Five Photos That Cinched the Election for Barack (Photo District News) [View All]

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Five Photos That Cinched the Election for Barack

We took an informal survey of the PDN staff to determine our picks for the most influential still photographs of the 2008 election. Below are our top five, plus some runners up. What do you think? Your comments are welcome.


5. Barack, Rock Star


Rolling Stone published this Peter Yang portrait without type on its July 10-24 cover. That was back when the magazine was still printed on oversize paper, which made the impact even stronger. Obama’s popularity among young people (such as Rolling Stone readers) was key to his election victories, especially his ability to channel their enthusiasm into fund-raising, outreach and actual votes.




4. Barack in Iraq


On July 21, Barack Obama joined Republican Senator Chuck Hagel for a helicopter flight over Baghdad with Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq. The photographs – shot by Staff Sgt. Lorie Jewell for the Army and provided as handouts to the press – were widely published. Obama, looking relaxed, confident and in charge, suddenly seemed plausible as commander-in-chief.




3. The Palin Factor


It's not just the goofy "you-betcha!" smile. The impact of this cover was its timing. On September 2 – just three days after Sarah Palin emerged as John McCain’s running mate – US Weekly released this cover. US placed the word SCANDAL over a file photo of Palin and her newborn infant Trig, who has Down syndrome. As the political press cautiously tried to figure out what to do with this unknown politician from Alaska, the entertainment press smelled fresh blood – baby or no baby. Tina Fey would soon eviscerate Palin on Saturday Night Live, but US was the first shark to attack. This treatment provoked outrage from conservative readers at the time. But now, as the Republican party sorts out what it did wrong this election, exit polls show Palin was a significant influence on voters who ultimately chose Obama. (By the way, US Weekly and Rolling Stone are both published by Wenner Media.)




2. The Crowd

When 72,000 people attended at a May 18 Obama rally in Portland, Oregon, still pictures told the story best. Images of this crowd energized Obama's supporters and helped convince undecided primary voters that he was a viable general election candidate. Many press photographers captured shots similar to this one, by Bruce Ely of The Oregonian.




1. Kareem's Mother


This heartbreaking picture, shot by Platon for a photo essay published by The New Yorker, shows the grieving mother of a Muslim American soldier who died in Iraq. It is not exactly a political photograph, nor did it make news when it was published, but it spoke in an understated way about the diverse makeup of America. When Republican Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Obama, he said, “I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine." It was this photo.


Runners up: http://www.pdnpulse.com/2008/11/five-photos-that-cinched-the-election-for-barack.html


Edited to add: See all 18 of The New Yorker images here: http://www.newyorker.com/online/2008/09/29/slideshow_080929_platon