This is an editorial comic from January 21, by Matt Davies. The comic comments on loss of the late Ted Kennedy's senate seat in Massachusetts to a republican candidate, and the effect that will have on the issue of health care reform. Davies depicts the republican party as a fat elephant-headed man in a business suit. An interesting historical relation being the pear shaped head of the character. Like the pear shaped caricature of Louis Philippe by Charles Philipon. Though Davies draws the other characters with simular shape, so I have to say it is a stylistic choice/habit of the artist to draw pear shaped heads on his characters. The senate seat is also caricatured as a chair used to block a door. The implication being that the seat, or senate position, is being used by the republican party to block the door for the uninsured, or use as political influence for the health care issue. Davies shows an unfavorable view of the republican party, not only with the caricatures crude appearance, but in the characters cruel actions. Davies expresses his view of the political situation with his comic. The republican is stopping the uninsured from getting health care by using the late Ted Kennedy's senate position, which carries the added weight from health care reform being one of Kennedy's longtime political goals. However serious the situation referred to, Davies makes this statement with an exaggerated cartoon which evokes laughter.David Halstead.
I think that this cartoon adds the right amount of laughter to a subject that needs to be taken seriously. I think the way that it is presented the cartoon makes politics more accessible to people who would other wise ignore the subject. It also clearly states the political view of the artist which is interesting to see.
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