ABC News: President Beefcake? D.C. magazine to feature shirtless Obama on cover

[jefferson_dem]

President Beefcake? D.C. magazine to feature shirtless Obama on cover
April 20, 2009 7:59 PM

ABC News' Karen Travers and Jake Tapper report:

In the throes of an economic crisis and two wars, does the nation want more headlines about a "Pec-tacular" “Buff Bam”?

President Obama appears shirtless in a bathing suit on the cover of May issue of The Washingtonian magazine. The magazine's excuse? The pec pic illustrates the #2 reason (out of 26) to love living in the nation’s capital: “Our New Neighbor is Hot.”

The monthly style/culture publication uses a paparazzi photograph taken during the president-elect’s Christmas vacation in Hawaii last year.

Long before that, in February 2007, then-Sen. Barack Obama complained that a different beach pic got the media's attention instead of his policy positions, which he blamed on the meme that he was a lightweight.



“The problem's not that the info's not out there," Mr. Obama said. "The problem is that that's not what you guys have been reporting on. You've been reporting on how I look in a swimsuit."

<SNIP>

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/04/president-beefc.html

[Thrill]

1. Typical Jack Tapper

"does the nation want more headlines about a "Pec-tacular" “Buff Bam”?"

What a pompous prick

[CakeGrrl]

6. They HAAAAAATE Obama's popularity

If someone were as attentive to them, their egos would lap it up.

ps - for some odd reason, they photoshopped the shorts. They're black in the original pic. :P

[Born_A_Truman]

8. If they left the shorts black, they would disappear in the black background

[SemiCharmedQuark]

22. He is such a colossal fuckwad.

[Turbineguy]

2. The only thing to say is

Thanks for not posting Bush senior that way!

That would have been awful to look at.

[NYC Liberal]

3. Or this guy:

[peace13]

5. I think you were too nice to

Cheeeeney!

[NYC Liberal]

7. There's a "better" one but I couldn't find it!

[Olney Blue]

4. He's so fine.

[MADem]

9. I don't know why....but I find this whole objectification a bit denigrating.

Apparently the President does as well.

That's what sucks about being a public figure, though. Very hard to control the image. Damn near impossible, really. IF they didn't have the shot, they'd photoshop it.

[Clio the Leo]

10. They changed his shorts from blue to red...

... and the fact that i noticed that straight off is disgraceful. :)

[Pirate Smile]

12. You weren't the first post in the thread to notice that so you don't need to feel alone ...

in your disgrace. :D

[gblady]

15. not a bit disgraceful, girl....

first thing I noticed also...

it shows a keen sense of detail observation...
a highly honed skill.....hehe.

[Realtalk]

16. Dust thine eyes deceive me?

Or is President Obama working with something in those shorts? I mean, I know I shouldn't draw attention to it but damn. *shudders with delight*

[vaberella]

19. LOL!! You need to go and do penance for that one. Do not covet thy neighbor's wife or husband.

Commandment no.# 9 or 10...I can never remember.

[Kahuna]

21. Damn you!

}(

[vaberella]

18. He does have a nice set of pecs and abs for an older guy....lucky Michelle.

But it is degrading to see this.

[HopeOverFear]

11. I have their Inauguration Issue with Mr. and Mrs. Obama on the cover

it's a beautiful magazine.

[Arkana]

13. I'd object to this if I were Obama.

[AnnieBW]

14. He's hotter than Putin

By a long shot!

[Hutzpa]

17. This is about stroking his ego,

these folks are so cynical its not even funny.

Yes, he is absolutely right, they should be talking about his policies
and not his physical looks.

[gauguin57]

20. Why couldn't THIS shirtless guy have been President Beefcake?

(I'm only running this one cuz I couldn't find the one Tipper took of him shaving back in the early '70s).

[SemiCharmedQuark]

23. What kind of magazine is the Washingtonian?

[rvablue]

25. It's a society rag. n/t

[Orsino]

24. The better to counter the right wing's mutterings about Obama's "unmanliness."

I don't think this is a dare that Cheney will take.

[jillan]

26. It's pretty crazy that with everything going on right now in DC, this is what

they chose for their cover.