I wasn’t going to comment on this, but it became inevitable after reading some of the blogs’ reactions. Like Uncle Jimbo at Blackfive;
You are a complete Muppet Mr. Stengel. Putin has presided over the looting of every item of value or industry in Russia, he kills his political opponents and journalists as well you fool. He is a criminal totalitarian who would leave Joe Stalin gasping in admiration at his audacity. He just crowned his successor who promptly named him Prime Minister….
And Confederate Yankee;
That Putin obliquely compared the United States to Nazi Germany earleir this year also probably scored Putin points among Time’s editors.
Beth at My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy;
“Leadership,†he calls it. I guess they could say the same for…I dunno, Joseph Stalin, as well. I mean he did have a “stable†government–and during World War II, no less! Extraordinary leadership, no?
Personally, if I were running Time magazine, I’d shut down the Person of the Year program after this year. They’ve named George W. Bush twice (2000 and 2004 for two very different reasons), the American Military (2003), and Rudy Giuliani (2001) – still they get no respect from the Right (I’m not saying that they deserve respect from the Right – just that they don’t).
My fellow bloggers are right – Putin was a stupid, thoughtless choice. Even Fat Hugo had a bigger impact on world events than any of the top three. I’m sure Time made the choice thinking it was riskfree.
I haven’t read Time magazine since 1978, so I’m sure they won’t miss my readership, but if they thought that anyone – Left or Right – was enticed into buying a Time magazine soley because there’s a picture of Vlad on it, they’re mistaken.
If their choice had been Al Gore, I’d have disagreed with it, but at least I would have respect their opinion. Selecting Putin was just cowardly on the part of Time.
So I guess I won’t be in the running next year, either.
Worse than last year’s selection. Which was “You.”