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Delegating Their AuthorityThe New York Times Magazine on how the tight presidential-nomination races could depend on superdelegates.

By Alex Joseph and Noreen Malone
Posted Friday, Feb. 1, 2008, at 2:34 PM ET

Today, Other Magazines reads the Economist, Time, and the New York Times Magazine to find out what's worth your time—and what's not.

Magazine Covers

Must Read
In the New York Times Magazine, Matt Bai presents the possibility that this year's presidential race may not be determined by primary and caucus voters, but rather superdelegates who would cast the deciding votes in the event no candidate emerges as a clear front-runner. The piece compares Barack Obama's run to that of Gary Hart, the charismatic anti-establishment candidate of the '80s. Whether or not Obama wins, Bai asserts that his increasingly popular challenge to the establishment in Washington, D.C., can be seen as the end of a political generation.—A.J.

Best Advice
In Time, Joe Klein advises Hillary Clinton to get rid of Bill. He believes that the former president has actually been a detriment to his wife's campaign and that rather than bolster support for her, he has called into question her viability as a candidate. Despite strong debate performances and unrivaled knowledge of policy, Klein argues that Hillary must act on the question of her husband now to preserve her own credibility.—A.J.

Most Popular Headline
The Economist gleefully sings out, "Goodbye, Rudy Tuesday." It's part of a small chorus: See here and here, among others who've waiting to pounce on the pun.—N.M.

Best Demographics Piece
The New York Times Magazine breaks down the factors that shape the all-important women's vote. Despite the fact that women are statistically less-informed than men in regards to current affairs, the piece suggests that they are in no way less interested in the political arena and use different factors to judge a candidates worth. Therefore women, who represent an ever-widening majority of voters in America, are increasingly the targets of campaigns who vie eagerly for their support.—A.J.

Best Cover Package
The Economist warns that December's National Intelligence Estimate on Iran produced a false sense of security, and that the threat of nuclear capability remains. China and Russia, important diplomatic allies for the United States, have softened their stance toward Iran even as a coordinated international diplomatic effort becomes more vital. The net results of the "damage done by what the NIE did and did not say cannot easily be undone," the magazine grimly says.—N.M.

Best Iraq Piece
Time magazine delivers a nuanced examination of the Iraq surge and its effects on the United States' presence in the Middle East. While the article lauds the decrease of violence in the region, it is careful to note the fragility of the surge and the myriad factors that could cause a backslide into violence.—A.J.

Best International Piece
The death of Indonesian leader Suharto merits a gloves-off "epitaph" rather than obituary, for a man the Economist calls "a cold war monster" who brought corruption to unheard-of levels during his 32-year reign. The magazine is heartened by the seemingly perfunctory national mourning for Suharto, which it calls a sign that the country remains headed in the right direction.—N.M.

Best Profile
The French foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, is profiled in the latest issue of the New York Times Magazine as he attempts to restore the image and importance of France in the international community. Although perceived by many to be a stoutly pro-American interventionist, the piece sheds light on the charismatic leader's unexpected origins, from his youth as a rambunctious Communist, to his part in founding Doctors Without Borders.—A.J.

Best Finance Story
The Economist explains how the popular reception of the disgraced Société Générale trader, quickly mythologized as "The Che Guevara of finance" and the "James Bond of SocGen," demonstrates the divide between French economic sentiment (anti-capitalist) and practice (increasingly financially adept, SocGen notwithstanding).—N.M.

Best Style Piece
As Fashion Week descends upon the Big Apple, the New York Times Magazine examines the catwalk itself and profiles Stefan Beckman, the mind behind the elaborate sets that accentuate the year's biggest shows and photo shoots. With roots in set design, he has elevated the fashion show to a new level of theatricality.—A.J.

Best History Piece
As the writers' strike continues, Time takes a moment to look back at the less publicized but equally important Comedy Store strike. The piece, which recounts how many of entertainment's biggest names (Letterman, Leno) stood up against unfair pay in the late '70s, is especially intriguing considering these same figures are being closely watched and judged on how they handle the current strike.—A.J.

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Alex Joseph is a Slate intern. Noreen Malone is a Slate executive assistant.
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