Please explain this political cartoon?

[Brian Sweat]

The cartoon is by Tony Auth, who is usually more than fair to our side, but I am having a little trouble figuring out what he is trying to say here. My interpretation is that he is trying to show the irony that Clark, who is a serious military man, is not trading off of his status by prancing around in his uniform, while, Schleprock, who avoided real service, prances around in a navy flight suit.

[dwckabal]

1. I think that's it

Schleprock...I love it!

[JHB]

2. You have chosen wisely.

Your interpretation is likely, given the way Auth looks at things.

[JI7]

3. the lie and joke of gwbush

that just because the apeshit goes around in some military uniform trying to act tough doesn't make him so. and that the calm guy in the regular suit is the real military guy. i'm not sure if that's what you were trying to say also. but i think so. i think the overall statement is that bush is a fraud. and the other one is the real thing.

[KCDem]

4. that's how I'd interpret it.

Classy-looking real military hero vs. political stunt-pulling AWOL-boy.

[cherryperry]

5. Yep, I agree! n/t

[kentuck]

6. If you got it, you don't have to flaunt it....

The little rooster don't got it...:)

[TioDiego]

7. I love it. The photo-op that just keeps on giving. LOL!

[w4rma]

8. Only one can be the military action figure: Bush*

Military action figures are dressed in a military uniform.
Military action figures are toys and fake models.

Wesley Clark is reality.

[dofus]

9. I think it's also

something of a slam to Clark. It says he's trying to re-invent himself as a civilian, despite what most of us know is a career (how long was it? Thirty years?) in the military, while Bush is trying to present himself as a military action hero.

I'm being reminded of Ollie North, who back during the Iran Contra hearings, started wearing his marine uniform for the first time in years, apparently. People who'd known him and worked with him for some time had no idea he was really a military man since he always went to work in civilian clothes.

Clothes not only make the man (or woman) but they're a powerful device by which we present ourselves to the outside world. Even people who claim not to care about how they look, who say they're not a slave to fashion, are saying more than they perhaps realize by exactly how they dress.

If Clark is only wearing civvies these days (even though the pictures I see posted of him seem all to show him in military clothes) is he misrepresenting himself?

[w4rma]

10. I don't think that's it at all. Why?

Someone running for political office who wears a military uniform to speeches will *not* get my vote. I do *not* want folks to become accustomed to people in military uniforms in political office. I'm absolutely positive that others feel this way, also.

[Richardo]

11. You will not see Clark in uniform giving speeches....

1) He's retired
2) He's smarter than that

[dofus]

12. You're both right,

w4rma and Richardo. And since Clark is retired, it would be inappropriate, perhaps illegal, to go around in uniform. Nonetheless, he's had a thirty or so year career in the military. He's not a civilian. Doesn't think like one.

Which is not to say Clark isn't perhaps the best possible choice for the Democratic nomination, and being our next president. I don't happen to think so on either count, but that's just my opinion.

In any event, I have a slightly different take on this cartoon than the other posters here, that's all.

[Wickerman]

13. The look on Clark's face sez it all

yep, its a slam on our pretneder in chief

[SonofMass]

14. It would be easier to interpret if the drawings

actully looked like Clark or Bush.

[azrak]

15. Me too

In fact when I first saw it I thought the Wesley Clark guy looked like Clinton, a vote for Clark and we get Clinton playing with his action figure, a vote for Bush and we get BFEE playing with their action figure. But what do I know?