Jasmine - Political Cartoon

Political Cartoon

            The context of this political cartoon is the high foreclosures that happened since Obama’s first term as president. In 2008, when Obama wasn’t president, filing foreclosures surpassed more than 3 million and the foreclosure rate for the United States was at 1.8%. That would be 1 in 54 homes filing for foreclosure across the nation.  There were 205,990 filings for foreclosure in May 2012, and 104,000 homes have entered the foreclosure process each month since then. This would be 1 in every 639 homes nationwide.

            They are comparing Obama to Earl from My Name Is Earl. We can tell that he is being represented as Earl because of the outfit that is being showed with the suspenders and striped shirt.  Also the way he is standing with his arms bent.  In the picture he is saying “Did I do that?” Earl says that every time he ruins or breaks something. And as we all know Earl, from his show he is very clumsy and tends to damage things for the people around him.

            America is being symbolized in the background because it is showing the overall shape of the U.S.  If you were to look at it, you would know that it’s America. President Obama is symbolizing Earl, which ruins everything

The exaggeration part of the cartoon is the sign on America that is in red, bold letters saying foreclosure. There are high areas covering half of the country intending where foreclosure is at its worst.

            Caricature: there isn’t any caricature in this, except President Obama’s face is on the body of Earl. But in other cartoons you will visibly tell that it’s Barak Obama because he is portrayed as having silly big ears and a long face to go along with it.

            This political cartoon ties into the quote “It is essential in a democratic society that young people and adults learn how to think, learn how to make up their minds. They must learn how to think independently, and they must learn how to think together. They must come to conclusions, but at the same time they must recognize the right of the other men to come to opposite conclusions. So far as individuals are concerned, the art of democracy is the art of thinking and discussing independently together.” because you, as a citizen of the United States have to take responsibility and be an active participant in society so you can correctly vote for the one that believes in what you believe in and what you want them to achieve. In order for that you have to be politically informed. You will be able to vote informed so you don’t choose a candidate who isn’t fit for the job.