Pat Oliphant for February 29, 2012

Ship off fools.

Compared to the idiot we have now I’ll take a couple dolts.

Four more years of an intelligent leader is getting more and more attractive. The right-wing of the Rethuglicans is now so bad that comparing the people who pander to them to dolts is actually an insult to dolts.

The boat is well drawn with details – I wonder if it was modeled from some picture? – it somehow looks familiar. Maybe from Gustave Dore?

“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” comes to mind. Maybe Newt is looking for an albatross.

Issues, issues every where/ The economy does stink;/ Issues, issues every where/ The country’s on the brink.

Issues, issues every where/ Which one to emphasize?/ Issues, issues every where/ How can I dump these guys?

(I’m sure one of you can do better.)

You all realize that one of these jokers is going to win, don’t you?

Mr. Oliphant pillories anyone without regard to race, party or creed. I’ve often wondered what qualities in a leader would be necessary to have him or her drawn with power, grace and dignity. That’s the kind of president our country needs at the moment…

Should the fat guy really be up there in the crow’s nest?

“The Old Wolf”:That’s a good question and I’ve also wondered the same thing. Still … to draw a public figure that way would be unprofessional for any good editorial cartoonist, I think. It seems to me that they strive to be negative in order to influence people toward acting better, to horribly shame them, even. I’ve enjoyed Oliphant since the mid-1960s and I admire him for this.

There’s the French saying that “Ridicule kills.” I’m not sure that’s always true in these shameless times of relentless self-promotion. But whatever the political view of a cartoonist, he or she should be fiercely critical of the status quo when it seems wrong to him. Being nice doesn’t figure into it — that’s for the society columns.

Editorial cartoons have often been perceived as “unfair” by their intended targets. Good! It shows they’re feeling the sting. Any public figure who threatens to sue for libel hasn’t a legal leg to stand on.

As a special case, cartoonists may honor well-known public figures after death – if they had clearly admirable qualities or led well through hard times. I remember years ago when Charles de Gaulle died, Parrish at The Chicago Tribune drew the coastline of France and superimposed a silhouette of de Gaulle’s profile on it – the caricature of his aquiline features, complete with hat, fit nearly perfectly.

Also, after the JFK assassination Mauldin drew Lincoln sitting in his Memorial with his face in his hands. There are many other examples. Living political figures should not be glorified. Any editorial cartoonist who does that would be considered a hack in this country. Editorial cartoonists should “intend to offend.”

I didn’t at all mean to offend you.

David Brooks had an excellent column about the self-destructing and crazy GOP in my morning paper. (Yes, some of us still read our morning papers…………..)

Marvelous cartoon,masterful!

Man the torpedos!

Mhic: It’s a “crow’s nest”, which might be representing Newt’s diet from now on?

The ship is listing too far to the right, and is dead in the water,just like the GOP.

Well then let me coin a word and thus the thought that it will bring to mind; How about “dolting-fools” or idiots who are wasting their (are) time? The derivation of fool is form the13th century. Via Old French “fol, fool, foolish” < Latin follis “bellows, windbag” & Middle English; were dolt is mid-16th century with an unknown origin more strongly implies "foolish waste of time” and where fool is "one with lack of reason or idiot. Interesting in that “fool” was a court jester…obviously someone who had to possess great wisdom, wit and witticism to cause the King, or other Royalty, too laugh, smile, & think w/o losing their head.

No Tigger….you can pray to your plastic Jeebus for that all you want, it ain’t happening.

None of the barbs that Obama and Clinton threw at each other did anything to diminish the Democratic party. Wheras the Repubs are so appalled at what’s going on with their current field, they’re talking about a BROKERED CONVENTION.

Didn’t see that in 2008. And you also never saw the kind of outrageous statements all three of the Repub’s top candidates have been making.

And let’s not forget one more thing. Hillary Clinton is now Barack Obama’s Secretary of State. You’re never gonna see Mitt, Rick or espcailly Newt offering a cabinet position to any of their rivals; there’s just too much bad blood between all three of them

Given how much water that ship’s taken on, I’m not sure we do need one!

Somebody needs to pull the drain plug out.

Personally a ship is too good for them. A bathtub with no drain plug would be better!!

Mikefive…I cannot imagine from what lofty and connected perch anyperson would be able to issue a well-based remark deriding the competence of President Obama.

Your party’s plans and aims are lifted directly from the constitution of the confederacy, your candidates’ public statements are only as intelligent as the quality of the servants’ minds who will work for them, and your own tiresome mewling reveals your own deluded insensitivityto the plight and impoverishment of your fellow citizens, as accomplished by the thieves who fund the Tea Party, openly bribe SCOTUS, and have looted the Treasury. Sir, did you ever carry a gun for Uncle Sam? if so, you cared more for other Americans then you obviously do now…you poor, inept dingbat, tool of subversives and extremely too-rich traitors…

And if youdidn’t? Please cross the street before we meet.

P.O. does a nice ship.

Anyone of the four sailors would be far better than the wharf rat that’s in the White House now.

Obama is the real dolt, the worst president since Andrew Johnson.

When your favorite politician is in trouble, name-calling the opposition is the fall-back position.