(UERR - 2019)Terrorist, Superman, feminist, messia

(UERR - 2019)

Terrorist, Superman, feminist, messiah: Barack Obama's life as a cover star

He has appeared on more magazines than most supermodels. From Black Enterprise to Rolling Stone, the author of a new book traces the rise, fall – and legacy of the cover-star-in-chie

In October 2004, Barack Obama, then an Illinois state legislator, appeared on the cover of Black Enterprise, a popular African-American business monthly. It was his first-ever cover, and he shocked the magazine’s editors by proclaiming his intention to run for the United States Senate. They wondered if the young statesman was setting his hopes too high. Nevertheless, they ran the cover story with the prophetic headline: The next big thing in politics.

Cut to 2008, and Obama, having made it to the US Senate, now had his sights on the presidency. The experts said that America was not ready for an African-American leader; that white people wouldn’t vote for a non-white candidate or a man with a funny-sounding name, whose middle name is Hussein and who actually has Muslim relatives; and that even if they did, he would be assassinated before he saw out his first term.

After they were proved wrong and Obama was elected in November 2008, people went out in droves to buy newspapers and magazines with him on their covers, as commemorative keepsakes. His face was everywhere, providing print publishers with a bump to flagging sales. In a few short years, Obama had risen from obscurity to become the most famous person in the world.

(Excerpt from the site: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/sep/07/t errorist-superman-feminist-messiah-barack-obamas-lifeas-a-cover-star. Reaserched in September 2018).

In the sentence: “Obama had risen from obscurity to become the most famous person in the world.” Check the verbal form in bold.