Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for January 07, 2024

  1. Img 0910
    BE THIS GUY  12 months ago

    Discouraging people not to vote can be an effective strategy.

     •  Reply
  2. Ding a ling
    BasilBruce  12 months ago

    And that’s why no one has heard of an honest politician.

     •  Reply
  3. Aoh14ggnpr0bjht13a1u9vlhky2idrnlstoohaw9irxd=s96 c
    DanielRyanMulligan1  12 months ago

    And the truth shall set you free…or trap you, I always forget which…Dan aka…

     •  Reply
  4. The rat
    Ratkin Premium Member 12 months ago

    Ironically those PACs are called super

     •  Reply
  5. Dragon
    Asharah  12 months ago

    At least he’s honest about it.

     •  Reply
  6. Plsa button
    Richard S Russell Premium Member 12 months ago

    Corporations are people. Free spending is free speech. The Subprime Court said so in Citizens United, so it must be true.

     •  Reply
  7. Bluedog
    Bilan  12 months ago

    And we now finally have a Super PAC Rat.

     •  Reply
  8. Zooey girl
    ronaldspence  12 months ago

    enter poor leave rich…

     •  Reply
  9. Unnamed3
    minty_Joe  12 months ago

    I’ve already got my presidential candidate picked for Election Day. We’ll just have to see what happens afterwards.

     •  Reply
  10. Img 1931
    Sanspareil  12 months ago

    Rat’s predicament is sad but Soooooo true!

     •  Reply
  11. Missing large
    priyansh.jeziel  12 months ago

    You have to admit, he hit the nail on the head by admitting how “representative democracy” really works.

     •  Reply
  12. 20071112 einstein
    hariseldon59  12 months ago

    Living in a Ratocracy.

     •  Reply
  13. Tumble
    Keno21  12 months ago

    Let us face it; if voting actually changed anything, it would be illegal.

     •  Reply
  14. 1628996 t1
    enigmamz  12 months ago

    “Know your role and shut your mouth!”

     •  Reply
  15. Noodleman 2  2
    Cornelius Noodleman  12 months ago

    Blue cups!

     •  Reply
  16. Missing large
    cracker65  12 months ago

    Slavery never ended.

     •  Reply
  17. Img 1861
    Zykoic  12 months ago

    True but so very sad…….

     •  Reply
  18. Missing large
    tonypezzano  12 months ago

    He did.

     •  Reply
  19. Avatar tmp 56884 thumb
    orinoco womble  12 months ago

    Tis true, tis pity—and pity tis, tis true. (Shakespeare)

     •  Reply
  20. Large 1699141985732
    shanen0  12 months ago

    Freedom is so annoying. You have to work at it. Stuff like learning what your options are and thinking about what the best decision is.

    About 30% of most populations are “authoritarian followers”. Those are the hard-core who always want to be told what to do and what to think. Usually they aren’t going in the same direction, but sometimes they find a leader, and there are always a few wannabe dictators running for that job. When they do get moving the same way, then it gets dangerous because they can put pressure on the “soft” followers who can be sucked or pressured into joining the mob and the entire country can go down the toilet. Many historical examples, so pick your favorite.

    And try not to weep for the future of America. Happy new year? Not so much.

     •  Reply
  21. Purplepeopleeater small
    Purple People Eater  12 months ago

    An honest politician? When did that last happen?

     •  Reply
  22. Ellis archer profile
    Ellis97  12 months ago

    Running for office is the perfect ambition for someone like Rat.

     •  Reply
  23. Img 20230511 134023590 portrait 5
    markkahler52  12 months ago

    Rat, you’re off the ticket in Colorado and Maine (so far)

     •  Reply
  24. Fox picture avatar  2
    phritzg Premium Member 12 months ago

    Super Pacs remind me of the rent-to-own industry’s customers. They make periodic payments to politicians to get the use of them, and eventually they own them.

     •  Reply
  25. Rays
    TampaFanatic1  12 months ago

    Good one Pastis!

     •  Reply
  26. Huckandfish
    Huckleberry Hiroshima  12 months ago

    It has not been a democracy for quite some time.

     •  Reply
  27. Profilepic yellowwarbler
    Squoop  12 months ago

    Gotta give him points for honesty.

     •  Reply
  28. Missing large
    jbmlaw01  12 months ago

    I never vote for anyone. I vote against the stupider policies. Generally an easy choice.

     •  Reply
  29. Missing large
    Egrayjames  12 months ago

    It only hurts when I vote!

     •  Reply
  30. Chief wahoo
    aerotica69  12 months ago

    The pols have started early this season – I have already ignored seven “spam risk” calls.

     •  Reply
  31. Rip01 copy
    Hamady Sack Premium Member 12 months ago

    All hail the ruling class.

     •  Reply
  32. Image
    diskus Premium Member 12 months ago

    Free speech is very pricey

     •  Reply
  33. Missing large
    Anters55  12 months ago

    Small but important technical difference: we live in a Constitutional Republic – not a democracy.

     •  Reply
  34. Boston
    MS72  12 months ago

    Lots don’t vote. In 2016, Donald J. Trump won the Electoral College with 304 votes compared to 227 votes for Hillary Clinton. It’s not the fault of the E.C.

     •  Reply
  35. Missing large
    KageKat  12 months ago

    I fully expected the guy to stuff Rat into his hat.

     •  Reply
  36. Ignatz
    Ignatz Premium Member 12 months ago

    The Supreme Court made bribery legal. What could go wrong?

     •  Reply
  37. Barbarian 01
    NaGrom Premium Member 12 months ago

    Give people the right not to vote and they’ll take it.

     •  Reply
  38. Nollanav
    DaBump Premium Member 12 months ago

    Theoretically, no one rich group is going to be successful putting up a candidate who will secretly work to support some agenda of theirs which doesn’t match a large number of average (poor and not rich) citizens. The super-PACS are generally pretty open about what they are pushing for. Part of the problem was politicians making a career out of it for the love of money and/or power. The big problem we have today is that we don’t have the same basis for deciding what’s good and what’s evil anymore.

     •  Reply
  39. 20140720 164226
    harbormoon  12 months ago

    Never has a comic strip more accurately reflected the reality of American politics

     •  Reply
  40. Missing large
    jtburgess Premium Member 12 months ago

    Sad to say, but I think Rat got it right.

     •  Reply
  41. Missing large
    sams1960 Premium Member 12 months ago

    Nailed it!

     •  Reply
  42. Missing large
    asmbeers  12 months ago

    The USA is a Republic. it was never formed as a Democracy. Free States and the 10th Amendment are not allowed in a Democracy. And no, it is not immaterial, but the exact opposite. Steve should have paid attention is school.

     •  Reply
  43. Th 9
    Count Olaf Premium Member 12 months ago

    Rat had The Count’s vote at the first panel and sealed the deal with the last. Bonus points for not needing to be led offstage by his wife or caught from wandering off from the airplane by some guy in a uniform.

     •  Reply
  44. Lifi
    rossevrymn  12 months ago

    I cannot see how anyone could see a single remnant of politics in this piece……….Pearls Before Swine Politics Police?:

     •  Reply
  45. Missing large
    Gerard Cannie Premium Member 12 months ago

    This certainly reflects my feelings about the current election cycle. All the politicians have great plans to help everyone but me. Of course, my taxes will have to go up to pay for it.

     •  Reply
  46. Missing large
    Dom999  12 months ago

    senators don’t represent people, they represent states. the house members represent people, well, supposedly they do.

     •  Reply
  47. 96480   copy  2
    Goat from PBS  12 months ago

    I don’t want to do my part in… politicians.

     •  Reply
  48. Louis2
    PoodleGroomer  12 months ago

    Election campaigns no longer represent the populace. We need to tax lobbyists $34 trillion to pay off the national debt.

     •  Reply
  49. Fe9a6b5e df21 4f3a bf55 4590a5295ee7
    ajr58(1)  12 months ago

    Just decide to run in a different district than you currently represent <Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beatle…..>

     •  Reply
  50. Helmet
    xSigoff Premium Member 12 months ago

    Again: we don’t live in a Democracy; it is a Representative Republic. Greece tried Democracy all those centuries ago, and it failed miserably. Since then no one has tried it. We call it Democracy but that is just for PR.

     •  Reply
  51. Humphrey the bear
    Spence12 Premium Member 12 months ago

    Democracy is majority rule which the US DOES NOT HAVE. If majority ruled, our entire country would be ruled by the will of L.A. and a few other major Democrat-governed cities. The votes of millions across the “fly-over” country would useless. So we have a representative republic, like xSigoff said above. We gotta stop allowing the media to claim it’s all majority rule. If that were true, Hillary would’ve been president and maybe Al Gore before her. But they weren’t.

     •  Reply
  52. Edb4beaa 19ab 437d a460 cf4fba2a5e74
    syzygy47  12 months ago

    It reads as if Rat has encountered the L’il Abner “bald Iggle”, a bird who’s gaze compels people to tell the truth and ended up having the politicians having them killed or deported, I forget. Need to crack open my Frazetta hardcover.

     •  Reply
  53. Cave cat
    CaveCat87  12 months ago

    Rat, what you’re doing is the opposite of democracy.

     •  Reply
  54. 1djojn
    RobinHood  12 months ago

    Telling the truth is not appreciated that much now.

     •  Reply
  55. Img 1561
    Zebrastripes  12 months ago

    Crooked, evil, lies

    VOTE THE GARBAGE O. U. T. !

     •  Reply
  56. Missing large
    Otis Rufus Driftwood  12 months ago

    Why truth in advertising laws need to be applied to political campaigns. Also, we need to seriously reconsider campaign donations as speech..

     •  Reply
  57. Missing large
    kwstorer  12 months ago

    This sums it up perfectly on all politicians.

     •  Reply
  58. 250
    ladykat  12 months ago

    You talked too much, Rat.

     •  Reply
  59. Missing large
    kevinclark  12 months ago

    Rat would make a terrible senator. And regardless of who gives who money, everyone still gets to vote. They can elect whoever they want. Mike Bloomberg had by far the most money in 2020 and his campaign went nowhere.

     •  Reply
  60. Missing large
    dadlivonia  12 months ago

    Honesty in politicians?? A sign of the apocalypse

     •  Reply
  61. Img 0041
    Dapperdan61  Premium Member 12 months ago

    Rats first mistake was being honest. He needs to learn to lie like every other politician

     •  Reply
  62. Missing large
    apoch003  12 months ago

    I really hated when Reagan admin allowed lobbying etc. in government. Or that no one is stopping the congressional insider trading that Pelosi is so easily getting away with.

     •  Reply
  63. Greg backlit
    mindjob  12 months ago

    Wearing a flag hat just hides how you really feel

     •  Reply
  64. Missing large
    wellis1947 Premium Member 12 months ago

    Seeing “politics” laid out so barely makes me almost wish for more in the line of Trump’s blatant narcissism and self-aggrandizement and his complete disregard for anyone other than himself – almost.

     •  Reply
  65. Rodney dangerfield
    It's Not Easy Bein' Me  12 months ago

    Old Joe never met a war or a defense contractor he didn’t like!

     •  Reply
  66. Dr horrible pinkraygun
    cupertino jay  12 months ago

    maany years ago i did a precinct GetOutTheVote thing, discovering it’s hard

     •  Reply
  67. Nowyoulisten
    zeexenon  12 months ago

    Mr. Good Citizen must be living the life of Riley in our Trickle-Down Economy.

     •  Reply
  68. 7553c0eb fe60 48a8 a4b6 2f89cdbcf5ac
    RonnieAThompson Premium Member 12 months ago

    TFG loves power, too. And money.

     •  Reply
  69. 750a5be89e5492a6a79cdd5442eb47d9371b0b836689298121981f62979e5eac
    hooglah  12 months ago

    If only politicians told the truth.

     •  Reply
  70. Avatar92
    JPuzzleWhiz  12 months ago

    “Some people just don’t want to do their part in a democracy.”

    They’re called “Trumpers”!

     •  Reply
  71. Screenshot 20180802 120401 samsung internet
    Kurtass  12 months ago

    Hi, I’m a Supreme Court Justice and I need funds to live a lavish lifestyle…..

     •  Reply
  72. Missing large
    smalleychris880  12 months ago

    at least someone got it right !

     •  Reply
  73. Missing large
    Carl Rennhack Premium Member 12 months ago

    Is Rat a RAT-publican or a Demo-RAT?!?

     •  Reply
  74. Americanflag
    Honda0203 Premium Member 12 months ago

    Lets address the incorrect statement said “DEMOCRACY”. The United States is a constitutional republic. People who relish power want you to believe its a democracy, which is always failed socialism!! In a “democracy” they don’t care if you vote either way.

     •  Reply
  75. Missing large
    elgrecousa Premium Member 12 months ago

    A good cartoon strip is based on some kind of surprise. This one hits you over the head with an 8×64.

     •  Reply
  76. 6892211ffa124d5d1e5f7ae1bbce02db  pearls google images
    _lounger_  12 months ago

    way too much information, Rat

     •  Reply
  77. Img 0634
    Beowulf 406 Premium Member 12 months ago

    Truth isn’t funny. Where’s the gag.

     •  Reply
  78. Missing large
    sisterea  12 months ago

    In the house of representatives there are only about 30 seats that are not foregone conclusions for one party or the other because of gerrymandering. In the 2022 election my state of NC voted from fairly drawn maps for the first time in decades and it was a 7 7 split reflecting the politics of the state. Republicans with a super majority in the legislature and on the court have once again gerrymandered the maps this year it will likely be 11-3. This is not representation when people pick their voters they absolutely owe them nothing and treat them accordingly.

     •  Reply
  79. Missing large
    John Jorgensen  12 months ago

    Makes you wonder if the right has been deliberately making participatory democracy as unattractive as possible so we won’t mind when they destroy it altogether.

     •  Reply
  80. Img 7270
    eladee AKA Wally  12 months ago

    Is it any wonder why they don’t?

     •  Reply
  81. Photo
    AndrewSihler  12 months ago

    Strange. What man could resist such blandishments?

     •  Reply
  82. Amazing fox photos 25
    eddi-TBH  12 months ago

    Does winning with 55% of the popular vote count as a landslide if only 10% of the voters actually cast ballots?

     •  Reply
  83. Missing large
    morgankhat  12 months ago

    Geez, they can’t be any worse than the Dumbocrats.

     •  Reply
  84. Missing large
    Solarist  12 months ago

    We’re not a democracy.

     •  Reply
  85. Missing large
    ericandjan1  12 months ago

    The problem with our nation’s politics in one cartoon!

     •  Reply
  86. T rump2
    ira.crank  12 months ago

    I knew the word “democracy” would bring out the constitutional experts. If you substitute it with “republic”, the comic still gets its point across.

     •  Reply
  87. Image001
    dogday Premium Member 12 months ago

    And that is the best 21st century civics lesson you’re likely ever to get.

     •  Reply
  88. Missing large
    Cathy P.  12 months ago

    U.S.A. Is not s democracy. We are a Constitutional Republic. There is a huge difference!

     •  Reply
  89. Thinker
    Sisyphos  12 months ago

    Rat’s problem is that he’s trying to be a politician and to tell the truth at the same time. That does not work!

     •  Reply
  90. Missing large
    alantain  10 months ago

    Is going from president to senator something of a demotion?

     •  Reply
Sign in to comment

More From Pearls Before Swine