Here’s one of the many cartoon ideas Robert Ariail had today, in sketch form. We went for something else in the actual paper for tomorrow, but this was one of the sketches Robert gave thestate.com for use in this package.
I made sure senior editors down in the newsroom were aware of the cartoon (thestate.com is part of the newsroom, and therefore separate from my department), so they could make a conscious decision about it before it appeared.
The question I had raised about the cartoon earlier with Robert was … well, never mind the concern I raised. I’d rather not prejudice your response. After y’all have a chance to say what you think, I’ll tell you what I think. (I’ll only tell you that if you’re one of those simple souls who don’t know me at all and think all newspaper editors are about political correctness, you’ll probably guess wrong as to what my concern was.)
So … whaddya think?
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I think the cartoon is quite thought provoking. I am sure that Clinton made her original “racial” remark innocently. It was one of those things that just came out wrong, or wasn’t well thought out. Nor do I think that she (or her political machine) is particularly racist. At the same time, I can remember when no one thought ‘lawn jockeys’ were racist at all. And that’s where the meat of this cartoon lies. It seems to me to point to an innate blindness or insensitivity in the Clinton bid for the presidency of which she is unaware. And weaknesses that we are unaware of, we cannot correct.
Run it. In fact, give Mr. Ariail a full page EVERY day.
Oh ho, race baiting and obfuscation in the same neat package! I have no idea why you wouldn’t run this?!?
Unless something’s changed, most of Robert’s best stuff is probably still sitting in his file cabinet. Run it all, starting with this one. I never understood why newspapers employ people of talent, then hitch them to a plow. If you’ve got a racehorse, let him run.
I guess that I’m a bit too cynical to give the Clinton campaign much of a pass. As a fan of everything written by Ubmerto Eco, I’ve come to appreciate the field of semiotics and its application to political rhetoric, especially as raised to the apex of campaigning by the Clinton crew.
Thus Hilary’s use of the word “spadework” on the Today Show was purposeful and offensive, whatever her exact words were (can’t seem to find a transcript of this particular show). It could have served as — and in my view so intended — a supporting message and cue to wavering black political figures to reference Obama’s non-involvement in the civil rights struggle as well as a reminder to bigoted whites that Obama is black. So was Bill’s use of the words “boy” and “fairytale.” Remember “trailer trash” and the tone and substance of attacks leveled against a guy named Starr?
Politics is a rough and tumble activity. I almost feel sorry for Jim Clyburn and those who did the hard work in the cause of civil rights who rightly believe that their time has come yet find that the shining hope is a half-black African-American guy — but in a sense foreign to their style of racial politics — who has never paid any dues and may not be as ready as the woman they, er, feel obligated to. It’s sort of a hearts, minds, and anatomy thing…
For over forty years the dues-payers have been left minding the horses while the party’s masters (and mistresses) have been running and enjoying the real party while tossing off crumbs to those who have loyally supported them by voting almost unanimously for every Democrat on the ticket. All the while the people of pallor in charge have tried to find ways to qualify those from south of the border — the folks taking the jobs of the darker loyalists who do speak English — to vote for every durn Democrat on the ticket.
This is all truly remarkable and funny, but in a sad way.
I’ve never forgiven Ariail for making fun of Deadheads a day or so after Jerry Garcia died. “Now I guess we’ll have to get a life,” or some such nonsense. Cruel and inappropriate. His opinions, along with two shiny quarters, gets me a refill of coffee down at Adriana’s, but not much else.
After many listens to Jemeel Moondoc’s “Revolt of The Negro Lawn Jockeys”,I’d assumed they were all black.Although not as obese,that lawn jockey looks more like Jake Knotts.
While whites play a game of racial amnesia the blacks haven’t learned how to play yet. They will find the cartoon offensive. In there belief system they haven’t as a group accepted the possibiliy of a black man being president. While Bill and Hillary were not being overtly racist, they were implying that a black man cannot be president so we are all you people have. If, you don’t vote for us one of those evil white men from the GOP will win and you will suffer for it. It would have been the same if Obama had been Latino or anything else. To the Clinton’s anyone who opposes their lust for power is an enemy and fair game any dirty trick they can dream up. They have been on the public dole most of their lives they have used anyone and everyone to achieve their goals.
Although I don’t agree with his formula to fix the country’s ills, Barrack Obama is a geniune nice guy. He is a starry eyed idealist who believes what he is saying. He is also the worst nightmare the limo-liberals have ever encountered. His candicacy is a direct threat to the race baiters in the democratic party. What would Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson do if he were elected?
I personally think it’s pretty funny, but I’m not sure a majority of people actually get it.
Pro and con considered with respect to Robert Ariail, here’s my verdict:
PRO.
If every State employee had as much talent as Mr. Ariail, subscriptions would sell for $1,000 a month.
You may not always agree with him, but he ALWAYS makes his point.
sure run it…as long as he runs another cartoon depicting republicans in klan robes with red ties on…sure run it…or maybe he can draw one up with laura bush killing a fellow student after running a red light while in college…or one of rush limbaugh with a pimple on his arse getting out of the vietnam war…or maybe one with president bush attending a soldiers funeral…or maybe one of drunk cheney shooting a man in the face…or how about one of laura bush reffering to hurricane katrina as hurricane “edwina”…of course that would defeat his mission in life..