Don't think she's traditionally beautiful by any stretch of the imagination, but why should she have to be? Most people aren't. Men's magazines like GQ or Esquire feature men on them who are chosen for reasons other than how they look. Why shouldn't women's magazines do the same?
I don't really know much about her, but of course she's incredibly famous here in the US, so I'd be interested to read about her. I applaud Elle for doing something different, even if the timing is politically convenient to the max. What's next, Hillary Clinton on Vogue's "Age Issue" in August?