Ramirez: Driving the government Hummer
posted at 3:50 pm on March 3, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
The great double-Pulitzer winning cartoonist at Investors Business Daily, Michael Ramirez, nails another entry in what will eventually be a series of lampoons of Deadbeatonomics. In this cartoon, Ramirez notes the essential disconnect of Barack Obama’s scolds about eating up resources while vastly expanding government in this economic crisis:
And if you think that one’s good, check out yesterday’s “Mission Accomplished” cartoon. Don’t forget to check out the entire IBD site, while individual investors still exist.
Ramirez has a terrific collection of his works: Everyone Has the Right to My Opinion, which covers the entire breadth of Ramirez’ career, and it gives a fascinating look at political history. Read my review here, and watch my interviews with Ramirez here and here.
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SHARPTON: SCRAMBLE THE FIGHTERS – WE NEED TO FIND SOME RACISM IN THIS CARTOON NOW. GET ME A PRESS CONFERENCE!
Tacitus_SGL on March 3, 2009 at 3:56 PM
That’s kind of racist, putting a black guy in what appears to be some sort of drug-dealer-tinted window-pimped ride.
I prostest this cartoon.
myrenovations on March 3, 2009 at 3:56 PM
Great cartoon, but should have added Uncle Sam under the right rear tire.
Just another guy Obama’s thrown under the bus/hummer.
NoDonkey on March 3, 2009 at 3:57 PM
My favorite from back in October.
WashJeff on March 3, 2009 at 3:57 PM
SHARPTON: EXCELLENT – WELL DONE! PRESS CONFERENCE IN 10 MINUTES.
Tacitus_SGL on March 3, 2009 at 3:58 PM
You forgot “driving while black”.
As in, I was driving 30 miles over the speed limit, weaving side to side, but I was arrested for “driving while black”.
NoDonkey on March 3, 2009 at 3:58 PM
That’s right. This cartoonist was clearly profiling.
Matticus Finch on March 3, 2009 at 4:00 PM
The one from Feb 27th with the mountain of debt was the best.
Joe Caps on March 3, 2009 at 4:01 PM
That’s Racist!!
Key West Reader on March 3, 2009 at 4:03 PM
What, a black man can’t own an SUV?
Racists.
Otis B on March 3, 2009 at 4:04 PM
The cartoon is also Dumbo-ist, in that the one ear is as large as his head.
And it is also sexist because Obama is clearly speaking down to that female voter or propositioning her, which would also be sexist.
This cartoon is wrong on so many levels.
myrenovations on March 3, 2009 at 4:05 PM
Of course he can drive an SUV. He can also drive a once thriving economy into an absolute sh*thole in less than 5 weeks. What’s your point?
Key West Reader on March 3, 2009 at 4:05 PM
Here’s a Carter-era Dodge van. Looked like a good idea then, so Obama rolls it out again.
faraway on March 3, 2009 at 4:07 PM
Key West Reader on March 3, 2009 at 4:05 PM
Whoops – I forgot to turn the sarcasm button on.
It’s a dig at race-baiting. A joke. Oh never mind.
Otis B on March 3, 2009 at 4:07 PM
My Favorite.
chansen9 on March 3, 2009 at 4:08 PM
I think he was telling her, “Hold on one second, sweetie.”
WashJeff on March 3, 2009 at 4:08 PM
myrenovations on March 3, 2009 at 4:05 PM
I want to see the side view and check out the rims.
Otis B on March 3, 2009 at 4:08 PM
Now THAT is good. Nice.
Dash on March 3, 2009 at 4:09 PM
Have you heard whispers Ed? I hope not.
toliver on March 3, 2009 at 4:10 PM
OT:
If you want to drive up your ratings, just say something bad about Obama like Cramer.
People will start doing this every day.
faraway on March 3, 2009 at 4:10 PM
Perfect.
petefrt on March 3, 2009 at 4:10 PM
Hey, the Dow can only drop 7000 more points.
faraway on March 3, 2009 at 4:11 PM
Hm, that is a brown SUV; clearly Michael Ramirez is racist.
carbon_footprint on March 3, 2009 at 4:11 PM
No, they can re-name it Former Investors Business Daily.
Or Government Investment Daily.
myrenovations on March 3, 2009 at 4:11 PM
That’s quite the heavy handed plugging there Ed. Take er down a notch.
Free Constitution on March 3, 2009 at 4:12 PM
Obama has decided to tax aspirin bacause it is white and it works.
saiga on March 3, 2009 at 4:13 PM
No problem!!! I guess I’m just getting more and more and more and more frustrated today. Wine? Yes. Wine. That’s the ticket.
Key West Reader on March 3, 2009 at 4:14 PM
This cartoon is ineffective. The context of the cartoon completely ignores the economy, two wars, education, and healthcare, among other issues.
Government cannot decrease in size to handle larger problems.
ckoeber on March 3, 2009 at 4:15 PM
Key West Reader on March 3, 2009 at 4:14 PM
Excellent! Yes, I recommend wine.
Red, not white. badoom ching.
Otis B on March 3, 2009 at 4:16 PM
ckoeber on March 3, 2009 at 4:15 PM
Hey, I saw your post over in the McCain thread. And now this one.
If you ever decide to run for office I promise to stay home and not vote for you too.
myrenovations on March 3, 2009 at 4:18 PM
Ha, I just noticed the car emblem: “Can’t afford”
Brill!
carbon_footprint on March 3, 2009 at 4:18 PM
Yes, please…it’d be much better if your articles had the same sort of subtlety as those of, say, Kathleen Parker.
Snowed In on March 3, 2009 at 4:19 PM
Yes, some nice, smooth Merlot.
Key West Reader on March 3, 2009 at 4:20 PM
Thanks for not talking about the subject.
Anything constructive to add?
ckoeber on March 3, 2009 at 4:20 PM
We shall call it O The Hummer and deride for the next four years!
Laura in Maryland on March 3, 2009 at 4:20 PM
Is this another joke?
Key West Reader on March 3, 2009 at 4:21 PM
Ummm, not to foster racial stereotypes or anything. But where are the tires on that vehicle? Is that a commentary on Obama’s plan to get things moving – an SUV with no wheels?
hawksruleva on March 3, 2009 at 4:22 PM
No doubt. Spinners.
BobMbx on March 3, 2009 at 4:22 PM
Government cannot handle larger problems by increasing in size. Larger problems are solved by hard working people, not the dead hand of bureaucracy.
saiga on March 3, 2009 at 4:22 PM
You know.. seriously. I am honestly thinking about shutting down. Shutting down my business. Not paying my mortgage. Devolving so to speak. I’ve worked my a$$ off since I was 14 years old and I’m tired. To think that I have lost my investments, the equity in my home and to keep chugging along to pay for those who sit on their butts and eat twinkies all day watching soap opera’s and Sponge Bob?
No, thanks. I think it is time to shut down. I made it to the top and rang the bell. I’ve had enough.
Atlas Will Shrug. I’ll be one of the first to help him do so.
Key West Reader on March 3, 2009 at 4:23 PM
Wow! Great catch!
+5
Key West Reader on March 3, 2009 at 4:24 PM
When the problem is larger Government, yes it can.
When the problem is when an unqualified, unaccomplished jackass who never should be in the office in the first place, craps the bed in his first 100 days, yes it can.
And yes, we can. Throw his worthless ass out.
NoDonkey on March 3, 2009 at 4:25 PM
We shall call it O The Hummer and deride it for the next four years!
(fixed it)
Laura in Maryland on March 3, 2009 at 4:28 PM
Vegeta, what does the scouter say about his earmarks in the buget plan?
BohicaTwentyTwo on March 3, 2009 at 4:28 PM
I wonder if Michelle has purchased a few loads of Big Boy Pants for overnight wetting for “O” yet.
New Tax On Big Boy Pants!
/Pelosi
Key West Reader on March 3, 2009 at 4:29 PM
There, fixed that for you.
VelvetElvis on March 3, 2009 at 4:30 PM
I can’t afford to shut down my business. My once respectable 401K is shot, and whats left will be ravaged by inflation after the spending disaster.
It’s one day at a time for me. But you can bet your ass I won’t be hiring or investing for a while. I will stay on autopilot for a while until the ship rolls back over and gets the keel side back in the water.
saiga on March 3, 2009 at 4:31 PM
Funny,
The problem with the “smaller” government approach is that we have already had a few people for the longest time (and a party for the longest time) tell us that smaller government is the solution.
YET, EVERYTIME they are in power the size of the government INCREASES and our problems DON’T go away.
Now, you may argue that they have stepped away from principle. But the REAL reason is because they came to the same conclusion that the other party already knows: That there are many things that government and only government can do.
In this case, working WITH the government (instead of against it) is the only way we can solve this crisis and our problems.
ckoeber on March 3, 2009 at 4:53 PM
I admire your optimism. However, the signs are all there. We will no longer be a capitalist, individualist society. We are devolving into Socialism/Communism at the speed of light. It will not contribute to that endeavor.
Best of luck to you!
Key West Reader on March 3, 2009 at 4:54 PM
I’ll ignore the incinerary portions of your comment and just stick with the points brought up:
The Conservatives, once in office, always increase the size of government. Even with your beloved Reagan he increase the size of government due to deficit spending.
That’s because he (as well as many of the other conservative presidents, senators, and representaives) always come to the same conclusion the democratic party does – but they don’t want to scare their main constituency away (big business). So, instead of raising taxes they primarily perform deficit spending.
As for Obama being unqualified, that’s more of you hoping he fails.
And I understand. But it is to YOUR benefit that he succeeds.
ckoeber on March 3, 2009 at 4:58 PM
Exactly! We shouldn’t deny people someone education or healthcare for some silly reason like not being able to pay for it. What would happen if we refused to give people food, water, or shelter just because they couldn’t pay for it? Oh wait…
Tacitus_SGL on March 3, 2009 at 5:03 PM
ckoeber on March 3, 2009 at 4:58 PM
Check your browser. I think you’re looking for imanidiotastroturfingtrollsentbyaxelrod(dot)com.
IrishEi on March 3, 2009 at 5:06 PM
But it is to YOUR benefit that he succeeds.
ckoeber on March 3, 2009 at 4:58 PM
I personally don’t see how it will be to my benefit to be dependent upon the government for much of what I believe I should be doing for myself.
I never asked for any help, nor am I now. Even if everything tanks to the bottom, I’d rather turn to family than the government for any kind of help.
So I don’t get it when you say it is to my benefit that he succeeds. I see it as a lose/lose proposition, but with the latter, if the policies fail, then I will still be independent from the government.
Otis B on March 3, 2009 at 5:11 PM
This is just over the top lol .
The Mayor of Gary, IN drives a Hummer provided by the citizens of the city, but the city has less than zero in the bank account, lays off half of the police and fire depts and streets depts and HE
drives aroundtools about in the biggest waste of money possible. LOOK at all the similarities!!It’s not only that Gary Mayor Rudy Clay uses an incredibly conspicuous Hummer H3 to get around his incredibly beleaguered city.
It’s not only that he recently purchased a brand new Hummer using taxpayer dollars, around the same time he’s pleading for financial help from the state.
And it’s not only that he was told by at least one state official how “symbolism” is playing a huge role amid his bail-out request.
It’s that Mayor Clueless is so arrogant he can’t even pretend he cares about the high-octane perception of his fiscal decisions.
Any other greedy, selfish, egotistic Lake County politician would at least use a less-flashy, lower-octane vehicle this year – even if it costs as much as a Hummer
UNREPENTANT CONSERVATIVE CAPITOLIST on March 3, 2009 at 5:11 PM
It’s racist it has a white woman asking the Messiah a question and anytime you have a white woman and a black man in the same panel it’s the same as having a chimp in any cartoon, automatic racism. That’s what we were told with McCain’s celebrity ads. So Ramirez must really be racist not to have gotten the message in the past six months.
eaglewingz08 on March 3, 2009 at 5:21 PM
I get it. Once a dissenting opinion is given the person is instantly labeled as whatever.
This is the core issue. Your view leaves no room for someone to differ.
You will never get people to give you their votes.
America isn’t centered around one ideology. If you want other people to support you then you need to support other people.
ckoeber on March 3, 2009 at 5:23 PM
wasn’t aware you were running for anything….
do let me know what area you are in so I can fund your opponent.
sven10077 on March 3, 2009 at 5:27 PM
Wow, I, I, I…
“I” counted nine references to yourself in three sentences.
What would benefit you to understand is that you cannot focus on yourself in order to solve all of the problems going on.
ckoeber on March 3, 2009 at 5:29 PM
Great.
Now what does your statement have to do with my argument, the cartoon, or anything of significance?
ckoeber on March 3, 2009 at 5:31 PM
The market has tanked 30% on Messiah the Lightworker’s watch…it has lost 50% of peak during SanFran Nan’s stewardship of the speakership….
I prepare taxes for people and know definitively that the ideological war on prosperity that is not “green enough” by the donks over the last eight years is nuking people’s savings and investment capital….
the rest is just noise.
sven10077 on March 3, 2009 at 5:36 PM
Nice on the statistical posturing. I can point to the market losing HALF it’s value on Bush’s watch from October of 2007 to when he left office.
Or how about the market losing value from the time Bush took office to his leaving?
Please. Obama said it will take time. He has been in office for less than two months. Trying to tie his actions to what cause the market to be in it’s current situation in the first place is just revisionist history.
ckoeber on March 3, 2009 at 5:54 PM
At some point this has to resonate with the general public…
moxie_neanderthal on March 3, 2009 at 5:59 PM
cross index Messiah the Lightworker’s speechifying on “greening the economy” to market downturns….
what the market is craving is stability and encouragement and what Bambi gives us is “meh it bobs up and down” and “er uh my plan is not based on the market’s response”….
The US has been in a bubble ready to burst since about 1995 thanks to the one two punch of partisan infighting leading to economic intervention gridlock on new maters and the impact of artificially misvaluated risk entering the real estate market on Fan and Fred….
Bush’s best or worst “achievement” was not allowing the market to ever really do the needed reset on his watch….
Ogabe is doing everything in his power to emaciate the goose…
were this merely a rhetorical exercise I’d be entertained since I have interacted with widows who had to be taught what net loss carryover was these last two years I am NOT laughing.
sven10077 on March 3, 2009 at 5:59 PM
already is and even SanFran Nan knows it….she DoA’d the latest feelers on gun control because she KNOWS they are overreaching.
sven10077 on March 3, 2009 at 6:00 PM
Ramirez rules!
Probably always has; probably always will…
karl9000 on March 3, 2009 at 6:33 PM
Ramirez is a genius! The only political cartoonist that has ever made me laugh so hard I couldn’t breath.
AUINSC on March 3, 2009 at 8:42 PM
BohicaTwentyTwo on March 3, 2009 at 4:28 PM
It’s OVER 9000!!!
FontanaConservative on March 4, 2009 at 1:36 AM
I’m confused…
First I read this (emphasis mine):
And then I see this (emphasis mine)…
So, damned if we do, damned if we don’t, then? This policy of Hope is looking less and less hopeful every day.
BlueCollarAstronaut on March 4, 2009 at 9:29 AM
Given his fingerprints all over the banks being forced to give loans to people that could not afford them. It is not revisionist history, it is putting blame were do.
darktood on March 4, 2009 at 12:51 PM
My favorite.
cheeflo on March 4, 2009 at 3:32 PM