Time's Person of the Year is never going to be some unknown, up-and-coming influencer. It's a coveted honor that's reserved for people who've achieved truly gigantic things in the past year. And there's no doubt President Obama has done that — whether or not you agree with his policies, he's won a tough election and dealt with some incredibly challenging issues in 2012.
And yet, we're a little surprised at the pick. This is Obama's second time around as a Person of the Year, and it feels like a bit of a lazy choice. It's not that Obama doesn't deserve it; rather, it's that there are many more people who don't already get tons of daily recognition from their many voters and supporters — people who haven't already been on multiple magazine covers. Plus, it's been a ridiculous 26 years since a woman made the POY cover.
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Obama was, the blurb reads, chosen for his optimism in times of crisis and his overcoming of seemingly insurmountable obstacles: "Beyond the Oval Office, overwhelming challenges remain: deadlocked fiscal-cliff talks; a Federal Reserve that predicts years of high unemployment; and more unrest in places like Athens, Cairo and Damascus. But the President seems unbound and gives inklings of an ambition he has kept in check ever since he arrived at the White House to find a nation in crisis." He's also the first President in more than 75 years to win over a majority of popular vote twice. (Time)
All true, and all amazing. What do you think? Could Time have done a bit more digging to find someone more in need of a major pat on the back? Or are we being too harsh?
Photo: Courtesy of Time.