But what I love about political cartoonists – at least, what I’ll love about them until I open up the paper and see a drawing of my big ears accompanied by something that came out of my big mouth – is that they cut through the conventional wisdom and just tell it like it is. People like Herblock and Tony Auth and others can jolt us awake from our political cynicism with a few ingenious images and a clever phrase that can often speak more truth than a thousand words. And this is the kind of wake-up call our politics needs today more than ever.
I do think that, you know, in attempting to satirize something, they probably fueled some misconceptions about me instead. But, you know, that was their editorial judgment. And as I said, ultimately, it’s a cartoon, it’s not where the American people are spending a lot of their time thinking about.
Uh-huh. Cartoons awaken us from our political cynicism except when they explicitly try to point out that cynicism — and then we have to ignore the satire and take them at the most superficial level? Sounds like someone wants to play a victim card a little too enthusiastically here, and on national television, no less.
It got worse. Obama tried playing the victim-by-proxy card as well on Larry King’s show:
“You know, there are wonderful Muslim Americans all across the country who are doing wonderful things,” the presidential candidate told CNN’s Larry King. “And for this to be used as sort of an insult, or to raise suspicions about me, I think is unfortunate. And it’s not what America’s all about.”
Did Barack Obama just accuse the New Yorker of editorial profiling? Does Obama really think that the New Yorker cartoon meant to skewer him rather than the Right? How clueless is Barack Obama, anyway?
Let’s try to explain this in small words so even the laughless Left understands it. The New Yorker meant to satirize (sorry — make fun of) what they saw as conservative smear campaigns against Obama. They did not mean to imply that there was anything wrong with wearing a dishdasha or being Muslim. The New Yorker could have provided more context for the gag, but anyone with a lick of common sense can deduce its meaning — which may be why the Left finds itself in such a lather over it.
Michelle reminds us of some truly offensive cartoons, in case Obama wants to know the difference. (via Jim Geraghty and HA reader Yakwill83)
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