GOP struggle

     In this cartoon, all of the five characters are Republicans.  All are stacked on each other, similar to a todem pole.  Newt Gingrich is on the top, followed by Donald Trump, Michelled Bachman, Mitt Romney and a fifth character whos name is difficult to transcribe.  Their goal as a team is to reach the microphone behind the podium that is named, "2012 Presidential Material".  Once they can speak into the microphone, if they ever elevate to that plateu, then they can give their party platform or atleast the objectives of the Republican Party.  However this group is most likely a variance from the true conservative values of the GOP.  The current problem is that their stack falls short, they do not have the length to acheive their goal at the final moment, but Gingrich shows hope.  He is the only one that is optimistic.  Gingrich adds that there is a posibility as long as their tower remains straigth.  The ideological perspective is more of a liberal slant.  A conservative voter would be confident that a republican candidate will eventually stick out from the mix, but this cartoon depicts candidates and their counterparts in a situation that is unsturdy.  It is a huge obstacle to rise to this height, and a dilemma of choosing a consistent candidate to represent the GOP.  One irony from the cartoon is that the heaviest man is on the top.  Newt Gingrich had his name on the spotlight, but for this exercise his mass belongs on the bottom of the structure.  Gingrich must be switched out of order, but no matter who the person on the top of the pack, it is not likely that they will reach the microphone to share their insights on becoming president.  If they cannot get the presidential material, their shot at becoming the next president is slim.

 
The title, "A Rising Tide Sinks All GOP Boats," encompasses the whole picture of the cartoon.  The three republican nominee hopefuls all have their own personall rowboat and are under water falling to the bottom.  Romney and Santorum are not blown out of proportion, but Gingrich is an overweight man is a seemingly smaller vessel.  Fish are staring at these strange creatures.  On the surface of the wavy water the word "economy" is written.  The message overall is that the GOP candidates are loosing ground.  If the economy keeps on improving, then president Obama looks more accomplished and succesful in his original goal of boosting the economy and bringing it out of the recession.  Furthermore, the Republicans cannot attack Obama as much in the general election debates when the time comes.  The ideological slant is definitely liberal because most Republicans would say that Obama has led a failed presidency, and that it is his fault that the economy is so low, and any positive effect is merely recovering what the incumbent caused.  One source of irony is the facial expression of the fish.  They can be seen as conservative citizens who are dissapointed in them.  They are giving the men blank stares and show no disbelief in their current situation.  This cartoon shows that the GOP is not happy with any of these candidates and it is apparent if a clear front runner does not arise then there is little hope of defeating Obama.