Opinion: Ebony beats Time to the punch, makes Obama Person of the Year

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You’ll never guess who Ebony magazine has selected as its first Person of the Year. (Do you think Time may follow suit shortly?)

‘He did it!’ screams Ebony’s news release about Barack Obama. ‘He’s rightfully earned the title of President-elect.’

Now we know why reporters for the N.Y. Post, Washington Times and Dallas Morning News were tossed off Barack Obama‘s campaign plane campaign plane shortly before the election to make room for, among others, an Ebony correspondent.

Just coincidentally, all three booted papers had endorsed Obama’s opponent, the Arizona guy.

Ebony, along with other magazines, already published a cover story on Michelle Obama.

Anyway, the special January issue goes on sale today, and Ebony reps are hoping it does as well as other published Obama memorabilia did closer to the historic Nov. 4 election that saw, in case you hadn’t heard, the U.S. elect its first African American president.

In an interview with the magazine, Obama credits his grass-roots supporters for much of the campaign’s success and reveals he has access to 10 million e-mail addresses as a result of his record-breaking private fundraising of $745 million.

And these people, he says, ‘are ready and willing to get activated and educate their friends and neighbors and co-workers about the issues.’

‘That’s incredibly powerful,’ Obama adds, just in case any members of Congress miss the point.

--Andrew Malcolm

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