Those Mean Lean Republicans

This is liberal cartoon by Bob Englehart. In the cartoon, three tough-looking elephants dressed in red hoodies and hats, and a black shirt are standing with President Obama, who is dressed in a black suit, and and blue tie. The elephants tell the President that if he want their respect, he'll have to mug an old woman who has social security written on her dress. The message that the cartoon portrays is that if Obama wants the Republicans in the Senate and (mainly) the House to go along with what he wants, he's going to have to lower Social Security. However, the Republicans being portrayed as bullies or thugs clearly shows that this is a liberal cartoon. 

The Worst Recovery in History Blues

This political cartoon by Michael Ramirez is a conservative cartoon that pokes fun at President Obama. In the cartoon, Obama is seen holding a guitar and singing into a mic. He's singing, "I got the let them eat cake, I don't care if 1 in 6 Americans live in poverty, cancel the White House tours but I'm still having celebrity concerts at the White House during the Worst Recovery in history blues..." This cartoon mocks Obama because white he talks the talk, he doesn't really walk the walk because he's still having a grand old time at the White House while 1 in 6 Americans are living in poverty. This cartoon could definitely affect presidential popularity and trust, which we've been talking about in class. Obama's been pretty popular, and going into his second term, he had around 50% popularity. However, this could change in the upcoming months. 

Media's Best Surgeons

This Republican cartoon by Glenn Foden is one that discusses how the media has been messing with abortion movements. In the cartoon, there's a sign saying "Planned Mediahood", and as if in an abortion clinic, three doctors come in, their name badges saying, "Network News", "Cable News", and "Print." Under the cartoon, there's a caption that reads, "Aborting Pro-Life stories since Roe V. Wade." In class, we've talked about how much of a role the media plays in policy making. We've seen how the media has grouped up against those who are pro-life. And that's what the cartoon shows. The media has been taking lives since Roe V. Wade. 

Rock-a-bye North Korea

This political cartoon by Jeff Darcy can't really be described as either conservative or liberal. In the cartoon, N. Korea's Kim Jong Un is pictured as a little baby who is wearing a diaper and holding a rattle shaped as a missile with a tattoo of his daddy. This cartoon is an example of foreign policies, which we've been talking about in the presidency unit of our class. A lot of people feel that N. Korea has just been making all this noise for no reason because Jong Un needs to look big and tough like his daddy. However, people aren't taking him all that seriously. Governments may be, but the peoples just don't really care. It will be interesting to see how things move along with these nuclear threats. 

Please, just one more bite

In this conservative political cartoon, by Ken Catalino, depicts how obese the Federal Debt has become. In this cartoon, there's an extremely huge man with "DEBT" written on him, and Obama acting as a server and saying, "Please, Just one after dinner mint." while extending a huge block with "OBAMACARE" written on it. In class, we've talked a little bit about how bad in the debt has become. In the eyes of the Republicans, Obama's healthcare plan is just going to add on the the debt, and ruin the country, not make anything better, and that's what this cartoon depicts. 

GOP Conversions

This cartoon is most likely liberal since it's mocking the GOP. The cartoon is an allusion to Paul's conversion on the Damascus Road, and this cartoon has a caption that says, "The conversion on the road to 2014." In a bright ball of light, it says 58% support for gay marriage with a man dressed in a suit that says "GOP Pols" yelling "Hallelujah!" and dropping a sheet of paper that says, "Moral Opposition." We've been talking about how the GOP needs to readjust it's views in order to win seats come 2014. Supporting gay marriage would be one of the biggest things for the GOP, and would bring up polls. 

Fracking Dems

In this conservative cartoon, the Democrats' views on fracking are being mocked. In the cartoon, a woman, "tax payer", is reading a news paper which reads, "Dems not opposed to all forms of fracking." To her right, two donkeys dressed in construction gear are telling someone controlling a drill to go a little to the left into the woman's purse. This doesn't really relate the anything that we've been talking about in class. However, it is interesting that although the Democrats stress how they don't want the middle class to pay much with taxes; they aren't all that opposed to fracking, and really do want the money, and they just pretend that they don't.