»» Columnists

Anna Wintour Raised Over A Half A Million Dollars To Re-Elect President Obama

by Lizzie Manning | 5:57 pm, July 15th, 2011

» 32 comments

Despite what many may think about the political leanings of those that work in the media, accepted journalistic standards are to try to adopt a neutral stance in sharing the news and keep political leanings ambiguous. So, when lists like this one are published and it is revealed that media figures have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for politicians, things get a little complicated.

The media figures represented in the list of top fundraisers for Obama include people like Robert Zimmerman, a CNN contributor; Ari Emanuel, agent extraordinaire; Jeffery Katzenburg, producer and CEO of Dreamworks and last but not least Anna Wintour, ruler of all that is fashion.

Wintour is not necessarily the first person who comes to mind when one thinks about political swag. But didn’t you see that scene in The Devil Wears Prada, the movie supposedly inspired by Wintour, where Meryl Streep cuts down Anne Hathaway and tells her that the sweater she bought at JCrew was actually hand picked for her by the editors at Vogue in a weird subliminal-ish twist? Vogue secretly controls everything. Fashion actually rules the world. We should fear Anna.

Just kidding. But, it is foolish to underestimate Wintour’s influence. We live in a consumerist culture and Vogue actually has a higher circulation than the New York Times. Granted, that’s not a water-tight comparison. Vogue is a monthly magazine. But regardless, the size of their readership is comparable and Vogue may even come out on top. If Jill Abramson raised half a million dollars for Obama it would be utterly explosive. But Abramson is perhaps less influential at the Times than Wintour is at Vogue: Wintour is a notoriously challenging editor and it is often said that not a single word makes it in to Vogue without her explicit approval.

So, when we find out that Wintour helped to earn over 500,000 for Obama’s campaign, we shouldn’t be looking at her merely as an individual or categorizing her fundraising events just as “fashion”. We should recognize that she is an incredibly powerful media mogul. Seats at her most recent fundraiser for Obama cost about 30,400 (the maximum donation an individual can make to a political campaign) and were filled with media celebrities.

We spend a lot of effort furiously demanding that our news anchors and reporters adopt neutrality. Yet outlets like Vogue, which are possibly just as influential, if not more influential than most newspapers, display unabashed bias. Political bias is on their covers, within their pages and splashed across campaign donor lists. Barbara Bush didn’t have a Vogue cover, did she?

You may argue that Vogue is just fashion and people don’t expect to get their politics from a fashion magazine. But I say that influence is influence. A large number of people put more stake in the news they get from Us Magazine than the news they get from the Times. And seriously, if you don’t believe me, look down at your shirt. What color is it? You know, it doesn’t even matter. Anna Wintour picked it out for you. She’s in your head and who is to say that she won’t still be there when you enter the polls.

Anna Wintour, Media Fundraising, Obama Fundraising, Vogue

The Lantern of Truth

See if you can get a refund , quick .
Paul G

Who?…and I don’t give a fu*k……..
TeaPartyNation

There is a special place in hell for people like this.
Cecelia

The Lantern of Truth said:
See if you can get a refund , quick .

For Vogue magazine or for idiotic efforts to leave people wondering if you’re serious so as not to piss off Colby Hall, like this one?
Elrod

Michelle Obama has been terrific for fashion sales and promoting young designers. Vogue compliments that trend. One would think the cons would love this burst of capitalism. I guess it doesn’t fit with their often mentioned hate theme that she’s a fat pig.
LOGICandREASON

As if we didn’t know
potvin

She must really hate her country.
Colorado_Conservative

Why would anyone give money to someone who hates this Country and wants to destroy it?

Forgot, FemDems hate this Country just like our incompetent community organizer!!!!
Elrod

Colorado_Conservative said:
Why would anyone give money to someone who hates this Country and wants to destroy it?

Forgot, FemDems hate this Country just like our incompetent community organizer!!!!

What a despicable, hateful comment. Spreading lies and deliberately misquoting the First Lady to fit the con narrative.
Dem4Ever

Hmmm…let’s see…half a million raised at $30400 per plate makes 16 or 17 people. Not exactly packing them in, is she?
http://constitutionallibertarian.co.cc DavidKramer

Hmmmm, it must REALLY begin to make those cognitive dissonant sufferers think about this whole super rich and influential people donating to and pushing Barrack Obama.

Do you think?

Nahhhh, Obama got Usama! Winning the Future! WTF

How many of the people at these soirees (think scene from Reign of Fire) are super rich and possibly from out of country? Oh well, that would never happen. I am sure the President will post all sources of donations like he did last election right? Over $200 million not released.

What do they call that again- Cognitive Dissonance
TfT

The day after armageddon Obama is having a birthday fundraiser that will only cost 38.5K per person; that is why he has a deadline…l.the day before his birthday.

what a putz…or something.
felixw

LizzieManning G wrote:
accepted journalistic standards are to try to adopt a neutral stance in sharing the news and keep political leanings ambiguous

At its best, Mediaite lives up to this standard. Lizzie, congrats on this article, which espouses time-honored journalistic standards that many ignore at their own peril. The way to gain credibility in this environment is to offer hard-hitting, honest coverage of both the Left and Right. Few media outlets even try to do this — which creates a big opportunity for those who stick with proven journalistic principles. Mediaite shows some signs of being just the sort of honest watchdog on the media that we deserve and need.
Judge Mental

Vogue would have even greater circulation if not for its left-wing slant.
felixw

Judge Mental said:
Vogue would have even greater circulation if not for its left-wing slant.

It’s interesting to see how the more biased media outlets are losing their audience.

The New York Times is losing readers, but the Wall Street Journal is gaining readers.

CNN is losing its audience, while Fox is building its audience.

Talk radio shows that offer frank, open discussion without stultifying political correctness are flourishing, while those that censor dissenting views and impose political correctness can’t find anyone willing to listen (e.g., Air America).

The Drudge Report now accounts for 7 percent of ALL traffic directed to news sites — that’s more than Twitter and Facebook combined; meanwhile the Daily Kos can’t come close to its page traffic, even though Drudge only has one page and the Daily Kos has tens of thousands of pages of content.

In short, people are abandoning liberal spin — and the left is only destroying its own media platforms by the intense bias that it injects into its coverage. This is why Mediaite is smart when it overs honest, hard-hitting coverage of both the left and right. This will ensure its success and popularity.
Dik Gozinya

Does anybody know anything about Obama lying about his mother’s health coverage?
Lipscomb12

Anna, you would make a hit on the gong show!!!
Lipscomb12

Anna, you would make a hit on the gong show!!!
Lipscomb12

Anna, you would make a hit on the gong show!!!
Lipscomb12

I don’t think he has a mother!
Lipscomb12

I don’t think he has a mother!
Ritan

I will Never buy ANOTHER VOGUE MAG. Keep telling us about these idiots so more can go broke!
Ritan

I will Never buy ANOTHER VOGUE MAG. Keep telling us about these idiots so more can go broke!
Tom

You may argue that Vogue is just fashion and people don’t expect to get their politics from a fashion magazine. But I say that influence is influence.
This article is inane. Influencing what type of skirt a woman wears has NOTHING to do with politics. Every time I come to this site it gets more and more conservative. Desperate for an audience much? Try covering FOX News’ owner’s contributions to the GOP. That would be valuable. This is crap.
Ariel

A bunch of rich liberals got together to support Obama. So what? Republicans do that too.

Anna Wintour runs a monthly fashion magazine with a lot of subscribers? Wgi cares? FOX NEWS is a daily parade of GOP propaganda that donates money to Republican candidates.
Anonymous

Smart, impressive woman. Well done Anna.
Anonymous

Does this mean we may she Anna go the way of Oprah, after her all out support for Obama? The kiss of media death.
Anonymous

Young designers- like who? She can’t exactly fit in a size 0, which is the size de jour of the under 30 set- She is a middle aged mother, and quite frankly dresses like one … The best she has done is boost sales at J.Crew with copycat Jackie-O designs, absolutely nothing original in that style. I will give her props for some of her more formal wear and couture.
Does fashion really have to be partisan? You either know what you look good in or you don’t OR you call Anna Wintour as Michele did and ask.
Anonymous

To be honest, I think we have had some really great First Ladies and that includes Barbara and Laura Bush, Betty Ford, Nancy Reagan and of course Hillary and Michele. These women work endlessly for us, the American people and we don’t pay them a salary. So next time a First Lady takes her children on a vacation, I hope the American people remember that and also remember that her first job is as a wife and mother.
Anonymous

She died of cancer. I can’t imagine anyone going to the trouble of writing a fricking book that says he lied about his mother’s healthcare coverage. It brings back the smell of the birther movement and makes me hate TP and republicans all over again for their hypocritcal racist hatred.
Anonymous

I agree- as high profile women and as the First Lady -what they wear will always be under scrutiny and criticism as with any high profile person. What amazes me is the hateful rhetoric that follows a bad fashion choice-so personal. One can be critical even humorous but when it dives into nastiness it really is petty.
Anonymous

Oops! I thought it said Anthony Weiner. My bad.