I held off commenting on this just in case there's a big cash prize for being the one-millionth person on the Internet to comment on the New Yorker cover about Barack Obama…
Yes, you're offended by it. You're supposed to be offended by it. The question to me is whether you're offended by the fact that there are people in this country (people who will actually vote) who believe some or all of that about Senator Obama. Or are you offended by the New Yorker summarizing and satirizing that viewpoint? I'm with the first group and I think there's a value to the latter. There are plenty of folks in this country who are now more vocal than ever in denouncing the low I.Q. of those who believe this crap and/or those who know it's a lie and deliberately spread it. I kinda like that. Better to get it out in the open where it can be ridiculed than let it be spread unscathed via e-mails and whispers.
The other day on Talk of the Nation on NPR, three friends of mine — comedian Paul Mooney and cartoonists Art Spiegelman and Mike Peters — discussed the cover. The exchange between Art and Mike is interesting but I think I side with Art. The New Yorker didn't invent this view of Obama and I don't think that cover will convince anyone it's valid. It's more likely to debunk it. You can hear the broadcast on this page.
Ultimately, I think Jon Stewart got this one right. Obama should have responded by saying something like, "Of course I'm not offended. Muslim extremists get offended by cartoons and I'm not a Muslim extremist."