A GQ staffer tells me they were going for the feel of Richard Avedon‘s famous 1976 bicentennial portfolio — the iconic shots that were dubbed “portraits of power.”

The shots accompany interviews with campaign newsmakers. One is of MSNBC host Rachel Maddow, who assesses her new role at the cable network. “I do not feel that I’m of the media world, even though I’m taking part in it,” she says. “Maybe four years from now, I’ll be the ultimate insider, but right now I feel like I’m the kid who’s like, ‘Wowwwwwww, this is amazing…and that guy’s a tool!’”

Asked about his famous, withering criticism of Hillary Rodham Clinton during the primary, mogul David Geffen, a supporter of Sen. Barack Obama, recalled the dust up: “I was shocked that it got so much attention. It certainly wasn’t because of me; it had a big impact because it said what most people thought but were afraid to say. They [the Clintons] are vindictive, and people were afraid of being excluded. They’re tough. I think it’s part of the reason they lost. You want to love people, not be afraid of them.”

There are definitely some people aiming for “lovable” in the portfolio.