What They Did
January 12th, 2012 | Editorial Cartoons | 2 Comments
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Every once in a while, we cartoonists find a happy accidental convergence that makes for a fun cartoon. I came up with Romney’s line first, and the other two just fell into place. The historical irony here is that Al Gore never actually claimed to have invented the internet. He rightly took credit for his role in the Senate in establishing the governmental groundwork that allowed the internet to flourish; this got twisted by his opponents into the exaggerated claim that he was solely responsible. Mitt Romney, on the other hand, DID put into place the Massachusetts health care reform that was the basis for Obama’s health care plan.
Topics: 2012 election, Al Gore, campaign, candidates, cartoon, John Kerry, Mitt Romney, opinion, primaries
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This cartoon greatly annoys me. First, because it contributes to the echo chamber that continues to resound with this lie about Al Gore. Second, because it implies that changing one’s mind, even in the face of new evidence, is evidence of a character flaw. Do you really want George Bush back?
The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water, & breeds reptiles of the mind. – William Blake
I tend to think commenters not actually bothering to read before judging (re: Gore) and then making fairly shallow claims about mind-changing contributes more to the echo chamber.
Let me ask you a question: why did Kerry change his mind? Why did Romney change his mind? The answers to those questions underscore the difference between changing one’s mind in the face of new evidence, and changing one’s mind in order to be elected.
The point of the cartoon, as the author’s commentary that you failed to read demonstrates, is to explore the historical resonance of the current political climate.