Time gets a spine, no one understands

Each year, Time magazine chooses " the man, woman, couple, group, idea, place, or machine that 'for better or for worse, ...has done the most to influence the events of the year.'" (Wikipedia, quoting a Time collectors edition). Last year they chose "you." This year their choice was someone controversial: Valdimir Putin. Their profile of Mr. Putin is not particularly flattering. While I'm not entirely sure Putin has "done the most to influence the events of the year" (Al Gore won an Oscar and a Nobel Prize, Pervez Musharraf caused some major tension, Nancy Pelosi was instrumental in shaping a new, spineless majority out of the old, spineless minority, etc, etc, etc) the choice does make a certain amount of sense, especially as Putin prepares to step down.

Yet everyone seems to be acting as though Time's "Person of the Year" is an award, rather than a profile. Several political cartoonists have weighed in on the issue, and each one I've seen has taken a negative position on Time's choice. Yes, Vladimir Putin has done some terrible things, in Russia and the world. That's sort of the point.