The Election 2012 Photo That Would Most Unnerve a Martian

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Callista Gingrich, a woman in a surgical mask, at least 10 disembodied hands, and a galactic imperialist lurking in the background.

Callista with Disembodied Hands.jpg

In a way this is a normal scene -- a campaign stop in an American mall, a nail shop where the manicurist wears a surgical mask, the candidate looking on. At least that's what appears to be going on. But a Martian wouldn't know any of that. A Martian would see a bunch of disembodied human hands, a masked woman, the words "trade secret" in one corner of the frame. And in the other? Newt Gingrich, a man who, having announced his colonial designs on the moon, followed up by championing regular flights... to Mars! What Martian wouldn't shiver to see it all?

Admittedly, I haven't yet looked at every Election 2012 photo published. But I defy the Internet to find another that would unnerve a Martian as much as this one. Email me your nominations, put them in comments, or Tweet a link with the hashag #FreakingOutMars.

Image credit: Jim Young / Reuters
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Conor Friedersdorf is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where he focuses on politics and national affairs. He lives in Venice, California, and is the founding editor of The Best of Journalism, a newsletter devoted to exceptional nonfiction.

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