Reyes, Dalila

Instr. Gross

English 103

May 6, 2011

                       That man for president 2008

            Editorial cartoons are created to call attention to certain issues, ideas or topics.  They can be filled with humor, shocking at first glance or intended to for controversy.  Unfortunately, there is no consistent editorial cartoonist that I follow or who’s work I am informed or aware of.  I have always enjoyed, however, political cartoons as they are very interesting to observe.  Cartoons which express political candidates are comical in the sense that the cartoonist over exaggerate facial features and make elaborate on the truth of any politician.  These political cartoons also address the political issues within their cartoons, at times not illustrating politicians themselves, but using the key figures of their political parties, the elephant and the donkey.  While researching this prompt, I took a look at the different types of cartoons that highlight presidential nomination topics.   A cartoonist by the name of Jack Higgins, drew my attention with his cartoon titled “Batman,” which appeared in the Sun-Times on September 26, 2008.  In the height of the 2008 elections, the cartoon pictures President Obama on the podium stating: Change We Need.  On the opposite side of the then presidential candidate, stood Batman, seen running toward the city stating: Gotta Run, My Country Needs Me.  On the capped crusaders podium reads the sign: Change of Costume. I consider this cartoon to have different meanings.   Higgins makes the two correlation between both candidates by attracting the readers eye to the slogan that are stated.  He depicts President Obama’s change sloggan next to change of costume.  In presidential elections, candidates make many promises that they will achieve if chosen to take the presidential seat.  Many of those promises that are delivered to the country are never met.  Can one consider this as a change of costume?  Having a politician make a promise, then when they achieve their goal they do a complete turn around and become someone one else, a different politician with different intentions and leave the citizens to pay the price of deception.  Another, thought that I had when looking at the this cartoon is the irony behind who really helps our country or its citizens when there is a calling.  In the background lies the Batman signal and pictures Batman rushing to help.  In 2008, fresh from a president that was citified for his delayed reaction to disaster of Hurricane Katrina, one can’t help but to think of other presidents would be just as slow to react to a state in peril.  Which brings the relation to Batman or any caped crusader that essentially changes costumes, the comic heroes do anything to save the public and even risk their very own lives doing it.  Which posses the question, if Batman ran for president, with the public already knowing that he has a 100% success rate, would be likely to win the election