I think there are some interesting points here, but I wonder how this will all play out in the next few weeks…???…

What was particularly interesting to me about the primary in S.C. was how much of the literature was devoted to demonstrating that (a) Barack is black; (b) Michelle is darker-skinned; and (c) they are both Christian. I guess I am surprised that, despite all this grassroots outreach, that at least in the black community there's still suspicions, but then again it's probably more xenophobia (Obama's time spent out of the USA) than racism…

I cannot agree with that angle.
Do you not realize the number of black people especially here in more rural areas that believe those same rumors?
The average American is not so politically well informed and definitely not reading and writing on blogs. All they get is the break room version of the news, get home, and spread that to everyone they know. You would be shocked by all of the black people that really think that Obama is a Muslim. It shocked me that even more believe that was reason enough for them (the black people) not to vote for him over Hillary.

There's no question in my mind that this cover makes fun of what it perceives to be stupid white Americans.

I also have little doubt that those Americans targeted by this cover are not so stupid as to not realize they're being caricatured and looked down upon by the cultural elite.

I don't see this primarily as a conflict between liberal white and black America (although because the artist wasn't looking in that direction, I think he f'ed up). It's an intramural battle between educated and lower-class white America, and it doesn't look too good from that angle either.

I think that most of the Americans who say that Obama is Muslim don't really believe he's Muslim, but they use that idea as shorthand for something else — maybe for racism, maybe for xenophobia, maybe just plain fear of change. Getting to the root of that belief, rather than just making fun of it, seems much more productive to me.

I used to think bin Laden was in East Boston with Dick Cheney. ;)

I'm more suspicious of Bush being distracted from catching this supposed mastermind of 9/11. It's chilling how they've managed to conflate Iraq and 9/11, substituting Iraq for bin Laden without any national outcry. If god supposedly told Bush to invade, then surely Muslims are justified in thinking it a “Crusade”.

America demonized, then invaded a nation, and Murdered the leaders two sons without any war crimes trial. It is extraordinarily chilling.

Does anybody think he's probably dead?

They New Yorker brings all the worse parts of the Obama myths together and puts it out there on a National Forum, knowing full well people are gonna holla over it, but theres discussion there and generally things get resolved

This is the summertime and theres time to discuss all these things. The fact that Obama is in this position to begin can hopefully simmer some people down, but I cannot back any politician before I make sure my Constitution is intact, I dont care what color he is.

Im not gonna fight Obama's fights for him–this is the job, people, he asked for this.

These things arent true and by bringing them all up at once you can lump all of these arguments into “The Cartoon Argument” and move forward–the whole point of it being a cartoon means youll the people who are dumb enough to think its true and you can work on them.

Because I refuse to even discuss these topics in polite company and refute the facts when I see or hear them–theres no more power to this issue.

This is what we call a “head fake”/

In response to grapesoda I don't think the issue is the Obama's can't be lampooned in cartoons. You are right, its the price of public service. However, political cartoons are aimed at making a funny point based on truth. Bill Clinton was lampooned as a philanderer because he was guilty of it. The Obamas in this case are being lampooned, however innocently as claimed by the New Yorker, in images that are not true.

Bill Clinton had a penis for a nose in numerous cartoons.

Just stop it–its the price of being number one. To act like its anything else is immature and ignorant.

It is only from a place of white privilege that one can appreciate this “satire”. One can be titillated by the controversy because the racism the cover is trying to lampoon is so far removed from what they have to deal with on a daily basis.

For those of us who actually have the deal with the consequences of the stereotyping that the cover flaunts, it ain't so funny.

Word!