Editorial cartoon analysis of the debt ceiling debate

¶ … Silly Putty Claymation

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What is happening in the cartoon? Does it tap into any cliches? If so, which ones?

In the first panel of the editorial cartoon pictured in Figure 1 above, the Democrats and Republicans are squared off with President Obama smack-dab in the middle concerning the recent struggle to reach a compromise on the debt ceiling increase. The cartoonist draws on several obvious cliches, including blue and "pinkish" colors used as well as the donkey and elephant images used for the Democrats and Republican parties, respectively.

In addition, the "spineless" qualities of the president are communicated with respect to his response when confronted with a well-entrenched Republican leadership team who refused to compromise beyond a certain point with respect to tax increases, entitlement programs and spending cuts. The lack of bipartisanship that was rife in these negotiations is also alluded to in this cartoon.

What is the "twist"? What message or argument is the cartoonist trying to convey?

The "twist" in this comic is the apparent inability or unwillingness of the president to stay the course set by his party in the negotiations over the debt ceiling. In the end, the cartoonist makes it clear that the president caved and the Republican leadership prevailed, prompting the unenthusiastic "oops" response from the Democrats and the "spineless" characterization by the Republicans.

Can you determine the position and viewpoint of the artist based on the message and meaning of the cartoon? Explain.