THE WEEK IN EDITORIAL CARTOONS
This weekly diary takes a look at the past week's important news stories from the perspective of our leading editorial cartoonists (including a few foreign ones) with analysis and commentary added in by me.
When evaluating a cartoon, ask yourself these questions:
- Does a cartoon add to my existing knowledge and help crystallize my thinking about the issue depicted?
- Does the cartoonist have any obvious biases that distort reality?
- Is the cartoonist reflecting prevailing public opinion or trying to shape it?
The answers will help determine the effectiveness of the cartoonist's message.
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The Beginning of the End?
Scott Stantis, Birmingham News
- CARTOONS OF THE WEEK
Nick Anderson, Houston Chronicle
Steve Benson, Arizona Republic
Mike Peters, Dayton Daily News
Ben Sargent, Universal Press Syndicate
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- Demagogues, Incendiary Rhetoric, and "Pro-life" Killers Amongst Us
On this earth you must belong to the church militant or get the hell out of it. That's the right word. You're either with me or against me. There is no middle ground in this battle between Christ and the anti-Christ. If you step out of (the battle), you're worse than those boys who ran off to Norway, Sweden, those boys who deserted the government. You're deserters, rotten deserters.
Father Charles Coughlin, Detroit News, June 11, 1973
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Long before anyone had ever heard of such noxious and intellectually vacuous demagogues as Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, Glenn Beck, Ann Coulter, and Bill O'Reilly, another person ruled the airwaves in this "land of the free and home of the brave" with upwards of 40 million of listeners tuning in to his Sunday broadcasts. Peddling hate, spewing antisemitism, and demonizing minorities on a regular basis were the hallmarks of his angry radio sermons. Once described as a "combination of Huey Long and Joe McCarthy in clerical cassock, with a touch of Goebbels thrown in" and pretending to defend the common man's interests under the guise of populism, this man was as socially corrosive an influence in this country as anyone in the 20th century. Sounding themes not often heard as widely since the 1930's and railing against another president who came to office burdened with unprecedented economic problems, he branded the president's policies as the "doctrine of Lenin." Not unlike these present peddlers of hate, this "radio priest" was a divisive figure and one admired by his listeners and reviled by his detractors
Tony Auth, Philadelphia Inquirer
Stuart Carlson, Universal Press Syndicate
Clay Jones, Freelance-Star (Fredericksburg, VA)
The Grandfather Of Hate Radio
A lot has been said lately about the state of talk radio – the overwhelming presence of hate, lies, threats and hysteria. Everyone thinks its a phenomenon of the past twenty years. Sadly, no.
Hate radio has its roots back to the beginnings of radio. Although not the only one who used the airwaves to preach hate, fear and prejudice, Father Charles Coughlin* was probably the most famous practitioner of extreme right wing sentiment.
Crooks and Liars, Feb 20, 2009
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Not unlike Father Coughlin in many respects, these present-day preachers of vitriol and their fellow travelers in the traditional media are corrupting our airwaves to the point of inciting violence, resulting in the murder of Dr. George Tiller by a rightwing Christian fanatic. Upon his arrest, Scott Roeder warned of more violence to come. As their political fortunes have faded in recent years, the Republican rightwing has become a dangerous mixture of excessive paranoia, virulent nationalism, religious fanaticism, simplistic anti-intellectualism, and irrational bigotry. Some fair-minded observers might even refer to this explosive mixture as anti-Americanism. As Meteor Blades wrote so eloquently in his front page post, "Dr. Tiller's blood is on their hands." They need to held accountable for their hypocritical spoken and written words
Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune
Jimmy Margulies, New Jersey Record
J.D. Crowe, Mobile Register
American politics has often been an arena for angry minds. In recent years we have seen angry minds at work mainly among extreme right-wingers, who have now demonstrated in the Goldwater movement how much political leverage can be got out of the animosities and passions of a small minority. But behind this I believe there is a style of mind that is far from new and that is not necessarily right-wind. I call it the paranoid style simply because no other word adequately evokes the sense of heated exaggeration, suspiciousness, and conspiratorial fantasy that I have in mind.
Richard Hofstadter, 'The Paranoid Style in American Politics,' Harpers Magazine, November 1964
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Paranoia is a disturbed thought process characterized by excessive anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs concerning a perceived threat.
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According to this article in the Washington Post, 80% of the self-identified "moral values" voters supported George W. Bush over John Kerry in the 2004 Election. No more. There's nothing like a major collapse of the the financial system and an economic recession to focus the country's attention on real issues like healthcare and education while thinning the ranks of such conservative voters. The smaller the G.O.P.'s base, the more shrill their voices become. Are we nearing the end of the so-called "Culture War?"
Tim Eagan, Deep Cover
Don Wright, Palm Beach Post
John Cole, Scranton Times-Tribune
As a member of the avant-garde who is capable of perceiving the conspiracy before it is fully obvious to an as yet unaroused public, the paranoid is a militant leader. He does not see social conflict as something to be mediated and compromised, in the manner of the working politician.
We are all sufferers from history, but the paranoid is a double sufferer, since he is afflicted not only by the real world, with the rest of us, but by his fantasies as well.
Richard Hofstadter, 'The Paranoid Style in American Politics,' Harpers Magazine, November 1964
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A key element of the style of politics described above by Hofstadter is to see the world in absolute terms of good vs evil -- "relativism" in the minds of such people being a Democratic weakness -- in which no triumph is final until and unless good prevails over evil. The greater the frustration level in achieving these objectives, the higher the level of paranoia amongst its practitioners
Bill Mutranowski, Atheist Cartoons
In this superb diary written almost two years ago, Unitary Moonbat chronicles the fall of demagogues (including Father Coughlin) and implies that for all of its faults, American society does have a inbuilt self-correcting mechanism
Once riled up, it can take America a little while to settle down, but when we do, we generally arrive at the correct conclusions and do the right thing. Not even Republicans (well, most of them, anyway) advocate a return to slavery, for example; and despite the occasional Malkinapologist, most of us view the internment of the Nisei during the Second World War with abhorrence. Same thing happens when Americans fall under the spell of demagogues – it can take a while before the bloviater overplays his hand and does something stupid, but eventually he will, and eventually he will receive his comeuppance by being rendered irrelevant.
Mark Streeter, Savannah Morning News
R.J. Matson, St. Louis Post Dispatch
Bob Englehart, Hartford Courant
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- Out of Egypt: A Ray of Light
There comes a time
When we head a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And it's time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me
Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, We Are the World
Matt Davies, Journal News (NY)
Patrick Corrigan, Toronto Star
Matt Davies, Journal News (NY)
Foreign Policy magazine takes us behind the scenes and explains how the speech came about and how "Over the weekend, White House officials hosted a group of Muslim and other foreign policy scholars to discuss what points Mr. Obama should touch on." According to this article in the Guardian newspaper, Obama's speech -- which the paper thought no other American President could have made -- was very ambitious in its scope in attempting to bridge the divide between the West and the Islamic world.
Ed Stein, United Media
Tony Auth, Philadelphia Inquirer
Stuart Carlson, Universal Press Syndicate
Walt Handelsman, Newsday
President Barack Obama is at his best when he is on the international stage. What a refreshing change from the "cowboy diplomacy" days of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney! A Great Power -- even an hegemonic power -- must display humility and understand that the rest of world seeks cooperation based on mutual respect, not antagonistic behavior. The best analysis of Obama's speech from Cairo, Egypt came from MSNBC's Rachel Maddow who marveled at Obama's ability to mention things American presidents never dare to say when making a speech in a foreign country
For those of you keeping score at home, that would be, dude, no way. He said what? Huh-uh. Dude, come again. Dude? Did he really just say that?
See Maddow's complete reaction to the speech on YouTube
Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Adam Zyglis, Buffalo News
Jimmy Margulies, New Jersey Record
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- Supreme Conundrum
In a series of front page posts this past week, BarbinMD wrote beautifully about the emerging Republican strategy to counter Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the US Supreme Court
It looks like the inmates running the asylum may have their next line of attack against Sonia Sotomayor after the week-long spectacle of racism, misogyny, and hate -- next up? Sotomayor wants your nunchakus. Translation? She's coming for your guns.
John Sherffius, Boulder Daily Camera
In 2001, John Judis and Ruy Teixeira wrote in their book The Emerging Democratic Majority that due to an increase in the minority population, the country was trending more Democratic and a political realignment was inevitable. Even though minorities only comprise 11% of the Republican Party, the Republicans are doing everything possible to alienate these same groups and accelerate this demographic trend!
Steve Breen, San Diego Union-Tribune
Clay Jones, Freelance-Star (Fredericksburg, VA)
Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press
Note: cartoon submitted by Kossack Sandy on Signal from Tennessee. You can read the comments in the newspaper in response to Bennett's terrific cartoon
With their disgraceful behavior ever since Judge Sotomayor's nomination was announced almost two weeks ago, the Republican Party is digging its own political grave at a fast and furious pace -- particularly when it knows it has no chance of slowing the confirmation process or denying the nominee from being confirmed. As Mark Streeter's cartoon below summarizes it, they are indeed practicing 'Precipe Politics'
Drew Sheneman, Newark Star Ledger
Mark Streeter, Savannah Morning News
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- A National Party No More
The modern right wing, as Daniel Bell has put it, feels dispossessed: America has been largely taken away from them and their kind, though they are determined to try to repossess it and to prevent the final destructive act of subversion. The old American virtues have already been eaten away by cosmopolitans and intellectuals; the old competitive capitalism has been gradually undermined by socialistic and communistic schemers; the old national security and independence have been destroyed by treasonous plots, having as their most powerful agents not merely outsiders and foreigners as of old but major statesmen who are at the very centers of American power. Their predecessors had discovered conspiracies; the modern radical right finds conspiracy to be betrayal from on high.
Richard Hofstadter, 'The Paranoid Style in American Politics,' Harpers Magazine, November 1964
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Even in the best of political times, a vibrant political party consists of competing groups coexisting uneasily with each other. It takes great skills and party leadership to reconcile their differences and to seek common ground for the greater good. This task is compounded when various factions are open warring with each other. Which is where the Republican Party stands today -- a dysfunctional political amalgam of constituencies lacking the glue that binds them together
Jimmy Margulies, New Jersey Record
Jeff Danziger, Syndicated Political Cartoonist
Kirk Walters, Toledo Blade
Like the canny politician he is, Obama is aware of the fissures within the Republican Party and has been quietly and effectively exploiting them to further weaken it
Matt Davies, Journal News (NY)
Andy Singer, NO EXIT
I would also encourage all of you to read this brilliant comment by Kossack rb608 in response to an idiotic report about Obama's Cairo Speech on FOX News. It captures perfectly the sorry state of the GOP and how divorced it is from reality.
Columnist Kathleen Parker recently wrote in the Washington Post
It has long been a problem for the GOP that some of the party's cherished positions are embraced most enthusiastically by people whose grip on reality is sometimes . . . tenuous. This is especially true with regard to abortion.
Rob Rogers, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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- Government Motors
General Motors is not just an American company. Its loss of stature and influence is a global concern
Stuart Carlson, Universal Press Syndicate
Aislin (Terry Mosher), Montreal Gazette
Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune
Mike Lane, Cagle Cartoons
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- Issues Galore
Barack Obama's "Issues Plate" is full. From trying to revive the national economy to providing healthcare to most Americans to combating the dangers of Climate Change to dealing with certified nuts like Kim Jong-il of North Korea, it is a constant struggle to keep his priorities straight. And, yet, he's managed somehow to negotiate through these minefields quite adeptly... so far
Jerry Holbert, Boston Herald
Jack Ohman, Portland Oregonian
David Horsey, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
(Un)Health(y) Care System
Jen Sorensen, Slowpoke
Jeff Danziger, Syndicated Political Cartoonist
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- Equality in New Hampshire
Earlier this week, New Hampshire became the 6th state in the country to allow gay marriage and, as Kos put it, this act brought it into the 21st century
Tom Toles, Washington Post
Dave Granlund, Politicalcartoons.com
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- Final Thoughts
Are you warming up to Conan O'Brien as the new host of The Tonight Show?
Mark Streeter, Savannah Morning News
Finally, did you ever think of doing this? Even if only for a day...
Ted Rall, Universal Press Syndicate
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A Note About the Diary Poll
The next time you watch or listen to any of the rightwing television or radio personalities listed in my poll, keep Professor Richard Hofstadter's article in mind. It was written in 1964 after conservative U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) had prevailed over his more moderate opponent, Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York, to secure the 1964 Republican presidential nomination. With many of the themes having great relevance and resonance in our time, so much of what Hofstadter described then still holds true. The paranoid style in American politics is indeed alive and well!
I should add that some sections of this diary are borrowed from another diary I wrote almost two years ago about a cyclical phenomenon in the Republican Party: growing paranoia
The end of the Cold War was an unmitigated disaster for the Republican Party.
The fervent opposition to Communism, along with a desire for lower taxes, smaller government, and 'family values,' was the glue that kept various factions of the GOP together to win presidential elections. Above all, from the disgraceful days of the McCarthy Era in the late 1940's to Ronald Reagan's campaigns in the 1980's, painting the Democratic Party as "weak on defense and national security" was the mantra employed by many a Republican candidate. More often than not, it worked.
And then in the early 1990's, the Cold War ended not with a bang but a whimper. After George H.W. Bush's defeat in 1992 and through Bill Clinton's two terms as President, the question that vexed many a political strategist in the GOP was: what's a Republican to do?
Enter another age of paranoia in domestic politics.
Remember to take the poll and also to comment in the diary.
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* you can learn more about how Father Charles Coughlin poisoned the minds of millions of radio listeners in the 1930's with his hateful speech here, here, here, and here.