Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for October 18, 2008

What – the only reason he wants to vote is because Obama can shoot hoops?   Oh yes, we’re going to get change all rightie! Oy!

Which reminds me – is this kid really the kind of moron we want voting? Just asking!

There are plenty of morons that vote right now, why is this one any different?

The kid would be better off if he jsut followed Uncle Dukes Lead.

Lets see: UncaAlby-It’s a better reason than many. If he votes this year for a stupid reason, maybe next time he’ll vote for a better reason. I don’t recall being a very well informed voter myself when I was 20 or whatever the kid is supposed to be.

UncaAlby says- Tell me why everybody got all bent out of shape when Biden referred to Obama as articulate – ??

You didnt catch Obama saying anything about it. The only ones who complained were the mainstream media. Obama is articulate, why would he complain when someone compliments him on it? Which is what Biden was doing.

He also said Obama was “clean”!

UncaAlba, Dypak: you could, i dunno, look up ‘articulate black’ in Google and find out.

Dypak says:

UncaAlby says- “Tell me why everybody got all bent out of shape when Biden referred to Obama as articulate – ??”   You didnt catch Obama saying anything about it.   Nor would I expect to catch Obama saying anything about his playing basketball – which is hardly the point, now is it?

cfortunato says:

The Republicans are just jealous because they support people like Bush and Palin, who AREN’T articulate.   And what exactly do you base this ad hominem attack on?

Regarding Morons who Vote:   No, I’m sorry, if you haven’t got the sense and the initiative to do your due diligence and learn the issues, what the candidates say about the issues, what the candidates have done about the issues, then YOU SHOULD NOT VOTE.   Yes, I know many people have voted for things worse than which candidate can shoot hoops. That’s the problem! We have bright, intelligent people out there doing their homework who’s votes are canceled out by morons who are worse than flipping coins.   This is why we have a government that trashes all over our rights and treats the citizenry like ignorant peasants. We act like ignorant peasants, and vote for people based on completely irrelevant minutia – like who can sink hoops – who has a nice smile – etc.

Why would anyone want to vote for someone (Obama) who wants to give our social security away to illegal aliens and whose financial advisers are the guys oops I mean thieves that ran and ruined FannieMae and Freddie Mac. Look it up.

The day of the Stock Market crash I visited a co-worker friend in his 50’s, and as he picked up the newspaper from his driveway the first page He flipped through was the Sports page, even though the front page was proclaiming the end of the world…..

Obama’s is out-advertising McCain 4-1, (there ought to be a law)and I’m afraid Life is going to get ‘seriously’ bad, before it gets better… if we survive.

You should always vote, even if someone else calls you a moron. It’s not only your right, it’s your responsibility. I look around and I see many people on both sides I consider morons. Doesnt mean I dont think they should vote. I’d much rather they vote intelligently and informed. But if they can’t do they they still need to vote. Because once they stop voting entirely it’ll be impossible to get them to start again. And there are too many people out there that that is what they want. They want people to just think it doesnt matter and to quit voting. And that would be a bad thing indeed.

Dypak says:

You should always vote, even if someone else calls you a moron. It’s not only your right, it’s your responsibility   IF YOU HAVE NOT EDUCATED YOURSELF ON THE ISSUES, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO NOT VOTE.   When I call someone a “moron” in this context, I obviously don’t mean a “literal moron”. I mean someone who’s more interested in who wins American Idol than the US presidential race.   Because once they stop voting entirely it’ll be impossible to get them to start again.   If they never educate themselves on the issues, then good for them.   Bottom line, I do not want people voting based on looks, personality, shooting hoops, war hero status, nice glasses, ETC. We have too much of that.   I forget which talk show host did it, but he would do those “Man in the Street” interviews that are so popular with the media. But he’d ask them questions like, “Who’s the Vice President?” “Who’s the Secretary of State?” It is absolutely shocking how many of these people didn’t know – and they still won’t know when they go vote.   No, we don’t want that. We don’t want morons voting. Please, you can be the most brilliant brain surgeon or rocket scientist that ever lived, but if you have no clue what’s going on outside your little niche expertise, stay out of the voting booth.

– and btw – once a person does educate himself on the issues, he most probably will WANT to vote, so this “problem” of somebody never wanting to start once they stop is moot.

cfortunato says:

“And what exactly do you base this ad hominem attack on?”

On the fact that Republicans support people like Bush and Palin, who aren’t articulate.   Duh.   Oh, we have a “Duh” moment now.   So I guess the “Duh” moment that was lost on you is why you think they are inarticulate? I mean other than your own projection?

yes, because Republicans have never lied to manipulatively appeal to one’s demographic to get them to register to vote… omg. chill out. it’s a comic strip. satire. s-a-t-i-r-e.

cfortunato said yesterday:

He drew Bill Clinton as a WAFFLE.   Not impressed. He drew Clinton as a waffle because he wasn’t liberal enough for Trudeau’s taste. Clinton moved too far to the center in order get elected.   Trudeau is largely left-wing,   Largely? You’re joking, right? Trudeau is “largely” left-wing the way Ann Coulter is “largely” right-wing.   but he skewers anyone in power, and gives nobody a free pass.   Tell me this when he skewers Obama and his financial aides, who helped run Fannie and Freddie into the toilet. So far, the only people he’s blamed for the current fiasco have been Republicans.   This isn’t Mallard Fillmore, where [author Bruce Tinsley] consults RNC Talking Points to decide what to right [sic] about, and NEVER criticizes a Republican   Clearly, as I have been accused, you have not been keeping up. Tinsley criticizes McCain all the time. Therefore, I tend to doubt that he consults with RNC.

xim9 says:

chill out. it’s a comic strip.   Meaning what? I’m not supposed to criticize him? Sorry, that boat don’t float. Doonesbury is “just a comic strip” the way Rush Limbaugh is “just a radio entertainer.”

It’s meant to be cynically funny.

OOO The Messiah shoots hoops? If you touch the basketball, it will heal you!!!

I don’t think anybody today can call themselves an informed voter. Yes, voters like me, probably UncaAlby, and others watch, listen to, and read from a certain set of news sources about the candidates. But the problem is all of these different sources don’t always jive, and often they don’t. Thus, we the voters are left to choose the sources that we have faith will give us the most “truthful” version of reality. We can go to primary sources, such as votes for bills and floor speeches, if you can get your hands on them. But we often rely on corporate news to do this for us. The problem is, as evidenced by the bantering seen in the comments here and with other political cartoons on GoComics, is that we are all not basing our decisions upon the same reality. This is the trials and tribulations of a partisan media (although all of them claim not to be). And as a result we end up calling each other morons or worse because people disagree with us. So are we, the “informed voter,” really any better off than the kid portrayed in Doonesbury?

cfortunato says:

Why do I think they’re inarticulate?

Because they DON’T SPEAK WELL.

OBVIOUSLY.   Ah yes, OBVIOUSLY, of course. From what I’ve heard, they speak well enough for public discourse, so I suppose it’s not “obvious” to everybody. I imagine you’ve heard some examples of inarticulate speech that I haven’t heard. Care to share?

cfortunato says:

I DO love how a worldwide financial collapse is suddenly all BARACK OBAMA’S fault.   DO you now? Tell me, who said it was all Obama’s fault?   He certainly isn’t blameless, and certainly Republicans aren’t blameless either. But why is it we never hear anything in the media about the role Obama and his cronies did play in this fiasco?

junk14850 says:

It’s meant to be cynically funny.   And Trudeau is quite successful at that. His strips actually are funny. Cynically funny. From a Far Left perspective of course, but nevertheless funny.   So I’ll ask again: does this mean we’re not supposed to criticize him?

Just Some of What Defines Barack Obama: He voted for partial birth abortion.

He voted no on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. Supports affirmative action in Colleges and Government (quotas)..

In 2001 he questioned harsh penalties for drug dealing as being too severe. Says he will deal with street level drug dealing as minimum wage affair.

Admitted his use of marijuana and cocaine in high school and in college. His religious convictions are very murky. He is willing to meet with Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Kim Jung Il and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Has said that one of his first goals after being elected would be to have a conference with all Muslim Nations

Opposed the Patriot Act.

First bill he signed that was ever passed was campaign finance reform.

Voted to allow law suits against gun manufacturers.

Supports universal health-care.

Voted yes on providing habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees.

Supports granting driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.

Supports extending welfare to illegal immigrants.

Voted yes on comprehensive immigration reform.

Voted yes on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security.

Wants to make the minimum wage a ‘living wage’.

Voted with Democratic Party 96 percent of 251 votes. (241 votes Demo, 10 votes Republican)

Is a big believer in the separation of church and state.

Opposed to any efforts to Privatize Social Security and instead supports increasing the amount of tax paid into Soc. Sec. [Tax Increase.] He voted No on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax which now hits the middle income brackets

He voted No on repealing the ‘Death’ Tax. [Tax Increase.]

He wants to raise the Capital Gains Tax. [Tax Increase.] Has repeatedly said the surge in Iraq has not succeeded…which is not true.

He is ranked as the most liberal Senator in the Senate today and that takes some doing..

CourageCD says: I don’t think anybody today can call themselves an informed voter.   No information is complete or completely accurate — but if you’re going to cop-out like that, then I will insist that you don’t vote.   But the problem is all of these different sources don’t always jive, and often they don’t.   They actually jibe pretty well. It’s just that some sources will leave out certain information. If you can show me some information from one source that contradicts the information from another, then you may have a point. I have not found that to be the case. It’s more like you have to fit the puzzle pieces together to get a complete picture.   For example, the mainstream media will not tell you that Obama has the most liberal voting record of the entire Senate. Why not? Well, generally speaking, for them being “liberal” is “normal.” More government, more regulation, more taxes, is their usual mantra. Other sources will tell you that — and for me, I don’t need any further information on the man, although, as I hear more and more, I want to vote for him less and less.   So are we, the “informed voter,” really any better off than the kid portrayed in Doonesbury?   If you want to tell me that your opinion is no better informed than that kid portrayed in Doonesbury, PLEASE tell me you’re staying home Nov 4.   Do not underestimate the damage that can be done to this nation, that has already been done, by hoards of people going into the voting booths and having utterly no clue what they’re voting about. I don’t expect everybody to drop their normal duties to study up on all the issues like they’re studying for a PhD in voting — but they must know something. This responsibility is too important to take so lightly.   There has been criticism that “Joe the Plumber” doesn’t have a plumber’s license. Oh? That’s important? Why do people want a fellow to have a license before being allowed to fix a leaky toilet? What’s the big deal? Well, part of the idea is for the plumber to demonstrate that he knows what he’s doing.   So why is it more important for a plumber to know what he’s doing than a voter? The worst the plumber is going to do is flood your house with smelly waste, which can be fixed later by a more competent plumber. Ignorant voters can cause damage to the nation that will take decades to undo.

Joe the plumber said he was in the position to buy a plumbing company. First you don’t need to be a licensed plumber to run or own a plumbing co. Now with Joe the Plumber aside. Suppose you owned a plumbing co.And you hired 4 licensed plumbers to work for you,each making conservatively 60 grand a year,that’s $240,000.Not counting rent or trucks or supplies and materials just to run a plumbing co.And Obama wants to tax this because it’s over a quarter of a million.How is the small business man supposed to make it.

WickedCrazy says:

How is the small business man supposed to make it.   Outsource.   Try to slide by “off the books.”   That’s one of the reasons why tax revenue tends to go up when the rates go down. It’s a minor paradox that many on the left refuse to understand. Not only does investment go up because there’s less tax penalty, creating more taxable income, but it becomes less appealing to work “off the books.” It’s not worth the risk for a smaller gain. So when people own up to the taxes they owe, it adds up to more revenues.   Raising taxes not only discourages investment, choking off taxable income, it drives people underground, further choking off taxable income. If we could get Obama to understand this one point, and actually implement it into policy, he might prove to be a barely acceptable president.

Give Duke the “Football”

I’m not nearly as concerned about silly persons voting as I am worried that they will continue to breed more like themselves. Quod erat demonstrandum.