Elliott N asked:
Obama has been on the cover of Us Weekly 3 times, Good Housekeeping, and Ladies Home Journal once each that I know of because my wife takes those magazines. He has also been on the cover of Men’s health. He is also featured prominently on entertainment news shows. I expect him to be on Time and Newsweek, but not Good Housekeeping and Men’s Health. In my lifetime I can’t recall all this hoopla around one man (never saw Bush or Clinton on any of the ladies’ magazines). He is so overexposed that it is becoming sickening. Is he a celebrity or someone about to undertake an extremely serious job? I don’t think he can be both.
For the people who think it is not strange or because he is not white have missed the point of the question. George W. Bush has never been on the cover of the magazines I mentioned. Laura Bush was featured once on the cover of Good Housekeeping. What in the world does this magazine have with this man who is not elected to keep house, but lead the country. This man was on the front cover of magazines that have absolutely nothing to do with politics, and I just wanted to know why he is getting unprecented attention when he should not be a celebrity. If he is a celebrity then he should move to Hollywood and let Joe Biden be president.
Obama has been on the cover of Us Weekly 3 times, Good Housekeeping, and Ladies Home Journal once each that I know of because my wife takes those magazines. He has also been on the cover of Men’s health. He is also featured prominently on entertainment news shows. I expect him to be on Time and Newsweek, but not Good Housekeeping and Men’s Health. In my lifetime I can’t recall all this hoopla around one man (never saw Bush or Clinton on any of the ladies’ magazines). He is so overexposed that it is becoming sickening. Is he a celebrity or someone about to undertake an extremely serious job? I don’t think he can be both.
For the people who think it is not strange or because he is not white have missed the point of the question. George W. Bush has never been on the cover of the magazines I mentioned. Laura Bush was featured once on the cover of Good Housekeeping. What in the world does this magazine have with this man who is not elected to keep house, but lead the country. This man was on the front cover of magazines that have absolutely nothing to do with politics, and I just wanted to know why he is getting unprecented attention when he should not be a celebrity. If he is a celebrity then he should move to Hollywood and let Joe Biden be president.
December 20th, 2008 at 11:11
By the time its over the White House will need a bigger door to accommodate his big head.
December 23rd, 2008 at 15:21
because he is the first black president
December 26th, 2008 at 12:55
To say that any president isn’t a celebrity is a little naive, don’t you think? The president is probably the biggest celebrity around.
Besides, if people like Madonna and Paris Hilton can get on the covers of news magazines, why can’t politicians get on non-news magazines?
December 27th, 2008 at 12:17
Humm
perhaps it is because you take it for granted that whites should automatically appear on the cover of magazines as a matter of privilege.
If you’re so tired of what you classify as “overexposure,” buy the magazines and tear off the covers.
Of course he is not a celebrity. But he is about to take on one of the most important jobs in this country. And I say “this country” because we in “this country” are the only people who refer to our presidents as the most powerful man in the “world”.
Truth is, many other countries label their heads of state with the same definition.
In all seriousness(and I am caucasian) I like it that he has been given so much exposure. So he’s half Black, half Caucasian. Good. We need diversity.
He has a job to do. Just like Bush and others before him.
Deal with it.
Or, like I said, ignore the magazines.
Or better still don’t buy them silly.
December 29th, 2008 at 21:02
I think he is a celebrity, by whatever definition you chose. You sound like someone who is looking for his fifteen minutes of fame yourself. Good luck with the election.
December 30th, 2008 at 01:56
I don’t know whether any Presidents-Elect past have gotten this much attention or not.
It makes a lot of sense, though.
First, you have the fact of his race; which is something many people said would never happen,or could not happen for a long time.
Then, you have the fact of the times we are in right now. We’ve been living through a nightmare, with a president almost everyone has finally realized has been a complete disaster. (The only reason Bush ever had high ratings wes 9/11 and the mistaken idea that we have to approve of a president when the country is harmed. Before 9/11, his ratings were in a steady downward fall, from his initial barely majority approval; they skyrocketted up to 90% becaus eof 9/11, and have been slowly falling fairly steadily ever since; they have LONG been at historical lows.)
Add to this Obama’s charisma, and the fact that he has a 70% favorability rating — he’s very popular.
Then there’s the fact that we haven’t had young children living in the White House since Amy Carter (I believe she was 8 when she moved in). This adds an “Awwwww!” element.
Uh, you don’t think pictures of him can appear on magazine covers AND he prepare for transition and ultimately become president? Why is that?
Clearly, he’s already working hard toward the transition, even while magazines do stories on him. The latter doesn’t have anything to do with the former.
It’s not as though he’s spending all his time begging to be put on covers. People are very hyped about him; magazines put him on the cover to sell more copies.
When Bush took office, a majority of voters had voted for Gore; Bush only got in through fraud. That left a bad taste in people’s mouths.
Obama won by a higher percent of the popular vote than we’ve seen in a long time — many people’s lifetimes.
People are suffering and afraid it’s going to be worse before it gets better; people are pinning hopes for recovery on Obama.
Thus, for many reasons, this is a big deal.
But concluding that he can’t possibly do a good job as president, before he’s even been sworn in is just silly.
December 31st, 2008 at 06:56
I have noticed that too in the supermarkets. I have never remembered a presidential candidate getting coverage in specialty magazines. I understand his being on the cover of news magazines, but not Good Housekeeping. Maybe his wife, but not him. Frankly, I do not understand his appeal. I voted against him twice primarily because of his lack of experience in most matters and his far left bend. Us Weekly is very biased. Sarah Palin was trashed in it the week she was on the cover.