Satire

While spending the last few weeks on the sidelines, I wondered what it would take for me to be moved to write again. Unfortunately, it was a tie.

First, this cover. I'm baffled by all the attention this is receiving. The coverage, so far as I can tell, is being driven by the Obama campaign, which is rightfully sensitive to such images. The campaign lashed out, calling the cover "tasteless and offensive." But Obama's underlings are barking up the wrong tree this time.

It's stating the obvious to say the cover is satire. But that comment is not only obvious, it's an understatement -- it's smart satire.

Imagine a different scenario. Imagine that Frank Rich had written a column about the smears and rumors repeated about the Obamas. I'm not Frank Rich, but I would not be surprised to see him write something like this,

"This election, if the John McCains and Karl Roves have their way, will center on the image of Barack Obama standing in the Oval Office in traditional Muslim garb. But it won't be just about religion. The Republicans will portray him as having a portrait of Osama bin Laden (his namesake) resting above a fire fueled by a burning American flag.

But the image won't just be of the Senator from Illinois. The McCains and Roves will have Michelle there, too. She's the foot soldier, ready for battle. She'll hold an AK-47, boast a giant afro, huge lips and give a secret hand signal to her presidential hubby."

I doubt anyone would call those two paragraphs "tasteless and offensive." No one would think twice about seeing those paragraphs in the Sunday Times.

The cover is drawing the ire of the Obama campaign because it is exactly what is happening. It is great satire for the same reason.