8/8/2011
I never thought that I would see the day that I would be defending GOP Presidential Candidate Michele Bachmann.
The above photo is on the cover of the latest issue of Newsweek magazine. To be blunt, she looks manic and a tad deranged. There really is no excuse for this photo by Newsweek. I doubt that this is best picture they had of Bachmann, though past photos of her haven’t exactly been the most flattering.
Maybe Newsweek wanted a photo that made Bachmann look somewhat mentally off-kilter to tie in with their “Queen of Rage’ headline. What might be even scarier is that Bachmann may have had final photo approval and thought this was the best photo of the bunch. Not exactly a shining example of a basic judgement call.
Bachmann’s politics, rhetoric and behavior are considered extreme by many, including myself. Furthermore, I do not believe that she has the intellectual stamina and/or temperament to be the President of the United States. All that being said, isn’t up to the public to decide whether her candidacy should be taken seriously, not for Newsweek to infer something about Bachmann via a crazy-looking photograph?
You might recall during the 2008 presidential campaign Newsweek got in hot water over a cover photo pic of then GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin in running shorts. They don’t seem to have the greatest mag cover track record with showing female GOPers in the best light.
With all the brouhaha surrounding the Bachmann photo I can’t help but smell a whiff of manufactured PR by Newsweek who isn’t exactly high-up on the news media radar.
Hey Newsweek – if you don’t like a candidate or a candidate’s politics then say so. There is no need to place inappropriate and/or unflattering photos about certain candidates as some sort of subliminal/editorial message.
The defense of Michele Bachmann by a Democrat (albeit a semi-cranky one) rests.
