I think a huge point is that, with the "mainstream media" owned by huge corporations (including defense contractors) that know which side their bread is better buttered on, and (probably not coincidentally) John McCain being almost as "teflon" as Ronald Reagan was -- e.g., not being called on his "flip-flops," still being hailed as a "maverick" and "independent minded statesman" despite voting in lock step pretty much with the Bush administration over the past 7 years -- Obama really does not need this kind image association and pictorial smear (coming from a highly respected and "liberal" publication).   And he may not be able to overcome its damage any more than Al Gore could the deceit-based jokes about "inventing the internet," Michael Dukakis could the way the "tank" photo was used, John Kerry could the "swiftboat" attacks, or Howard Dean could the doctored audio of his "scream."