Hoping against hope, liberal Democrats hope the most conservative Democratic primary candidate will use his conservative staffers to promote progressive policies.
Liberal Projection
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication, WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a frequent contributor to The Wall Street Journal, a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "The Stringer."
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For what it's worth, "Glaube macht frei" means "faith makes you free," and is an allusion to a Nazi slogan that means "work makes you free," which was posted at the death camps (where death by overwork was one of the many options available to the customers).
Hey Ted, what's with the Blutfahne-style Hello Kitty flag anyway? Is there anywhere you explain where & when you started drawing it and what exactly it's supposed to mean?
You know, Ted,
I thought you were just being crazy when you complained about the conservatives in Obama's cabinet (really, Hillary a conservative? jeez).
Then I read Mona Charen's article for this week where she gleefully, nay, giddily talks about Obama's appointments.
You, sir, may be right.
Of course, I still stand behind what I say — he's appointed a bunch of neo-con (which has little to do with conservative), statist, proto-nazis.
he wasn't the most conservative candidate – they're all in his cabinet.
I guess with Bush on the way out, you have to find something wrong with Obama to make a living. I forgive you Ted.
"Hey Ted, what's with the Blutfahne-style Hello Kitty flag anyway? Is there anywhere you explain where & when you started drawing it and what exactly it's supposed to mean?"
It started with a cartoon I did about Obama's Cute-ocracy during the primaries, about how when he became president ugly people would be sent to camps, etc. At this point, Obama's sole appeal is that he's cute. And he is. Cute.
"I guess with Bush on the way out, you have to find something wrong with Obama to make a living. I forgive you Ted."
Puh-leeze.
The American political system hasn't coughed up a great president since Thomas Jefferson. And there was plenty to criticize about him, too.
The Hello Kitty flag is awesome, Ted, I've been looking for a full sized one since you ran that first cartoon about the cute-ocracy to fly on my front porch.
Jedem das Seine. American voters had their say…..
GM Palmer, can you explain how proto-Nazis would be in Obama's cabinet? Surely they're all dead (or well over 100 years old), by now.
ted, this cartoon is a wonderful illustration of the difference between you and a wingnut cartoonist (i mean besides the fact that they're never funny), and it is this: a wingnut would have gotten the submachine guns right! LOL@yours! wtf is up with those things? banana clip for a grip, and then another grip (i guess that's the magazine, but it's smaller than the grip..?) BEHIND it? and then no extra grip on the one in back (wouldn't both guards be carrying the same model of weapon?) clearly you are not a firearms enthusiast!
awesome job on the guards' uniforms, though. seriously, now i'm starting to think you're one of those star wars cosplay weirdos, cuz those unis look like they're straight off the death star… nice!
and "mysterious," we're all SO impressed by your google skills. i'm sure ted is very, very grateful that you came along to explain his subtle joke for him. is that what you do all day, go around to comments sections explaining jokes to all us dummies? i'm sure your mommy is really proud! one quibble though– you forgot to post your IQ. what the hell kind of "i'm so smart" show-off makes a noob mistake like that?
(and ted, re: that slogan– are you saying that all we'll have to do is believe? we won't actually have to work? cuz that doesn't really sound so bad… three hots and a cot, cool stripey clothes, low-maintenance haircuts, and walk around all day in a beatific obama-christ daze, "protected" by armed guards?? woo-hoo! sign me up!!)
…and you know, now that i think about it, i bet you made those guns all weird like that on purpose, to bug all your wingnut readers (they hate having their religious icons messed with)…
Clinton was more conservative than Obama, and so was Biden.
I get to play Lee Marvin when we pull the raid on the chateau. Or Donald Sutherland cause he had the best line.
Not since Jefferson?
Wow, you have really high standards. 🙂
Sure. So long as your definition of "great" allows for slave-holding, then yes, ole Tom was great.
Ted Rall said, "The American political system hasn't coughed up a great president since Thomas Jefferson. And there was plenty to criticize about him, too."
Well, we do have this inconvenient system where we are forced to chose from imperfect human beings. I'll take that over electing gods, however – separation of church and state, you know. Although it would be kind of cool if atheists could make our politicians disappear by not believing in them.
There's another consideration for the Hello Kitty emblem that you've overlooked, Ted. When Hello Kitty first came out, its mouth was deliberately left out. Its creator said that was so that people could project whatever feelings they had onto Hello Kitty. Thus, if they felt sad, then Hello Kitty was sad too; if they felt happy, the same. I think this works well for Obama as well. Since he's appeared as a cipher throughout his campaign, many people have displaced their hopes onto him thinking that he thinks the same way they do. Of course, liberals are beginning to learn that this is not at all the case with this Chicago Boy. Keep the Hello Kitty for the cute and displacement angles. I think it's as effective as Generalissimo El Busho was for Bush at cutting through the b.s. surrounding Obama these days.
Well, Obama said he would bring change.
If he hauls us into concentration camps, that certainly would qualify as bringing us change.
We would have to quit our complaining then.
Right?
Fuck you too devil. Have a nice day now.
Ted,
I've seen some of your cartoons from the past few weeks, and you continue to show Obama as some sort of dictator-in-waiting.
I respect your right to express yourself, but I find it offensive to display him as a dictator.
I don't think Obama's going to be 1/10th as evil and nasty as Bush. Seeing your portrayal's of him have made me wonder if you've jumped ship and are now working for the Fox News set.
There's no reason to think that Obama is a dictator-in-waiting. But there's plenty of reason to think he won't be very different–certainly not different enough–than our current, presumably outgoing, tyrant.
Also, Obama is already 1/2 as evil as Bush. He likes the war in Afghanistan. Since he wants to send more troops there, that will make him more than 1/2 as evil as Bush. And that's assuming he's pulling out of Iraq.
Am I the only one who can see where this is headed? Barack Obama is the second coming of Bill Clinton: a warmongering "centrist" (in the U.S., this means conservative everywhere else) whose easy manner belies his agenda enough to make the liberals think they've won something.
You'll see: in the end, Bush was great for the left. Obama will make the liberals go to sleep. Heck, it's already happening…why don't they mind that he hasn't appointed a single liberal to his cabinet?
I voted for Obama because I believe he intends to be the President for all Americans, not just the ones I agree with. His cabinet choices are pragmatic. I've been your fan since 1995 and continue to enjoy the work you do, but I see little difference in this editorial commentary than those who allude to their opponents or detractors being "like Hitler." It's lazy and dishonest and you're far better than that.
The "Hello, Kitty" flag? Pure genius.
"You'll see: in the end, Bush was great for the left. Obama will make the liberals go to sleep."
The failure to elect Palin will go down in history as the biggest blown opportunity.
If the generals tell Obama that leveling half the villages in Afghanistan is the only way to success, what you you suppose he would say?
Mass murder comes in many different shapes and sizes. High-altitude bombing may not be as efficient as zyklon b, but at least you don't have to ever see your victims.
Why don't they mind that he hasn't appointed a single liberal to his cabinet?
Because unlike you we're realists as well as liberals. Obama was as liberal as one can be and still get elected in this country.
He was never going to be this huge leftist, and frankly, I'd like some of whatever you were smoking when you decided he would be. He's in the process of slowly, gradually, shifting this country back to the left.
Calling him out for not being the liberal wet-dream those with their heads in the clouds (looking straight at you, Ted) seemed to believe he was is counterproductive and guarantees handing the reigns of power back to people who are far worse.
Not to mention, it's petty. But I expect no less from you.
"unlike you we're realists as well as liberals. Obama was as liberal as one can be and still get elected in this country.
He was never going to be this huge leftist"
If you think realism requires a continuance of FAILED economic policy, then I would NOT like to know what you are smoking, Mr. Anonymouse.
I think once we have dealt with this fallacy of the "golden mean", we can argue as follows:
1)The US health care system failed so replace it with a radically different one.
2)Spending half the budget on subsidizing military socialism has failed, so slash it down to a quarter of the budget.
3)Allowing Mr. Burns to control the media is bad for democracy, so lets try something else (like censoring and fining for false statements the same way we do for boobs)
that is realism, my friend. You filter the shit OUT of the water. You REMOVE obstacles.
You move FORWARD, not sideways.
And when did Ted ever say Obama sold himself as a leftist?
And what do you even mean my "leftist"?