Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for July 12, 2012
Transcript:
Rat: Are you a democrat or a republican? Goat: Neither. I really prefer some of the fringe parties. I just wish more people wanted to join me. Pig: I would love to come to your fringe party!! Goat: please sit down, Pig. Rat: You know, his vote counts the same as yours. Pig: Will there be music at your fringe party.
Templo S.U.D. over 12 years ago
If Goat said he were of the Whig party, Pig would come with a toupée.
chireef over 12 years ago
clearly he is from the no- nothing party
Stan King over 12 years ago
The ultimate comment of despair: “You know his vote counts the same as yours.”
Sherlock Watson over 12 years ago
When Howard the Duck ran for president in ’76, he was with the All Night Party.
Sisyphos over 12 years ago
Rat’s final comment has cut me to the quick! We have too many voters who know nothing about the candidates or issues, sadly, regardless of party.
Phatts over 12 years ago
Goat, you don’t really want more people to join you. It wouldn’t be “fringe” anymore if that happened.Then they’d just go cause as much trouble as the Republicrats and Demopublicans cause now.
guitarmutt over 12 years ago
Give Pig a coonskin cap and a seat in congress. might not help, can’t hurt more. At least pig cares. He has heart which must count for something!
orinoco womble over 12 years ago
Pig goes Beyond the Fringe!! (only the UK contingent will get that…)
knight1192a over 12 years ago
Maybe Goat claims to be a part of the Rent Is Too Damn High Party. It’s a real party, but only in NY. Or maybe he’s into the Prohibition Party. It still exists but since ‘33 it hasn’t been that big a deal.
Hillbillyman over 12 years ago
Not touching this one..
Kingoswald Premium Member over 12 years ago
Saywhatdid
Sadly, you speak the truth.
Humankind has always and will always organise itself into cliques, parties and factions. Look at Christianity, for example.
All we can do is pay our money, take our choice and be a participant rather than a passive follower.
Alexthen over 12 years ago
I love the species in this strip. He’ll get your goat. What a pig. Don’t be a rat. There’s lots more with these 3 animals.
jmartin1955 over 12 years ago
I’m find myself being goat this time.
Purple Morpho 2015 over 12 years ago
Dang, you get a big reaction when one writes about politics…
cork over 12 years ago
Let’s see, gay, Hispanic, teacher in an inner city high school, orphaned and raised on SS survivor benefits, Humanist, and agnostic. From where I stand “both sides are the same” is a bunch of mierda. One side would rather I didn’t exist and will do all they can to make out so.
rolleg over 12 years ago
Hey, Pig: what’s this? Beer for breakfast? Can’t possibly get fringier than that.
the burser over 12 years ago
i’d land about fringeas for democrats and republicans there both idiots…….at least the republicans are trying though (no offence intended just stating how it seems)
pfantom58 over 12 years ago
Explains the Tea Party, but did someone just actually try to claim that the party that says NO is trying to do something?
Reppr Premium Member over 12 years ago
Wow. A visual pun. A new low. OK, not so new. Love it anyway.As for the rest, too many people vote with their heart and not their head. Fixing an individual situation can mess up a lot of others (See: Law of Unintended Consequences). At least the Tea Party knows that this country is broke and you can’t fix that sad situation by shoveling money out the door.
nyoha over 12 years ago
Pig with beer? Haven’t seen that since his trip to the “vacation resort.”
Defective Premium Member over 12 years ago
That last panel captures it the best. No matter how well informed I am, no matter what I do, or what I say, it won’t matter. Because there are a thousand people to my one that vote stupid. We will never get the masses to vote for an off party. People are willfully ignorant. And they really don’t care.
Potrzebie over 12 years ago
Maybe in the future the fringe parties will have the advertising power of the big parties and will get rid of them. I wish we had a PIrate party like the Germans do.
bmonk over 12 years ago
Hmmm. A fringe party might be a good thing.
A Fridge party could be better.
Let’s hear it for Parties!!!
+++++
Especially if they have some good fringe music groups playing.
phlash over 12 years ago
At least Pig didn’t show up dressed as John Noble
Number Three over 12 years ago
Awwwww! Pig looks so adorable in the last panel.
xxx
underwriter over 12 years ago
Hear, hear. Trusted Mechanic, you explained that very well, not that you don’t always, but this one seemed particularly good.
Snoopy_Fan over 12 years ago
Some people think the Tea Party is an actual political party. Just a reminder that it is not. Although I am not active in the Tea Party movement and don’t agree with everything they say or do, I do admire their original intent to hold government accountable to the people. The government exists to protect its people and their rights; NOT to build a bigger, more influential government. “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
mld1812 over 12 years ago
I use a spinner to decide who to vote for…and my vote counts the same as yoursMWAHAHAHAHA
cdgar over 12 years ago
Poor Pig, that’s what he gets for drinking beer. It makes you stupid.
Snoopy_Fan over 12 years ago
“To claim the tea-party ever had altruistic goals is uninformed, willfully or not.”
I respectfully disagree. It’s easy to blanket a whole group disparingly, especially when you disagree with their goals. As government has increased, more new taxes have been imposed on the people. The Tea Party is not against taxes and certainly not against the basic needs those taxes pay for, such as the ones you mention. They have been against more and more taxes used to pay for MORE programs which require a BIGGER government to run those programs. As I said before, I don’t always agree with what they say or do. But in its earliest times, it fought against such policies as spending money to bail out the big corporations, sending money overseas instead of spending money at home, and expanding government bureaucracy. While it is true that SOME say that the Koch brothers had a hand in fostering the movement, the Tea Party began as a grassroots effort to limit government regulation and intrusion.
From Wikipedia:“The Tea Party movement is an American political movement that supports the United States Constitution, adherence to an originalist interpretation of the United States Constitution, reduced government spending, reducing taxes, and reduction of the national debt and federal budget deficit. The movement is generally considered to be conservative, libertarian, and populist. The movement has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009.”
Snoopy_Fan over 12 years ago
♪♫♪♫♪♫
There’s a party going on right here
a celebration to last troughout the years.
So bring your good times and your laughtertoo
we’re gonna celebrate your party with you !
Come on now
celebration
let’s all celebrate and have a good time
celebration
we go celebrate and have a good time.
It’s time to come together
it’s up to you
what’s your pleasure
everyone around the world
come on
Yahoo!
Yahoo!
celebrate good times
come on
♪♫♪♫♪♫
sandigilbo over 12 years ago
Some intelligent political comments here, for a change..“That few in public affairs act from a mere view of the good of their country, whatever they may pretend; and, tho’ their actings bring real good to their country, yet men primarily considered that their own and their country’s interest was united, and did not act from a principle of benevolence.” Benjamin Franklin.I would like a candidate to do what is good for the whole of the country, definitely NOT what the people want, because the general public have proven themselves to be ignorant. (Sigh).When given a choice between candidates, I will attempt to choose the lesser of the evils – remembering that no one is perfect. I would rather side with caution as opposed to electing someone who shoots from the hip.
Michelle Morris over 12 years ago
If you REALLY want a Fringe Party, you must dress as an Observer! ;D
finale over 12 years ago
Wear a big plastic bowl on your head for the Tupperware Party!
McSpook over 12 years ago
How rare, a clarion voice of sanity in the mire of madness that is politics today.I’m with you on Mitt, just another spoiled Ivy League frat boy (like Bush the Lesser) who’s full of negativity towards the President, but devoid of any real ideas or ideals.
Popeyesforearm over 12 years ago
Roger Daltry will be there too
portia14 over 12 years ago
a change of leaders is the delight of fools
codedaddy over 12 years ago
Why can’t readers stick to commenting on the strip and leave political debate for another forum so I needn’t wade through it. Try to enjoy the humor. Even worse what is the deal with individuals who announce their political stance to the rest of us? Should we care?
dzsebehazy over 12 years ago
What I find amusing about this partisan silliness is how quickly the devotees of both sides step up to spout their ideological rhetoric. Neither party has shown itself as being capable of running the country, but they sure succeed at indoctrination.
codedaddy over 12 years ago
Apropos of using “apropos” when “appropriate” is meant, such pretentious and erroneous usage is inappropriate.
tigre1 over 12 years ago
Hey, Mechanic…you’re good, thanks. The stupid and the bumpersticker minds who don’t understand nor express wellare tiring. Night Gaunt…you’ve got it ALL wrong this time. The democrats are NOT the lesser of two evils! The democrats are the BEST we can do NOW. So do THAT now.
Work for BETTER…next year. Grow up, grab hold, do what you can NOW. Weren’t you EVER a soldier? scout? friend? care about your school? Earth to Gaunt…!
bdwords over 12 years ago
“Nimrod” means “skillful hunter.” I’m confused…
bdwords over 12 years ago
Pig apparently has Canadian leanings politically. Hence the Neil Young jacket =)
Yammo Premium Member over 12 years ago
Ah, I always knew Goat was a Tea-Partier!
el8 over 12 years ago
The Lanatic Fringe
bdwords over 12 years ago
@finaleOh no… Pig is not food, but a friend =)
tegm over 12 years ago
HAHAHAHAHAHA XD
librarymom over 12 years ago
Pig is beyond the pale for someone who is pink.
aardvark86au about 8 years ago
Terrifyingly appropriate to today.
LOAFY almost 4 years ago
I find it strange how through history we’ve always gravitated toward two parties. Like, third party candidates and independents never have any chance of winning because nobody votes for them, but nobody votes for them because we know they have no chance of winning-because nobody votes for them.