Economist, July 10; New Republic, July 19 John-John: John Kerry’s selection of North Carolina Sen. John Edwards as his running mate plays to positive reviews. The magazines agree that the pick shores up a glaring Kerry weakness—that, as the Economist puts it, he had “yet to articulate why he should be president.”TNR’s Campaign Journal says Kerry has already incorporated the “Edwardsian” idea of the “middle-class squeeze” by emphasizing credit-card debt and personal bankruptcy.… The mags also say the veep choice offers a preview of how Kerry would govern as president. TRB argues that the appropriation of Edwards’ message isn’t just “politically shrewd,” but shows Kerry is willing to listen to others’ ideas, unlike the immovable George W. Bush. And an Economist piece says the vetting process shows that President Kerry would first “thrash out issues to death,” then come to a last-minute decision that even his staffers aren’t clued in about.
Asia major: Anonymous sources in Pakistan tell TNR that top American officials are applying pressure on them to collar “high-value targets” like Osama Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri before the November election. One source in the Pakistani intelligence service even says he was told that the Bushies hope to announce an “arrest or killing” during the first three days of the Democratic National Convention.… The Economist reports that Japan is becoming the “land of the rising gun.” Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has broad national support to jettison the country’s pacifist foreign policy for a more active stance, specifically toward North Korea. That’s good news for the Bush administration, which could use a powerful ally in the unstable Pacific.—J.L.
New York Times Magazine, July 11 The cover story on graphic novels feels a little moldy. While the piece claims the genre is reaching its apogee right now, it argues for the legitimacy of the art form by lingering over past highlights like Art Spiegelman’s Maus and Chris Ware’s Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth. A two-page spread of Ware’s latest work does far more to display the vitality of graphic novels than the prose. … Another piece explains that Saddam Hussein’s trial will have a pyramidal structure, with American investigators gathering evidence at the bottom and Iraqis in charge of the nuts and bolts of the tribunal at the top. Some human-rights activists argue that the United States wants the trial in Iraq, rather than at an international war crimes tribunal, because an Iraqi court is less likely to call witnesses that will argue that the United States helped launch Saddam’s regime.—J.L.
Outside, July 2004; ESPN the Magazine, July 5; Sports Illustrated, June 28; Esquire, July 2004; Men’s Journal, August 2004 Everyone knows that Lance Armstrong is shooting for an unprecedented sixth Tour de France title. But Armstrong is also gunning for a lesser-known feat—to become the first cyclist from Texas to have his mug on six major magazine covers in a one-month span. Feature editors love the Lance in France story line because he’s the athlete who just won’t stop overcoming. First came cancer, then doping allegations and America-hating Frenchies. This year, the mags are falling all over themselves to create new and interesting obstacles: the distraction of a newfound interest in his children, the diversion of fancy-pants Hollywood girlfriend Sheryl Crow, old age, hungry rivals, more doping allegations—everything but the hassle of sitting for exclusive interviews and artsy photo shoots. (Both Esquire and Outside include black-and-white shots of Lance’s head poking out of inky water.) But while the pieces go through the motions of teeth-gnashing, they all pull back from actually suggesting the champ could be dethroned. No worries: Lance shall overcome the faux doubters—and just in time to sport the yellow jersey on another SI cover.—J.L.
New York, July 12 The magazine’s cover package tackles that most unremitting of urban nuisances, noise. Mayor Bloomberg’s Giuliani-like quest to hush the Big Apple inspired the magazine to roam the city, measuring noise everywhere from the Astor Place subway (101 decibels) to Strawberry Fields (54 decibels). There is also advice on how to quiet your barking dog (you can’t really) and an explanation of the “canyon effect” that amplifies city sounds. … In a week dominated by John Kerry tapping John Edwards as his running mate, the magazine checks in with the one-time front-runner for the Democratic nomination. Howard Dean is building his Democractic Party cred by funding progressive candidates around the country. … New editor Adam Moss seems determined to sex up the magazine. First it was that cover, now it’s a photo spread of teens and preteens in swimsuits.— A.B.D.
The New Yorker, July 12 and July 19
How does war change a soldier? That’s the question the magazine asks in its examination of the psychological effects of combat. The article reveals a military that trains troops to kill but resists helping them overcome the pain that results from doing so. The Defense Department has compiled few statistics on the effects of battlefield violence and the Department of Veterans Affairs is ill-prepared to counsel soldiers anguished by it. Yet independent studies suggest that killing enemies is one of the greatest causes of post-combat trauma. … The magazine also has the scoop on drug abuse by Vice President Cheney’s former physician. Dr. Gary Malakoff lost his place on the veep’s medical team after Cheney learned that Malakoff has had a prescription narcotics problem since 1997. … Slate’s David Greenberg reviews the current crop of books on the Bush dynasty and finds that the administrations of Bush pere and Bush fils are more remarkable for their differences than their similarities.— A.B.D.
Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News & World Report, July 12 The senator from Massachusetts: Newsweek examines John Kerry’s electoral strategy as the presidential race enters its final months. The consensus, as articulated by DNC chair Terry McAuliffe, is that Kerry has to do a better job explaining himself to voters. “The campaign isn’t just about George W. Bush,” McAuliffe says.… Apparently, U.S. News disagrees. The magazine focuses on Kerry’s opponent and explains why the president’s decisive style makes him such a controversial leader. The article concludes that Bush’s tenure has been “so dramatic” that the election will be a referendum on his presidency more than a contest with Kerry.… Time’s feature on John Kerry mines his formative years in an effort to explain the man he is today. The story’s basic outline is familiar (distant father, Swiss boarding school, etc.), and the authors’ attempts to enrich it with some amateur psychoanalysis fall flat. Still, quotes from Kerry and his boyhood friends make the piece worthwhile.
More on Moore: Time’s cover package on the “Falstaff of the political revels” waxes poetic as it considers Michael Moore. While the details of his rise to stardom are interesting, the article’s main focus is the way Moore might affect the presidential race. His “docu-tragicomedy” Fahrenheit 9/11 has broken all documentary box-office records, and the article speculates it was behind a new Internet fund-raising record John Kerry set last week. The question is whether the film will become a defining moment in political life that demonstrates the power of an as-yet untapped medium. …U.S. News reveals that the film is playing well in both red and blue America. Cleveland Cinemas’ president told the magazine, “People seem to be saying, ‘There must be something going on here—let’s check it out.’ ” …Newsweek examines the rise of 7-year-old Canadian film studio Lions Gate, which distributed Moore’s film. … Also worth reading: a wide-ranging interview (albeit full of softball questions) with Moore in the current Entertainment Weekly and a profile of Moore from the Feb. 16 New Yorker.
Slow news week: U.S. News continues its editorial commitment to ranking every American institution with its 2004 list of the best hospitals. …Newsweek offers a news-free trend piece with a cover feature on “The New Infidelity.” Now that more women work outside the home, it’s easier for them to meet new people and have affairs. Evidence that this is actually happening is slim and anecdotal. … Time reviews some new voter-registration incentives, including free bikini waxes.—A.B.D.
