The Old Heave Ho

This morning, I was invited to sign up for the TIME photo page on Facebook. Among the images, they were touting this Tea Party photo-illustration as depicting their “Person of the Year” runner-up.

Please note that Sharron Angle, William Temple, Scott Brown, Sal Russo, Rick Santelli, Glenn Beck, Rand Paul, Jim DeMint, Sarah Palin, Ron Paul, Dick Armey, Stephen Broden, Michele Bachmann, Christine O’Donnell and Amy Kremer, reading left to right, did NOT pose for this picture. It was the creation of TIME.

I am wondering, though, what you thought of the tone of this opera-like media fancy (as well as the analogy to the original Tea Party itself) in light of the shooting of Congresswoman Giffords?

(photo-illustration: Finlay MacKay)