Campaign ’10: Calling Diane Arbus

What photographer Peter Van Agtmael does in this one photo, and I can’t thank him enough for it, is to dare expose this mid-term election for the freak show it is.

With the lack of political or psychological competency of so many “candidates”; the unfettered and completely stealth campaign spending; the degree of hate-mongering, hysteria and delusional lying, what’s most astounding is how much this Cukoo’s Nest, this meth lab of a political process continues to be twisted and contorted so that it might somehow still be seen in rational terms.

So, thank you, Peter, for this shot from Iowa’s GOP Ronald Reagan dinner, headlined by Sarah Palin, that you shot for TIME. I can only imagine what is going on here, with the monster Pelosi, the Jerry Lewis-type guy as her front man (or stalking horse) competing for the thought bubble, and best of all, the Cliff Clavin-looking guy behind the scenes, looking oh, so innocent, and jovial as the hate and the insanity starts to rise.

I’m sure I’m only paying you more credit, Peter, in the conviction that, truly fitting the infested Campaign ’10, you’ve channeled Diane Arbus.

Peter’s full campaign slide show here.