The Power of Newsweek Ramming Rush Down Our Throats Four Days Before the Midterms

With covers, it’s all about timing, baby.

And oh, how sweet that the struggling-for-life Newsweek unveils this seemingly “good anytime,” fair-and-balanced ranking issue today, although the issue, “on its face,” is dated December 8th, the Monday following this coming Tuesday’s critical election. There’s that, of course. And then, there’s 1. the sheer scale of the gigantic one, 2. the humongous identification with POWER, 3. the “#1” and “Always Right,” and 4. added amplification from the “cash” and the “roar.”

Of course, some would say this is just good design, simply capturing the power “#1” really has. And I’d say, pair the factors above with the timing and the body language — Rush looming with his mouth open in a gesture of gloating — and it jumps off the page, the screen or the newsstand half as election “come to me, baby” and half as (anticipated) November 2nd backhand slap.