin Franklin -”We must all hang together or, most assuredly, we will hang separately.”

I, personally never like the The New Yorker, but after this, I am glad I didn’t. I don’t like dumb and stupid people and the staff there seems like this. I like being around smart and good people like the Obamas whom I have met and think they are great people.

Shame on your stupid magazine. How do you think his children feel about this junk of their mother and father. Seemingly, you didn’t turn your hate off after 9/11.

This man is running for the President of US and you have the gall and nerve to print on your front cover a shameful and dispicable picture as this. I hope everyone will drop their subscription to show that America has moved beyond the afro, which shows even more stupidity. I am an Obama supporter and find this tasteless and evil. New Yorker, you have to never worry about me buying your magazine because you would be broke and out of business. Times now are too serious to put up with dumb and stupid mess as this. Homeless people, two wars going on where troops are dying, firers, flooding, prison system broken, tornadoes, droughts, just to name a few. Smart people would pick some of the country’s problems that we face as foreclosures consume our country and high gas prices. Your patriotism should be question, not the Obamas!

WOW !!!

Why do Americans continue to grip over race, sex, religion etc etc.

it’s sad, drop the ego’s and check the attitude at the door because ever single person is missing the point. Something has to change or the US will be facing even worse times. I feel for my neighbours. Yes, I am Canadian and there is no perfect country and we are all humans and make mistakes but I think the American’s have suffered enough.

Move to Canada!!! We have health care and we are not in debt !!!

All the best. and good luck!!

Cheers

How come the cover of the New Yorker brings so many up in arms when all of the media put the Clintons down and there was “no problem?” Sounds like reverse discrimination to me! I had every intention of voting for Obama, but, his “whining, pouty camp” drive me away! Obama’s “Camp”, get a life! Obama can stand on his own merit, he does not need watch dogs behind him offending every single solitary thing that is said or done! You are like a bunch of “over protective mothers!” For pete’s sake…let your son grow up! By the way, the New Yorker is definitely satire if you are intelligent enough to “get it.” Obama is responding in the best way…very admirable.

Shame, shame, shame on the New Yorker. This may be a case of the intelligentia thinking that they’re using satire, but most of the citizens of the US aren’t intellectuals and satire isn’t necessarily something they understand. Instead, this cover appeals to all those who think that Obama is a Muslim and his wife is a terrorist. It is, to say the least, inflammatory. And we’ve had enough of that already in this campaign to last a life time. If the article had expalined the thinking behind the cover, that “might” have exonerated it. But it doesn’t. Poor, poor choice

If you are stupid enough to think that Barack Obama truly is a Muslim terrorist, you are too stupid to understand satire.

F.T.
You are wrong and scared. But Im not going to slam your comment. Join the Obama team. Come on get on the winning team….

The New Yorker cover is offensive in every way.
Another example: of the gap in the lives and hearts of the majority of Americans and of the very rich.
The cover is capitalizing on fear mongering. She is portrayed like some kind of Blackpanther. And Senator Obama as a terrorist.
But the real kicker; that should have every American boycotting that magazine. Is the burning flag, in the fireplace. The cover has many subtle negative massages that will hit hard the hearts of every American.

That cover is un-American. I do not believe that the people that had a hand in the publication; Love the United States of America.

well well
shows how AMERICA is not over race and issues. a black candidate is running and what do we get a slur to his race and a slur to a religion he is not even following. and we are suppose to be a melting pot. wow so much for diversity when we have no respect towards each other.

by the way with those people thinking that he is muslim. what is wrong with being muslim, is that suppose to mean that muslims are not american or not patriotic? when are we going to move beyond this?

Everyone should go to Webster, Random House or the OED (especially the editors of the New Yorker). Satire requires revealing the vice, folly or evil of the target: see Moliere or Humpty Dumpty. If the caroonish cover had been drawn depicting a Rush “ditto head” drawing a childish cartoon it wiould have been on target making the object the rightwing lemmings not the Obamas. Why didn’t they show the daughters rejoicing?

Of course it is the most offensive, racist, sexist “satire” portrayed on any magazine cover but you ” youngsters” don’t get it. Michelle Obama is being portrayed as Angela ( I can’t remember her name but she was a compatriot of Bobby Seale or one of those guys from Berkeley in the 60’s) The afro, the boots, the AK, it’s all Angela.
This is why I am a recovering Republican and former Conservative. I admired William Buckley. I think he would have been outraged by this. Conservatism and the Republican party have been taken over by the Religious Right, Rush Limbaugh, the mediocre , the un-educated and the fearful.
This cover on New Yorker plays right into their hands.
Martyn

This cartoon is crazy. But this is what angers me more is the fact that many people believe that america would be lost if we had a muslim as president. Well we have a christian in there now and look at all the trouble we are in. America needs to change and if that change starts with the leaders than it would trickle down to us.

Highschool graduate or a Ph.D… it is just a CARTOON. Cartoons are meant to be jokes/ funny, even if the New Yorker makes it satire. I f everyone had just ignored it millions of us would never have even heard about the front page of the New Yorker and it really would NOT have been an issue. The MEDIA made it a story! We have Obama (and Clinton) and McCain in our faces, up the hoop, for the past ‘forever’ , 24×7. We KNOW who Obama is. I guess press is press and this will bring his name to the spotlight once again. Everyone, including the media, should keep things in perspective, move to the things that are important to America. Gas prices, financial crisis, mortgage crisis, flooding, selling America to foreigners one piece at a time (now Belgian Bud) etc. etc. etc. All this TV time WASTED on a CARTOON makes me think the focus from the press is a little off center. Let’s regroup and get down to the things that really matter in America, to America and for America.

Louise

Funny? Not! I’m a republican and although I have a difference of opinion with the Obama campaign, I’m educated as to what is rumor and lies. For every person who knows he is a christian and loves his country, there are 20 who don’t take the time to find out the truth. These are the ones who will look at that cover and take it as fact. I’m insulted and angry that a magizine would do this to any american family, politics or not.

The New Yorker is a magazine which created a history with its co vers. This is simply an expression of art. Can’t we just accept it for what it is! ART! Can’t anyone say anything negative on this campaign? Do we have to take it so personal? Every campaign has gone through some sort of scrutiny – why not this one? it is just politics and we should all be free to express ourselves! Senator Obama should move on – it is just simple satire – they do this over and over again. what is wrong with it? every politician gets it – specially in New Yorker, which by the way, is a very informative magazine.

We should be glad we live in a country that gives you freedom on the press and speech, but that is not always the case….They need to draw Bush sniffing coke and bottle of brandy near him on a table seeing the constitution burnt…and what would be the response then no one would be laughing.

I do read the “New Yorker” every now and then and have always found the articles to be enlightening,but after seeing and reading this article, I’m confused. The cover and article doesn’t make any sense. The article is about Obama’s era in Chicago. So the question i have to the New Yorker, “Exactly what is the point or pun that you wanted us readers to conclude? The Editor missed the “pun” intend.

This only adds fuel to an issue that is so NOT important!!! Please focus on the real issues at hand!!!!

If my thoughts are offensive, I am sorry. I do feel that this cover will not be taken as intended and a lot of Americans feel as I do.

I do feel that a lot of Americans feel as I do.

Satire is humour meant to reform or improve. It is important when using literay terms to use them correctly. The New Yorker should know this. Take, for example, the cartoon of George Bush and Dick Cheney; this cartoon could prompt Bush to be less subservient to Cheney – to amend. The Obama cartoon is not satire. Obama cannot amend being Muslim as he is not Muslim. The only possible reform depicted in this cartoon might be for Michelle Obama to be less independent, less powerful. Surely, the New Yorker does not intend for women to be submissive. CNN should insist on correct use of powerful terms. R. Gilbert.

I was in shock when I saw this picture. I agree with the writer who said the sheets were off but we continue to feel the flame from the burning crosses. Yes we have freedom of speech; however, this is like yelling fire in a crowded room. We use The Constitution to get away with hurtful and dumb things. Who would ever think this picture is ok and funny? We like to say that this country is not racist and many people really think that racism is not a problem in America. What does wearing a flag pin have to do with whether one is a true American? My daughter has done two tours in Iraq and never wears a flag pin. Shame on us , for we can’t find any other reason to support a canidate of color we will find excuses like he is Muslin or not wear a flag pin. And speaking of The Constitution it also gives us freedom of religon. What if a Muslin really want to run for president? He or she has a right to do so. Although I understand why people are afraid of Muslums because of 911 but I do believe that most intelligent Americans know that Obama is not Muslin I have never seen so much disrespect for a canidates wife as I have of Michelle Obama. What have we seen negative and disrespectful about Mc cains wife? Shame on you America ; how can we ever move forward and get pass this. We are suffering with gas prices, house forclosures, grocery bills, homeless children, and huge drug problems and we put all this effort in division of our country. Maybe this is why we are in a recession because someone want to keep division alive and kicking. Many people are so afraid that Obama may do a good job as president.

F.T.’s comments says it all. There is no truth in this picture. The problem is people like F.T. miss the point and try to make it something else.

Trying to link Obama to everyone he has ever met is pitiful. I’m sure there are people you have met, “associates” that do not speak for you. Ayers was a casual acquaintance. Wright is a pastor and Flager spoke at Obama’s church. Does this make he anti-america….don’t think so.

When Obama becomes President, i think the terrorist will be more afraid because he is actually focusing on the areas that they are hiding.

What I don’t understand and have a very hard time digesting it the publics notion that Muslim are bad people and that IF Mr. Obama was Muslim that somehow makes him a “terrorist”. I’ve been raised an “American Muslim” my entire life and yes there are millions of us (that’s millions as in plural) and I’ve never considered being a terrorist, supporting terrorism or condoning any acts of terror. If Mr. Obama was Muslim I’m sure he’d practice his faith with the same compassion, love and respect for all religious and spiritual people as I was raised. Being an American Muslim only essentuates the teaching of Islam to learn and respect all mono-theistic faith and let God be the judge. The acts committed by radical extremist are done by insecure, misguided, spineless INDIVIDUALS who need to follow something or anything and you see these faces in all religions. Hell, you see them in the gang culture here and in the schools as well when kids who feel like they don’t belong deem it necessary to take the life of other because of their own miserable existence. You don’t hear people saying could John McCain have been one of the Trench Coat Mafia or possible belonged to the same church as the Christian guy Timothy McVeigh. America needs to stop Muslim bashing and use your internet as more than just a tool to Google the next celebrity gossip or put up some mindless Youtube stunt but to find out about cultures other than your own and then maybe the fear will go away. Then it wont matter if Mr. Obama is Muslim, Jewish or Buddhist he’d be looked at as an American and nothing else.

What if the cover were of George W. Bush with two teeth, a piece of straw hanging out of his mouth wearing a dunce cap with a rather large pistol hanging off his hip? Would people laugh, or would the same uproar be happening?

I have always had a high degree of respect for the New Yorker Magazine across the years, but this cover crosses the line. It is incendiary, irresponsible, and shows really bad judgment by the magazine’s editors.

While the intent may have been satire, at what point do we declare our media’s action as libel, and hold them accountable?

This cover is inflamatory!!!! A burned flag (unpatriotic), making Obama to appear as a muslim looking like Osama (a foolish association with the 9/11 tragedy – very distasteful), dressing his wife as a terrorist and militant engaging in a fist bump (exploits the race issue in the worst possible way), with the backdrop being the White House (designed to strikes fear in the hearts of whites in America suggesting that an unruly black terrorist is reaching for the highest office of the country)..

The risks of publishing this cover and releasing it to the American public, is just too great. It can only lead to a destructive end, serving only to ignite extreme segments of an already polarize and racially charged populace.

I grew up with parents who told me that it is as much a sin to take offense as it is to give it. How many of us have had an airbrush artist do our portraits that was a little “off”. Keep our humor. It is a CARTOON. Media is taking this too far. All these debates???? What a WASTE of air time. What about Iraq and Afghanistan, tragedies of mother nature across the U.S. We never hear about how the new MARS lander is doing. 2 minutes to Iraq and an hour for the New Yorker.
Give Americans credit that we have brains and can quickly make our own impressions.
It is sad….because now when these silly debates go on…..and on….most of America now turns the channel, like I am going to do now, Anderson.

Louise

To Charlie Thomas.
fyi–this country was forged by very religious men.
The only true intetion of those men concering religion; was to insure feligous freedom and to never have a government that didnot interfere or dictate what a man must believe. The tem commandments are of value to civilizations as a base for rule of law.

As a long timesubscriber to The New Yorker magazine I am very disappointed in their meaning of satire and wonder if they will grace their next cover with an equally satirical cover of the McCains? I am so sorry that in this day and age that citizens of this wonderful country cannot put bigotry and racism behind them, and this includes my friends (maybe former friends now), who forward email hysterical, demeaning rants re the Obamas that i now delete. And no I will not vote for obma this time, but perhaps next ime. thank you.

Last time I looked we lived in a society with a free press. Will this decide anything? Nope, don’t think so, and how did this merit a whole evening of news? I believe Phil Gramm got it right last week when he called the United States “a nation of whiners” Personally, I liked Jesse Jackson’s remarks much better than this silly magazine cover.

To the staff of the New Yorker:
If you call this satire, then you have just destroyed your freedom as a publication. This is an absolute smear of racial profiling on Barack & Michelle Obama and the Muslim religion. For those individuals who carry ignorance and closed minds will only look at the cover to enhance their already idiotic thoughts and opinions.

This cover has over shadowed the inside article, and defintely gone too far in showing your total lack of taste & responsibility. If this was your way of expressing humorous satire , YOU MISSED THE BOAT ON THIS ONE.

It’s satire, meant to criticize the ridiculous lies flying around the internet. The problem is that there are a lot of people that are too stupid to recognize satire, and, in fact, see it as an affirmation of their fears.

If the New Yorker really meant “no harm”, then they should make the next cover a satire on John McCain. How about him in the Oval Office surrounded by geriatric nurses, an oxygen tank, etc.

The staff on Anderson Cooper must not realize that many of us watch Larry King as well. The interview tonight regarding the cover of The New Yorker was exactly word for word from the interview on Larry King and the only difference was that Anderson was asking the same questions. I am really surprised that this was done.

The 1st amendment provides all Americans with the Freedom of the Press. It has honestly not been proven that the cover of The New Yorker might actually be true. This nation is Christian and his connections to the Muslim religion is very scary.

Satire like this doesn’t work because there is still a massive effort online of people forwarding emails listing all the (untrue) facts about Obama being Muslim and not saluting the flag, and Michelle being “Unamerican” I have had this same email forwarded to me countless times, from people who seriously believe it. Those same people will see the New Yorker cover as a serious statement, not as satire….and they will spread the word!

Go New Yorker and Freedom of Speech! The rest of you need to get over it. Personally I did enjoy the satire. Thanks a lot.

The article inside the magazine should have gone after the right wing hate mongers who propagate these smears, instead of a bio article about the Obama family.

I love the cover. I happen to think it DOES speak to the fears in America about this candidate. The majority of Americans harbor these thoughts and feelings about the Obamas. That is why the democratic nominee needs to be HRC. That is, of course, if we want a democratic White House next year.
The article also, is quite elucidating. Providing the needed Bio on this unknown senator from Illinoise. The only problem, of course, for the Obama camp is that it paints a portrait of Obama which says he’s exactly politics as usual. Aside from having quite the over-blown ego, Obama has shown he is all about Obama.
Kudos to the New Yorker for stepping UP and addressing the current, vital pulse of America…as usual!

good question Melissa. Because that is different. Everyone knows that Bush is from the south and that he is kind of dumb. But people do not know alot about the Obamas and to breathe life into the body of lies rumors and speculation is not funny it is just stupid. If Mccains were on the cover in KKK attire would there be a uproar? Yes because it is a complete falsehood.

I am a registered Democrate and I live in Florida and was not offended at all by the cartoon. As a matter of fact, I think it fit the Obamas perfectly. It was a great cartoon.! I say if you can’t take the heat get out of the kitchen. Thank you for the opportunity to share my comment.
Jackie from Florida

That is a disgusting and tasteless display on the Obamas on the New Yorker magazine cover……it’s all lies…..satire??? you’ve got to be kidding.

The cover was a bad decision for the New Yorker. I guess things like this should be expected when running for the highest office in the land. Overall we should be thankful that we live in a country where every citizen has the right to freedom of speech.

All the CNN reporters are saying he is not a Muslim. He is not but what if he was? No one seems to question the fact that no one even questioned Joe Lieberman as Jewish when he was running for VP. So why Muslim.
Are we Americans we becoming ignorant and think ALL Muslims are bad people. Come on folks….

I’m sick and tired of people saying that they don’t know who Senator Barack Obama is!!! Why is this? Is it because his father wasn’t a President, but a black man, or because his family wasn’t rich, because he didn’t marry wealthy or doesn’t pay more attention to Washington insiders, but rather the average American. Accept him and Michelle for what they are…smart , intelligent , educated, and enthusiastic Americans who want to make a difference in this country.
There’s nothing satirical about that or the cover of The New Yorker.
It’s ignorant and so are the other smears being made about The Obama’s. I’m not laughing, but infuriated!!!
.

Firstly, I’ll give background about myself. I am a 25 year-old African-American from SC. I understand why the visceral response to this would be of offense and construed as racist , because the paper erred by leaving out caption. However, it is clear to me that its intent was to incite a totally opposite reaction. I believe that all the images depicted in the cartoon are radical, racist ideas that have been utilized to satire the media and opponents to Obama who’ve used these things to discredit his campaign. Honestly, its the first way in which I viewed the picture. Not until the media blew the whole thing out of context throughout the day, did I realize that many people were offended by this. Come on…you can’t believe a credible paper like the New Yorker allowed an editorial that hosts the belief that Obama is a flag-burnin’, turbin-adorned, Bin-Laden sympathizin’, fist-pounding radical, with an AK-47 assault rifle toting wife. Even for an abashedly racist institution to espouse these beliefs would be counter to their economic interests. Blacks have not become that irrelevant in America, that a profit-driven media entity would jeopardize their image in a racist endeavor! How about AC start inviting some average people of intelligence to come and share their views for once, because frankly all the so-called black intelligentsia that were on today lacked critical analysis of this entire situation and used it to make all Afro-Americans appear overly sensitive to these types of satire that require intelligence to receive their message accurately. I am not offended!

The New Yorker magazine hates the Muslim world. My mother was Muslim and was a kind person. American’s who hate Obama will stop at nothing. The world is watching and America is showing her true colors.

I think the New Yorker cover was done in a ignorant and distasteful way. How can you ever think this is satire? How stupid could they be. This is outrageous….There was no explantion on the cover. Why would you have a picture of bin laden…Your magazine is really distasteful… Do you really need to sell your magazines? How sad…I will never buy your magzine and I will tell all my friends not to.

If you still think Obama is a Muslim, then you are an idiot. The New Yorker has been famous for it’s satirical cartoons for a long while. (does the name James Thurber ring a bell?) This cartoon was obviously done in satire.

What a raw insult to a presidential candidate, to be aligned with the responsible entity that took so many lives in New York and abroad. Satire? The deaths of our American citizens must fall litely on there conscious to depict Obama and his wife in such giddy satire. How would the jewish community feel if the holocaust was used in this manner.

I do not subscribe to The New Yorker, but if I did, I would cancel. This is a prime example of professionals (in this case journalists) assuming that everyone sees the world as they do. The cover doesn’t even have the title of the article on it, which perhaps may have indicated that it was not supposed to be taken literally.
I rarely agree with Mr Bennnett, but tonight I’m with him 100%. Colbert is a satirist; this is fear-mongering.
I have rarely seen a candidate so undermined by his own side ; I assume The New Yorker was supposed to point out the “stereotypes” that they instead helped perpetuate.

If the intent of the New Yorker cover was to discredit the false accusations against Obama, that does not come across at all. Instead, people will likely glance at the cover and the false accusations that the Obamas are Muslim and unpatriotic will be reinforced. Most of those people will not even bother to read whatever it is that the article says in print.

As a 73 yr. old white woman, I find this supposed satire a disgusting way of portraying Barack Obama and his wife as radiacal, unAmerican liberal democrats. I only wish that the people behind the cover would have to run for cover, as I would love to pelt them with all the excrement I could come up with.

Okay, here is the simple truth about the New Yorker cover. I have 3 grandchildren who are bi-racial. Their ages are 12, 9 and 7. These are the 3 most beautiful souls in the world. They have been very proud of Barack Obama and our support of his campaign. Each night they watch CNN with us as Wolf Blitzer reports from the situation room, The political program in the evening and AC360. When they here reporting – they’re full of pride.

This evening, they were devastated. Kay (12) cried, my 9 year old grandson said (and got the corner) “Oh sh-t!” and the 7 year old slammed her door.

Then they asked — will Obama be President and the most HORRIBLE thing — they asked if they were Muslims and terror people.

Thanks a million, New Yorker.

Change.

To make it, requires dramatic action. The New Yorker is a great magazine and when I first heard about this story, I was shocked. But after thinking about it, it’s true. This is going to and already has caused intense debate… debates which do not include anyone believing Obama is actually a Muslim.

On another note, this magazine is an intellectual magazine and for those not familiar with the magazine, there might be a misunderstanding. These intellectuals are creative individuals and they are also trying to cause change. It is up to us to believe in the change that the new yorker is presenting.

Perhaps we need to see past New Yorker covers to determine how outrageous (or not) this satirical cover is. Would love to hear from the artist and editor as to their thinking. I usually find the humor in things, but didn’t even chuckle when I saw this one!

Jolene, St. Joseph, MI

Wonder what the reaction would be if it was against a jewish candidate?

There are some people that are bent on the falling of america–unknowingly. The New York magazine is one of these institution.

Gosh, I knew the KKK was alive and well, but I had no idea their headquarters was in New York! I can’t fully express my outrage at the despicable portrayal of Michelle and Barack Obama. The depiction will simply reinforce misconceptions people (who will never read the article) have. My understanding is that the article actually has nothing to do with the cover. Well, the New Yorker has gotten attention and I guess that is what it is all about. If they had to display racism to get it, then what does that make them? A lowly part of the media they were supposedly (wink, wink) satirizing.

Many people I have talked to in the black community are outraged about this assault on a prominent political man. He is a Christian man; calling him muslim is extremely biased, He reads the bible not the Koran. Disrespecting our county by burning our much respected flag in the fireplace is wrong. This statement shows our ignorance and disillusions to our people. Yes we pound our fists because of our pride. This does not meen we disrespect our patriotism to our country. This is not a JOKE its a lynching against a respected patriot.

How anyone can call insult, defamation, and slander satire is beyond me. This is hateful, racist, sexist, and just plain poor taste. Is this the New Yorker or the Ku Klux Klan Gazette?

Shame on you New Yorker. What a way to endear yourself to our next president.

I guess you can say sayonara to those White House dinner invitations you may have received.

This is a terrible interpretation of “satire”. As soon as our copy of this issue arrives in the mail I will be tearing off the cover and sending it back to the New Yorker headquarters! I suggest other subscribers do the same.

I am a 60 year old white female; not exactly a hot head ultra liberal. I am embarassed how political commentary has been reduced to Jerry Springer levels. Whatever happened to discussion of ideas, goals and debate?

James and his 20th century mindset. The blatant disregard for how others may feel, other than himself, is exactly why Hillary lost the campaign. He still doesn’t get it! Retire NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think there should be a caricature of the McCains with their adopted Bangladeshi daughter seated in front of a Koran inside the White House. After all, 80% of the Bangladeshi are muslim… how would the nation feel having one living in the White House… even if it is a child. It is her roots and her ethnic people. And while she is reading from the Koran, have Cindy McCain depicted as blogger LAUREN said at 7:30 p.m. today (July 14th). Maybe add a few empty bottles of prescription drugs. And on the wall, in a frame, have Sen. McCains class rank at the academy to remind people of his intelligence.

For the past day I have been talking to my colleagues and friends about the New Yorker cover. I must say both liberals and conservatives find this offensive. While I believe there is a small populus that believe Obama is a muslim about 12% according to newsweek magazine still cling to the thought the senator is a muslim. While being a muslim should not be a precursor to prejudice, it has been used as a mechanism to evoke fear and smear Mr. Obama. Lastly, there is that pesky problem of race. Mrs. Obama has demonstrated her professional credentials and she spoke on her patriotism. I think the main stream media need to keep this above the belt, never heard of this type of take on the Bush’s, the Cheney’s or the McCains.

Every body is trying to prove that he is not a muslim like it is a shame/crime/dangerous/crazy to be a muslim. Question is can a muslim born in America be the President of USA or is it is not constitutional for a muslim to be a American president. Is hate created by media agaist muslim not letting even our smartest news commentators to think that it is OK for the President to be from any relegion??????

If this happens to mccain or any white person nothing is said. But God forbid this happening to a black person. Wow!

The line was crossed. I will cancel my subscription to the New Yorker.

I can not believe most of these comments! Let us not forget that this is a satirical “cartoon”. Perhaps Americans who are up in arms about this need to focus more on why they do not get the joke. Unfortunately, all this does is give cable news shows fodder to distract the political conversation away from issues that are of great, great importance for Americans and the rest of the world. Get over it and spend an hour talking about fixing Iraq, health care or the economy. The real joke is that these issues are so forgotten. All the same, the New Yorker may have overestimated its readership, but I commend them for pushing the limits. In the context of the campaigns thus far (and the media treatment of each), this cover should be perfectly clear to any reasonable person. Wake up and ‘Go Obama’!

SMEAR, regardless of their reported intent. The average american, the working class american does not read the New Yorker. The facists are going to have a field day with this now and later on.
The pic needed a caption! Makes you wonder?

As a staunch supporter of Barack Obama, and {most importantly} as a lover of America, I was extremely offended by this magazine cover…not only for the lies {that it implies}, about Barack and his wife, but mostly about their portraying of the burning of our American flag.
That burning can not, and should not, be forgiven of the New Yorker.

How dare you, New Yorker, burn my flag…..How dare you!

Come on now…
I don’t believe for one minute that there is one Black or African Americans…or even Muslim Americans for that matter that believes Barack Obama is a Muslim if they knew anything about the candidate. I would bet money that the only Americans that believe this lie are European Americans – White Americans, and to be more specific, those that are racist and are against Barack because of his race. People who hear his name and see his skin color and won’t take a second look at the man and the issues he stands for. It would be interesting to dig deeper into the poll to find out what percentage were White versus other nationalities.

What’s really sad though; especially for real Muslim Americans is that it is considered a smear or a bad thing to be considered muslim.

The New Yorker cover of Obama and his wife depicted as terrorists, with Osama bin Laden looking on, is a disgrace! This cheap, racist stunt is intended to influence the electorate. Hopefully, enough voters will be so disgusted by it that it will backfire. This is just the latest off-base attack on Obama, yet McCain — with all his conservative to right-wing statements and countless flip-flops, is given a free pass. A comparable “satire” on McCain would be depicting him as a fascist, dressed in a full Nazi uniform with a swastica on his armband. I haven’t seen that yet, and hope I don’t. The New Yorker and all of the media should refrain from gutter politics so the American people can make a decision on the issues.

The cover and article could have been affective if it actually covered this issue and maybe even had on the cover “TRUE OR FALSE” . It wasn’t satire as I know it, It was about making money. There is no humor in burning the flag with the man responsible for killing our Americans on the mantle piece. It Is tasteless. The New Yorker is illusional if they think this article is cleaver most people aren’t going to read the artilcle (although even if they do, it won’t help explain the ignorance of those that feel this way). Where is the truth here?

It was ignorant, I was drawn to the magazine to wonder WHAT THE HECK! However, I won’t buy it and hope others won’t support the magazine.

Obama stay on point to heck with those that act like they don’t know any better.

James Carville and The New Yorker Team need to live as a muslim or african american for 1 week in america, then and see if they really see this as true satire? or is it really what there grandparents, instilled in them?

It is a joke. Come on people, every politician has been subject to this kind of satire. Look at what the networks have said about McCain and Bush, not near as bad as what the New Yorker did, which is an obvious joke, the Networks are serious. No, I am not Republican, I just think Obama is so sensitive about ANYTHING that might take away a single vote, he is acting like a baby. If you are going to get into the political arena, you have to get a little thicker skin. He is so afraid of anything that doesn’t put him in the best of light that he makes a fool of himself. He does not belong in this arena if he can’t take the heat. He would have better off to laugh it off than be so offended, look he is getting press. I am disgusted with his “don”t say anything against me or or my wife” attitude, when he is consistently going after McCain. You know what, what goes around comes around. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

Outrageous and racist, and anyone who tries to defend it is either (1) anti-Barack or (2) hoping to turn the Muslims against Barack. Because The New Yorker did not even add verbiage to the cover, it reemphasizes the fact that they want people to think exactly what the cover depicts. Many folks who don’t read The New Yorker will not know that this is supposed to be satire (if truly it is). I notice that ex-Hillary supporter , James Carville, thinks it’s funny and “no big deal”. It is a huge deal and racism should not be tolerated no matter how it is “couched”.
And, of course, I have not read the article and won’t because I won’t buy the magazine and I will encourage my friends and anyone who I can contact / blog / email / etc. to cancel their subscriptions.
The New Yorker will clearly do anything to see subscriptions … it won’t work this time …

I think it was discusting. I saw michelle on the view and was so proud of her. She is such a classy lady and this probably really hurt her. This picture showed that racism and hurtful predjudice is still a part of living in America for black people. Why can’t we be judged by content of our character and not by the color of our skin? Martin Luther King asked this question over 40 years ago, but it’s still relavent today. I see America is trying to throw God out of our country, but still hold on to hate and predjuice. Yet I still love this country because of our religious freedom that we have here. Even though Obama is Christian we are supposed to have religious freedom in this country don’t we?