Vogue Profiles Biden Women, Declares Victory For Democrats

Vogue takes a bold political step with its November cover, headlining a feature on the Biden Women "All The Vice President's Women."

The feature, which includes a beautiful spread of four generations of the women in Joe Biden's life (seen below), describes Jill Biden as "remarkable" and is based on the premise that, "If Senator Biden is elected, he'll bring along a close-knit family of strong, independent women."

But while the article includes the conditional "if," the headline, and cover line, treat the Bidens as if the election is a done-deal and Jill has already started picking out the curtains for Number One Observatory Circle (the official Vice Presidential mansion).

A representative for Vogue said of the cover line, "Win or lose, we thought it was a clever coverline that would serve to get people's attention."

The magazine's editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, also used her November editor's letter to talk about the growing presence of women in politics, and to highlight the magazine's previous coverage of political women (including its prescient profile of Sarah Palin in the February issue).

Wintour, who made headlines when she used her February editor's letter to chide Hillary Clinton for refusing to appear in the fashion magazine's pages, praised the New York Senator, calling her a "transcendent figure" and saying "she has made an important intervention in the lives of all American women, not simply with her drive and catalyzing energy but by keeping issues of special concern to us — health care, reproductive rights, education — at the forefront of political thinking."

Wintour further said that she was "frankly stunned" by the Biden women's "loveliness and poise" and described Jill Biden as "beautiful and largely private."

The article can be read online at style.com, or in the November issue, which features Reese Witherspoon on the cover and hits newsstands nationwide on October 21 (New York and LA newsstands October 15).

Below, an image from the Biden spread:

from left: Senator Biden's niece, Missy Owens; her mother, Valerie Biden Owens; Hunter Biden's wife, Kathleen; her daughters Maisy, eight, and Finnegan, ten; Jill Biden and daughter Ashley; Senator Biden's mother, Catherine ("Jean") Finnegan Biden; Kathleen's eldest daughter, Naomi, fourteen; Beau Biden's wife, Hallie; and her daughter, Natalie, four. On Jill Biden: Ralph Lauren Black Label cardigan. Anne Fontaine shirt. Michael Kors trousers. Details, see In This Issue.
Photographed by Arthur Elgort.
Sittings Editor: Tonne Goodman.

And the November cover:

Comments

[rich misty]

http://election.princeton.edu/2008/10/14/get-on-the-bus/#more-1831

Urgent Request from the Princeton Election Consortium

Lab Director Sam Wang asks that we please "Get on the Bus"

[peskime]

What a lovely family.
I'll be looking for Sarah Palin's family on the cover of American Hunter and Trailer Park News.
Yee Haaa!

[mykalimba]

I LOL'ed!

[applebutter]

Ha - you made me snork my coffee!

[lincheryl]

Sad, but true. I hate that Levi dropped out of high school. I don't believe that everyone needs to go to college, but everyone should graduate from high school, for heaven's sake. What kind of role models would this family be? They remind me of Eddie and his family in National Lampoon's movie, Vacation.

[TheIndependenceParty]

I can not believe that Eli dropped out of school. With both sets of parents, ... couldn't someone float the kid to complete high school? This is the sort of example we are setting for American kids?

[HoneyLouise]

Very attractive and accomplished family. I'm really a fan of Jill Biden. Even though I'm not a fan of Sarah Palin, her kids are all very cute. The little Piper is adorable.

[EvasDaddy]

I love Piper too. I think she's the brightest Palin of all, and she is adorable, as you said.

[redsongia]

Yes, we can all agree to love Piper.

[PeepingTom]

Biden's wife is soooo much prettier than Palin.
She has a natural beauty that shows even without the caked-on makeup that Palin has to use.

[Maggie0507]

And soooo much prettier than the stepford wife Cindy McCain...

[lincheryl]

She carries herself with class and dignity, things that Palin doesn't have. Jill seems wonderful and I am loving Joe Biden more every time I hear him speak. They will be great in the White House with the Obamas.

How great to actually RESPECT and ADMIRE our president, vice president, and families!

[hortonhearsawho]

no wait, that would be the palins....

[TexasT-Bone]

How's Dr. Suess today... I thought he died a few years ago...

[IzzyCA]

Texas T-Bone: member since: today - October 14, 2008

[demelza]

I can't believe this sentimental rhapsodising.
I have always liked Joe Biden and was absolutely delighted he was picked for VP but all this girly rubbish about this bunch of good-looking women strikes me as as ridiculous as all the Republicans swooning over Palin's good looks.
What has that got to do with anything. Good looks are great,but they don't tell you anything about who a person is-you cannot infer from them a person's character or worth.If the Biden family was plain would that mean they were lesser people.
I am a little bit shocked to read these posts.

[ricitizen]

Your point is taken. Both men and their families are very attractive. I guess that their beauty helps us in dealing with the 8 years of policy 'u g' we've have to live with. However, the truth is that if these men and their families were perceived as unintelligent, then we would not have the same attraction or admiration.

[mredder4]

I'm actually more inclined to vote for Obama now that I know that his VP has an attractive brunette daughter that might show up more on my TV screen. Beats those Palin knuckledraggers any day of the week.

[IzzyCA]

Dude, it's Vogue magazine.

[Deni]

Uhmmmm, Vogue is a fashion magazine. It's what they do.

[Donnat]

what do good looks have to do with anything? Looks are the entire Palin platform!

[YouDisgustMe]

the biden babes look good

[TexasT-Bone]

Looks like Joe made a career of being a politician and took the spoils and bought himself a Ralph Lauren ad...

[myangeldog1]

Boy for not being into the Biden women...yo­u're sure spending alot of time here Texas. They're starting to get to ya huh?!

[TexasT-Bone]

Get me or get you??? I haven't laughed this much in weeks... I think I should get Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity to log on and debate...

[Dangersea27]

It's not TexasT-bone's fault he's intimadated by dignified women.
Most men get their idea of female beauty from their mother, after all....

Think about it.

[lincheryl]

I am from Texas also. The opinion above is not indicative of all Texans.

Texas T-Bone: Joe Biden is one of the least wealthy Senators and has gone through a lot of hardship in his life. He also has a lot of empathy and sensitivity for his fellow man. Maybe you should try to learn something from him.

I'm sure the Ralph Lauren clothes were part of the shoot and were there already, like many tv shows which have sponsors of the apparel worn. Even if she did buy it, it wouldn't come close to the $3,000 suits that Cindy McCain wears.

Quit trying to make a nice, wholesome family into something negative. It doesn't do anything but make you look bad.

[lykitis]

You need to stay current ton your Vogue reading. Palin already did Vogue about a year ago. She's out there with her airplane and fur coat, etc., Cindy did Vogue earlier this year. Cindy did the article from their newly purchased place on Coronado Island, California. She does her very own "solo" layout on a big rock just off the water's edge in a RALPH LAUREN TRENCH COAT, she's got the collar pulled up around her neck trying to look "sexy". So may you can kinda shut up about who's taking spoils.

[mespace]

What's the point of this fluff article? I've seen McCain and Palin's kids, and they're all goodlooking as well. Obama's kids look cute. I thought we were voting for a good decision-maker, not how cute their kids are. Or how few frown lines we can see. Last time I checked, neither McCain nor Palin had a face life or botox like Joe Biden. http://mespace.wordpress.com

[IzzyCA]

It's Vogue magazine. It's supposed to be a fluff article. it's a fashion magazine. Fashion is about how one looks.

[txkayrose]

Uhh, this article is in the media section, citing an article from a top fashion magazine. What did you expect? There has been plenty of publicity around Palin's family and I'm not sure that even Vogue could create an article around the Palins that would shed this kind of wholesome, family-next-door light like this does for the Bidens.

[lykitis]

MCain and Palin both had procedures­...but the medical term for the procedure is called "lobotomy". Neither of the procedures were successful.

[dct1999]

Bidens vs Palins =

Class vs tra$h (no double wides in the VP mansion)
Brains vs pains (it hurts my eyes every time I look at them)
Beauties vs cooties (what can I say, I have a four year old)
Go getters vs quitters (drop outs)
Winners vs whiners (the media is picking on us, those bad flyers fans booed us)

The Bidens win hands down.

[luvangelHussein330]

HHHUUUmmm me thinks the cover looks rather democratic ;0) very Obama-Biden Blue I love it. G-D please allow Obama-Biden in the white house, they a a breath of freash spring air

[johnnygoodwud]

wow, looks like a mini ralph lauren ad. no offense.

[IzzyCA]

It's Vogue magazine. It's a women's fashion magazine, in case you didn't know that. It is supposed to be a fashion piece.

Sheesh....

[mykalimba]

From the caption: "On Jill Biden: Ralph Lauren Black Label cardigan". You win at reading! No offense.

[munki]

Very interestin­g... all have similar hair style... including the cute pooch...
is that a coincidence?

Actually..­. he is a lucky man!

[NPA]

And no pregnant teen marry a high school dropout, now that's classy!

[ricitizen]

Good one NPA. The Biden's and Obama's are good examples for women and all of us. Too bad some people in Alaska are not learning for this.

[dct1999]

LMAO

[mykalimba]

Ack, I didn't see your post and made a similar comment. +1 for you, -1 for me. :(

[Carsy]

Jill is just beautiful. She is older than Cindy McCain but looks 10 yrs younger and places a great value on education.

[luvangelHussein330]

A good strong loving marriage will keep you young. Also laying of the pills helps to

[DeeW]

Wow, she doesn't look older than Cindy.

[Brillig]

Cindy looks like a preserved 70 - actually, she is 6 years older than I am and looks older than my mother.

[jorge4u]

I believe Jill has a Ph.D. in Education, if I am not mistaken.

[ricitizen]

That is correct. There is going to be some serious brain power working in and around the WH again.

[dct1999]

Cindy has a bachelors and masters from USC and is a former special education teacher. I admire jill biden, but try to keep the record straight.

[BosieO]

seriously ?? older than Cindy McCain?...­.I guess money and greed can make a person ugly....Ji­ll has elegance, simplicity, intelligen­ce...and yes she looks totally awesome & HOT! I'm a yng gay guy ....trust me she is class...sa­me with Michelle Obama...

[roshni]

No way!!!! Cindy looks as old as the hills.