updated Dec. 30, 2014  ...see also: Magazine Cover Portrayal of President Obama—2014
This page shows magazine cover portrayal of potential 2016 presidential candidates from Jan. 2013 through the end of 2014.  Appearances on magazine covers are one indicator of presidential candidate potential, showing how much these political figures are in the news.  A cover can highlight facets of the individual's persona and illuminate his or her strengths and weaknesses.  Hillary Clinton appeared on the most covers of any of the potential candidates, 13, including a mix of positive, negative and strange portrayals.  On the Republican side, Ted Cruz appeared as a central figure in ten covers, but seven of those were from 2013 and none after Feb. 2014; Chris Christie also had ten covers in 2013-14 including three featuring Bridgegate.  The magazine cover index is not necessarily a good indicator; in 2009, Sarah Palin led all potential candidates by a wide margin in number of covers.  See: Magazine Cover Portrayal of Potential 2012 Presidential Candidates, 2009-10
REPUBLICANS






Multi






Townhall
08
2014
Paul and Rubio
Rand Paul vs. Marco Rubio
Photos

The Week*
11/15
2013
Christie and Cruz
GOP savior?
Illustration
Howard McWilliam
The Nation
11/04
2013
(l to r) M.Bachmann, T.Cruz, J.Boehner, M.Meadows, R.Paul in car going over cliff
-
Illustration
Victor Juhasz
Jeb Bush






Newsweek
06/06
2014
George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush and Jeb Bush
Game of Thrones
Illustration
Steve Brodner
Ben Carson






Newsmax
06
2014
Ben Carson
We Can Heal America
Photo
Deborah Feingold
Chris Christie






New York Times Magazine
11/23
2014
Christie holding baby taking selfie
Is It 2016 Yet?
Illustration
Kristian Hammerstad
The New Republic
03/03
2014
Christie XCU
It's Not Just the Bridge Folks
Photo
Brooks Kraft
The Nation
02/03
2014
Christie trampolining off bridge
Christie's Jam
Illustration
Steve Brodner
The Week
01/24
2014
Christie on ice below bridge
On thin ice
Illustration
Howard McWilliam
The New Yorker
01/20
2014
Christie bouncing ball holding up traffic
[Playing in traffic]
Illustration
Barry Blitt
The Week*
11/15
2013
Christie (and Cruz)
GOP savior?
Illustration
Howard McWilliam
Time
11/18
2013
Christie
The Elephant in the Room
Photo
Dennis Van Tine
New York
08/12
2013
Christie XCU
The Happy Hothead
Photo
Christopher Anderson/
Magnum Photos/New York Magazine
Arrive [Amtrak mag.]
07
2013
Christie [one of four covers]
Jersey Boys
Photo Illustration

Philadelphia 07 2013 Christie Jersey Guy
Photo Marco Grob/Trunk Archive
Time
01/21
2013
Christie
The Boss
Photo
Marco Grob for Time
Ted Cruz






Newsmax
02
2014
Cruz
Fixing Washington
Photo
Ben Sklar
Texas Monthly
02
2014
Cruz
What do you think of Ted Cruz now?
Photo
Jeff Wilson; grooming by Carrie LaMarca
Texas Monthly
01
2014
montage: steer, Jerry Jones, David Dewhurst, Cruz, Astros
The 2014 Bum Steer Awards with Steer-zilla!
Illustration
Jason Seiler
The Week
12/31
2013
many figures: Obama, Pope Francis...
The Faces of 2013
Illustration
Howard McWilliam
Townhall
12
2013
Cruz
Why Ted Cruz Fights
Photo
Alex Wong
The American Spectator
11
2013
Cruz
Steady Ted
Illustration
John Springs
The Nation
11/25
2013
Cruz, Reagan, Goldwater, others
The Grand Old Tea Party
Illustration
Steve Brodner
Bloomberg Businessweek
10/23
2013
Cruz as the Mad Hatter
The Tea Party Won
Photo Illustration

The Weekly Standard
09/23
2013
Cruz
Washington Builds a Bugaboo
Photo
Newscom
CQ Weekly
07/29
2013
Cruz and McCain
Coralling The Mavericks
Photos
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call
Rand Paul






Time
10/27
2014
Paul
The Most Interesting Man in Politics
Photo
Mark Seliger for Time
New York Times Magazine
08/10
2014
Paul
Major Threat
Photo Illustration
Illustration by Matt Dorfman.
Photo by Win McNamee/
Getty Images.
Newsmax
11
2013
Paul
Rand Paul Up Close
Photo
Bill Clark/CQ-RollCall Group/
Getty Images
National Journal
10/19
2013
Paul as snake oil salesman
Medicine Man
Illustration
Steve Brodner
The New Republic
07/01
2013
Paul
The Real Rand Paul [Can't Be Trusted]
Photo
Platon
Time
05/06
2013
Paul
The 100 Most Influential
[7 different covers]
Photo
Mark Seliger
Mike Pence






Townhall
09
2013
Pence
S.E. Cupp Looks at the GOP's Future
Photo
AP/Michael Conroy
Rick Perry






The American Spectator
09
2014
Perry
Rick Perry's Second Act
Illustration

National Journal
08/02
2014
Perry
The New Rick Perry
Illustration
Charis Tsevis
The Weekly Standard
07/28
2014
Perry
Rick Perry, Version 2.0
Illustration
Gary Locke
Texas Monthly
07
2014
Perry
Rick Perry Exits The Stage
Photo
Peter Yang; grooming by Lauren Smith Ford
Washington Monthly
03/14
2014
Perry (from Nov. 9, 2011 debate)
Oops: Why the Texas economic miracle isn't
Photo
Associated Press
The Week
08/09
2013
Perry
Taking on Texas
Illustration
Fred Harper
Marco Rubio






Parade
09/05
2013
Rubio and family
The Rubios Modern Family
Photo
Rob Howard
National Review
05/20
2013
Schumer, Rubio, McCain
Rubio's Folley
Photo [image
altered slightly]
J. Scott Applewhite
The Week
02/22
2013
Rubio, K.Rove, Republican elephant
The GOP's makeover
Illustration
Howard McWilliam
Time
02/18
2013
Rubio
The Republican Savior
Photo
Marco Grob for Time
National Journal
02/16
2013
Rubio
The Player
Photo
Getty Images/CQ Roll Call/Douglas Graham
Rick Santorum






Townhall
05
2014
Santorum from 2012 campaign
Rick Santorum's Blue Collar Conservatism
Photo
AP/Eric Gray
Paul Ryan






National Journal
11/8
2014
Ryan
Exit Strategy
Photo
Taili Song Roth
The Weekly Standard
10/27
2014
Boehner, McConnell, Fischer and Ryan
A Constitutional Congress
Illustration

CQ Weekly
01/06
2014
Ryan and Sen. Patty Murray
Profiles in Caution
Photo
Win McNamee/Getty Images
Scott Walker






The New Republic
06/30
2014
Walker in his office
Scott Walker is So Hot Right Now
Photo
Narayan Mahon







DEMOCRATS






Hillary Clinton






The Nation
12/15
2014
Hillary and Bill Clinton in the Oval Office, Bill looking at drapes
Hillary: Not So Fast
Illustration
Victor Juhasz
Harpers
11
2014
XCU of Hillary and Bill Clinton
Stop Hillary!
Photo
Reuters/Jonathan Ernst
The New Republic
07/14
2014
Clinton XCU
Inevitable
Photo
Martin Schoeller/AUGUST
The Week
06/20
2014
Clinton as jockey
Off and running
Illustration
Fred Harper
People
06/16
2014
Clinton at home
Hillary & The White House
Photo
Stewart Shining
The Weekly Standard
06/09
2014
Clinton dancing with Ayatollah Khamenei
Hillary's Iran Song and Dance
Illustration
Gary Locke
The Week
02/14
2014
Clinton as queen to be
Is Hillary inevitable?
Illustration
Fred Harper
New York Times Magazine
01/26
2014
Clinton face in planet
Planet Hillary
Photo Illustration
Jesse Lenz; Hillary Clinton: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images.  Space images: NASA.
Time
01/27
2014
Tiny figure dangling from woman's shoe heel
Can Anyone Stop Hillary?
Photo Illustration
Justin Metz for Time.  [Pants: Don Farrall / Getty Images, Man: BLOOM image / Getty Images, Shoe: yasinguneysu / Getty Images]
New York
09/30
2013
Clinton
Hillary, in Between
Photo
Douglas Friedman/Trunk Archive
The New Republic
09/22
2013
Doug Band, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, many others
Scandal at Clinton Inc.
Photos

National Review
06/03
2013
Clinton fiddling
As Benghazi Burned
Illustration
Roman Genn
The Week
05/24
2013
Clinton hanging from tree limb
Hunting Hillary
Illustration
Fred Harper
Joe Biden






Politico Magazine
03
2014
Biden
Joe Biden in Winter
Photo
Marco Grob/Trunk Archive
Time
01/28
2013
M.Bloomberg, Biden, G.Giffords
The Gunfighters
Photos
Nigel Parry-CPI for Time
Andrew Cuomo






New York
04/22
2013
Cuomo
Andrew Cuomo may be the shrewdest American politician since LBJ
Photo Illustration
Darrow
The Nation
04/08
2013
Cuomo
Cuomo vs. Cuomo
Illustration
Steve Brodner
Martin O'Malley






Capitol File
summer
2013
O'Malley
Martin O'Malley
Photo
Jeff Gale
National Journal
06/22
2013
O'Malley
Is It Time to Take Martin O'Malley Seriously?
Photo
Chet Susslin
Washington Monthly
05
2013
O'Malley
Should This Man Be President?
Photo
Getty Images
Bernie Sanders






The Nation
04/07
2014
Sanders
Bernie Sanders is Thinking about Running for President
Photo Illustration
Robert Best
The Progressive
11
2013
Sanders
Bernie Sanders Takes on the Oligarchs
Illustration
Zina Saunders
Elizabeth Warren






In These Times
10
2014
Warren
Will The Elizabeth Warren Democrats Please Stand Up? Photo

The American Spectator
07
2014
Warren in front of teepee
You Did't Build That Teepee!
Illustration

The New Republic
11/25
2013
Warren
Hillary's Nightmare
Illustration
Jacqueline Mellow







GEN. CAMPAIGN 2016






National Journal
06/21
2041
Path to White House
[nine articles]
Illustration
The Heads of State
The Week
12/31
2014
10 figures including Christie with traffic cones, and Clinton holding wedding bouquet
Faces of 2014
Illustration
Howard McWilliam

Notes
- The
picture thus far, 2013-14.

- The New Republic
's "The Real Rand Paul [Can't Be Trusted]" cover (07/01/13) by noted photographer Platon (>) is interesting in that it shows Sen. Paul with the fingers on his left hand crossed.  Blogging at
PolicyMic (June 18) Robby Barthelmess wrote that the combination of the image and "[Can't Be Trusted]" caption has a "deceitful" effect. (>  (I even thought that the editors might have photoshopped the gesture in, as it seems odd.-ed.)

- Time's "The Elephant in the Room" caption on its cover of Gov. Christie
(11/18/13) generated a fair bit of comment, with some seeing it in poor taste.  For example Salon did a short piece headlined "Time magazine makes a fat joke for its cover on Chris Christie."

-
Howard McWilliam's illustration for the cover of The Week "Republican savior?" (11/15/13) shows Gov. Christie and Sen. Cruz.  However, the cover is all about Christie; Cruz is small and pushed over to the side, and in fact it's difficult to tell from the illustration that it's actually him.  (Also, a more accurate image might show Christie and Sen. Rand Paul as those two have engaged in verbal sparring).  Covers like this where one figure is dominant and the other near invisible occur every so often: I've included it in two categories above.   

- The New York Times Magazine's "Planet Hillary" photo illustration cover by Jesse Lenz (01/26/14) drew a fair bit of commentary.  A posting at Time's "NewsFeed" by Samatha Grossman characterized the cover as "very bizarre," while a Vanity Fair posting described it as "a Legitimate Dadaist Masterpiece."  The Daily Dot website said the "unreal 'Planet Hillary' cover was a Photoshop comedian’s dream come true."


- The New York Times Magazine's "Major Threat" cover (08/10/14) is designed "in the style of concert fliers distributed by the punk-rock bands of the ’70s and ’80s."  The magazine provided some background in "Under Cover: Decidedly D.I.Y." by Jeannie Choi, including an interview with the designer Matt Dorfman (>).

- Time's "The Most Interesting Man in Politics" (10/27/14) echoes Reason's June 2011 cover "The Most Interesting Man in the Senate."

- On Dec. 15, Adweek reported that People magazine's June 16 issue featuring Hilllary Clinton was its worst selling issue of the year at newstands (single-copy sales (503,890 copies).

- One cover which did not run was R. Kikou Johnson's illustration
for a Dec. 2015 issue of The New RepublicThe illustration showed the Bush family opening their presents around the Christmas tree; Jeb Bush is holding a toy White House.  The issue never came out due to a mass exodus of talent unhappy with the leadership of publisher Chris Hughes.

- Websites of frequent cover illustrators: Barry Blitt (The New Yorker)  |  Steve Brodner  |  Roman Genn (National Review)  |  Fred Harper (The Week)  |  Victor Juhasz  |  Kevin Kallaugher-KAL (The Economist)  |  Gary Locke (The Weekly Standard)  |  Jason Seiler  |  Howard McWilliam (The Week) 



For a somewhat different look at media coverage as an indicator see:
Paul Hitlin, "The 2016 presidential media primary is off to a fast start." Pew Research Center, Oct. 3, 2013.



Another media-based indicator of 2016 potential is in-depth feature articles, some of which are listed here.
Suggestions (action08@ gmail) welcome.


Feature Articles on Potential 2016 Presidential Candidates
Republicans

BUSH
Matthew Cooper.  "Can Jeb Bush Win the Presidency?"  Newsweek.  June 6, 2014.

CHRISTIE

Mark Leibovich.  "Chris Christie Is Back."  The New Yori Times Magazine.  Nov. 23, 2014.
Alec MacGillis. "Chris Christie's Entire Career Reeks."  The New Republic.  March  , 2014
Benjamin Wallace-Wells.  "What Is Chris Christie Doing Right?"  New York.  Aug. 12, 2013.
Michael Smerconish.  "Could Chris Christie Become President?" 
Philadelphia.  July 2013.
Michael Crowley.  "The Boss."  Time.  Jan. 21, 2013 (cover date).

CRUZ
Jeffrey Toobin.  "The Absolutist."  The New Yorker.  June 30, 2014.
Erica Grieder.  "The Man in the Arena."  Texas Monthly.   February 2014.
Jason Zengerle.  "Ted Cruz: The Distinguished Wacko Bird from Texas."  GQ.  October 2013.
Andrew Ferguson.  "Washington Builds a Bugaboo."  The Weekly Standard.  Sept. 23, 2013.

PAUL
Michael Scherer.  "The Reinventions of Rand Paul."  Time.  Oct. 27, 2014.
Ryan Lizza.  "The Revenge of Rand Paul."  The New Yorker.  Oct. 6, 2014.
Robert Draper.  "Has the 'Libertarian Moment' Finally Arrived?"  The New York Times Magazine.  Aug. 7, 2014.
Jill Lawrence.  "Medicine Man."  National Journal.  Oct. 17, 2013.
Frank Rich.  "It's Hard to Hate Rand Paul."  New York.  Sept. 22, 2013.
Stuart A. Reid.  "The Education of Rand Paul."  Washington Monthly.  July/August 2013.
Julia Ioffe.  "President Rand Paul." 
The New Republic.  June 17, 2013.

PERRY
Michelle Cottle.  "The New Rick Perry."  National Journal.  Aug. 2, 2014.
Nate Blakeslee, Pamela Collloff, Erica Grieder, Mimi Swartz and Brian D. Sweany.  "The Rick Perry Report Card."
  Texas Monthly.  July 2014.  and Brian D. Sweany.  "Face to Face With Rick Perry."  Texas Monthly.  July 2014.
Phillip Longman.  "Oops: The Texas Miracle That Isn't."  Washington Monthly.  March/April/May 2014.

RUBIO
Michael Grunwald.  "Immigrant Son."  Time.  Feb. 18, 2013.  also: "The Rest of the Story" >
Beth Reinhard.  "Can Marco Rubio Live Up to the Hype."  National Journal.  Feb. 14, 2013.

RYAN
Tim Alberta.  "Exit Strategy."  National Journal.  Nov. 8, 2014.

WALKER
Robert Draper.  "Can Scott Walker Unite the Republicans?"  GQ.  Sept. 30, 2014.
Tim Alberta.  "He Shall Not Be Moved."  National Journal.  June 21, 2014.

Alec MacGillis.  "The Unelectable Whiteness of Scott Walker."  The New Republic.  June 15, 2014
and Alec MacGillis.  "A Reply To Scott Walker, Rush Limbaugh Et Al. About A Controversial Cover Story"  The New Republic.  June 24, 2014.


ROMNEY

Emil Henry.  "The Case for Mitt Romney in 2016."  Politico Magazine.  July 2, 2014.


Democrats
BIDEN

Evan Osnos.  "The Biden Agenda."  The New Yorker.  July 28, 2014.
Glenn Thrush.  "The Happy Warrior's Last Ride."  Politico Magazine.  March/April 2013.
Jeanne Marie Laskas.  "Have You Heard the One About President Joe Biden?" 
GQ.  July 2013.
Douglas Brinkley.  "Joe Biden: The Rolling Stone Interview."  Rolling Stone.  May 9, 2013.

CLINTON
Doug Henwod.  "Stop Hillary!"  Harper's.  Nov. 2014.
Peter Beinart.  "A Unified Theory of Hillary."  National Journal.  June 18, 2014.
Ken Auletta.  "The Hillary Show."  The New Yorker.  June 2, 2014.
Glenn Thrush and Maggie Haberman.  "What Is Hillary Clinton Afraid Of?"  Politico.  May/June 2014.
Amy Chozick.  "Planet Hillary."  The New York Times Magazine.  Jan. 24, 2014
Joe Hagan.  "Hillary in Midair."  New York.  Sept. 22, 2013.

CUOMO
Chris Smith.  "The Albany Machiavelli."  New York.  April 14, 2013.

O'MALLEY
Ruby Cramer.  "Martin O'Malley Gets Aggressive."  BuzzFeed.  July 16, 2014.
John Briley.  "O'Malley on the Move."  Capitol File.  Summer 2013.
Haley Sweetland Edwards.  "Should Martin O'Malley Be President?" 
Washington Monthly.  May/June 2013.


SANDERS
Simon van Zuylen-Wood.  "I'm Right and Everybody Else Is Wrong.  Clear About That?"  National Journal.  June 21, 2014.
John Nichols.  "Bernie Sanders Is Thinking About Running for President."  The Nation.  March 18, 2014.

SCHWEITZER
Marin Cogan.  "The Gonzo Option."  National Journal.  June 21, 2014.
Michael Warren.  "Schweitzer Takes Aim." 
The Weekly Standard.  Dec. 23, 2013.

WARREN
Noam Scheiber.  "Hillary's Nightmare?  A Democratic Party That Realizes Its Soul Lies With Elizabeth Warren.  The New Republic.   Nov. 10, 2013.


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