At least the Vogue editorial board has conceded that its endorsement of Hillary Clinton “won’t come as a surprise,” considering the magazine’s “enthusiastic” coverage of her public life.
On the cover of the November edition of the magazine, the “V” for Vogue also began the word “Vote” printed underneath the title. Then, midway through the publication, a full page was devoted to Clinton, her attributes and her policies.
“The question of which candidate actually deserves to be president has never been a difficult one,” the segment read. “Vogue has no history of political endorsements,” but “given the profound stakes of this [election], and the history that stands to be made, we feel that should change.”
Despite understanding that “Clinton has not always been a perfect candidate,” the editors cited her “fierce intelligence,” “considerable experience” and “clear, sound and hopeful” policy stances. Among those desirable positions were her “forceful” support of LGBT rights, her “sane voice on guns,” and her understanding of how to “respond to global crises.”
The encomium ended with a feminist plug and a call to action. “Two words give us hope: Madam President… Let’s put this election behind us and become the America we want to be: optimistic, forward-looking, and modern. Let’s head to the polls on Tuesday, November 8, and vote.”
Women's magazines have been a powerful tool to secure the support of millennial women, wrote Vox's Tara Golshan in September. "Harnessed correctly, feminist and women’s media could be Clinton’s not-so-secret secret weapon to get out the vote," she hinted.
"Not-so-secret" indeed. According to a 2012 NY Times piece, Vogue editor Anna Wintour is not just an "icy, inscrutable character obsessed over in the tabloids." In fact, she has "emerged as something more: an engaged politico and valuable asset to President Obama and his re-election effort." There's no doubt Ms. Wintour's liberal activism has intensified in the current election.
Well, in Vogue's favor, at least it makes no claim to be unbiased.
