Computer Trouble

My computer is in the shop so I'll be unable to update the site until next week. I'm down at Ye Olde Internet Cafe now.

Today's comic can be seen here.

Enjoy your Turkey.

Civil Discourse

A new comic on Prop 8 for the ACLU.

Best of the Future

Two "Best of" collections of editorial cartoons are released each year--one from Cagle and one from Pelican. For some reason they have "2009" in the title even though cartoons have yet to be created in that year. I believe they contain cartoons drawn in the recent past. (Those are the kind I submitted.)

Anyway, if you like these collections, I have something in both and they are available for Pre-order on Amazon.

Ted Stevens

Q: How does a convicted felon leave the Senate?

A: With a standing ovation from his colleagues.

Love It Or Leave It

Could there be a more selfish group than America's rich conservatives?

They live better than 99% of human beings on Earth. They live better than almost all human beings who have ever lived. They live in the richest country to ever exist in the history of the world. And yet they complain endlessly about paying taxes--in a place where their selfish ass is allowed to thrive.

They've been coddled for decades. We've cut their taxes in times of peace and war. We've slashed regulations. We've weakened labor. We've given them lobbying laws that legalized bribery. We've bailed out their failed industries.

They still don't think they have enough.

This is a country that migrants risk their lives to enter just for the privilege of toiling in the blazing sun to pick our fruit for sub-standard wages and men who make tens of millions of dollars a year sitting behind a desk have the nerve to complain about paying their fair share of taxes.

30 Years Ago

"Let the little children in and reassure them. They're not crying from pain. It's just a little bitter tasting." -Rev. Jim Jones

Today is a good day to remember what can happen to people when they stop thinking for themselves.

While We Are Talking Bailouts

Why not bailout the newspaper industry? After all, investigative journalism is just as crucial to a democracy as pick up trucks.

A BusinessWeek article by Jon Fine makes a (humorous) case for one.

Long Blog Post Probably Not Worth Reading

Looks like conservative writer David Frum will be exiting the National Review. An article in the Times today discusses the split in the context of the current debate within the conservative movement about their future.

In the Times article, Frum is quoted saying, “I am really and truly frightened by the collapse of support for the Republican Party by the young and the educated.”

Frum seems to be in the camp of George Will, David Brooks, and Peggie Noonan--people who want to move conservatism into the 20th Century[sic] as opposed to putting forth candidates who think the earth is 5,000 years old, bash people who live in cities, and think Global Warming is a farce created by the Sierra Club to raise a few bucks.

But these are controversial progressive ideas to many in the conservative movement who seem intent on having Sarah Palin as their Bright New Star.

Back at the newly Frum-less National Review, Palin continues to enthrall. Kathryn Jean Lopez, the magazine's Online Editor, argues today that Palin should be Time magazine's Person of the Year. She predicts Obama will win the award--no surprise there--but goes on to claim that Time's silly choice of "You" a few years ago may have been a stealthy way to set the stage for Obama:

And, come to think about it, the ink-stained pundits at Time have already vaulted the former senator from Illinois to top-dog status. When, last December, they declared the 2007 champion “You,” they hit on one of the key ingredients to Obama’s successful strategy: he was so disciplined, so likable, so broad in his way of speaking that Americans were able to project their hopes and dreams for their country onto him, regardless of what he actually had to offer.

A few problems here. First, the "You" represented user generated content on the Internet and had nothing to do with Obama. Second, the 2007 champion was Vladimir Putin. "You" was chosen in 2006--a simple fact check any teenage YouTube content provider could have looked up in four seconds. But Kathryn filed her report from the Virgin Islands, so I'll let that sloppiness slide. She is obviously busy on a NR cruise ship asking Joe the Margarita Mixer if he too is frightened of the coming Socialist State.

So why Palin over the first African-American elected to the Presidency? Simple:

Time shouldn’t diss the not insignificant portion of the country that voted for Republican John McCain. And, specifically, they shouldn’t ignore the people who were energized by the addition of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to his ticket.

Obama also "energized" a "not insignificant portion" of America, but never mind that.

Awarding the Person of the Year to important people who make the world worse is not without precedent. Hitler and Stalin won back to back victories. But these people actually did things. Palin is the Governor of an incredibly small welfare state who was tapped to be Vice President for John McCain and is widely credited with dooming the ticket. She spent two months in the media spotlight during which time she made incredibly dumb and divisive comments while never holding a single press conference. The majority of the electorate, never ones for deep skepticism of folksy politicians, believed her to be unqualified to hold that office.

If conservatives want to double down on the cultural issues, I'm all for it. It provides me with entertainment and cartoon material. They'll only ostracize the growing number of Americans who don't think gays are evil or want a President who talks to god.

David Frum is right to be scared. Conservatives are going to have a hell of a time winning if they throw their lot in with the Sarah Palin crowd. But it's what they deserve. For decades the GOP has used resentment and fear to shore up a base of knee-jerk fanatics, using "welfare queens," gays, college professors, Muslims, and Mexicans to frighten white rural Christians into supporting them. No one should be surprised that an anti-rational mutant from their base has ascended ranks to party leader.

Me, I'm going to sit back and enjoy the show. I'm even thinking of getting a subscription to the National Review. The next few years should be entertaining.

Liberal Media at Work

Newsweek has a new article: Is Obama The Antichrist?

It notes that the winning lottery number in Illinois was recently 666 and that "The people who believe Obama is the Antichrist are perhaps jumping to conclusions, but they're not nuts..."

The "perhaps" in that sentence really does it for me.

Rahm Roast

I've seen a few blogs post this video of Obama's speech at a 2005 Roast for Rahm Emanuel and it reminded me that I actually did some design work for that event--mainly the backdrop. (I can't take credit for the type design, which was already developed by someone at CURE.)

You see, to subsidize my cartooning habit a few years ago, I became embroiled in the seedy underworld of developing backdrops for political events around the country through a contact I had in Washington DC.

Most of it was boring and involved laying out text such as "Jobs for Americans" on huge backdrops. The Rahm job was fun:

Yes We Can

Gay Rights.

Now.

Join The Mailing List

It's time I finally start a mailing list. I don't have any huge plans for it but it seems like something I should have going in 2008. If you join, you don't have to worry about being constantly bombarded with tons annoying crap from me. But there will be stuff you won't see here.

Right now the list will be for sending out comics I draw for Free Inquiry and the ACLU before they appear anywhere else and any major news announcements I have. In the case of the FI comics, they don't appear anywhere but the magazine so signing up may be your only way to see them.

As an incentive to join, I will send out an election season cartoon that I chose not to issue and has never been published or seen by anyone.

To sign up, please send an e-mail with the subject "Mailing List" to comics ~at~ mattbors.com

IsBraille Blockade

Democracy Now: "The UN says Israel has blocked several humanitarian shipments, including one to a school for blind children. UN spokesperson Christopher Gunness told Al Jazeera, “These blind children, as far as I am aware, are not firing rockets…"

Maybe if the kids were legless minefield victims with cleft palates they'd make an exception.

The Stranger

After the election, black people may be wondering if there's something in the bottled water--white people want to talk to them about politics all the sudden!

A reminder: There will not be a cartoon on Friday. I'm down to two a week which go up on Monday and Wednesday.

Exactly

(click here to view)

Bob Englehart Hartford Courant Nov 11, 2008 EditorialCartoonists.com

The New New Deal

Go read this letter sent out by Focus on Family (pdf link). It's a message from 2012 to let us know what Barrack Hussein Obama has accomplished during his godless socialist reign. Somehow I've only now found out about it.

As my close personal friend Wolf Blitzer likes to say, "His administration is going to hit the ground running." According to the letter, that's an understatement. In his first term the Bible is ruled "hate speech", pornography is shown at all hours of the day on cable, and old people are told to "go home and die" so rationed medical supplies can be used on the young.

One of my main complaints with the Democrats is that they've been too spineless to push the "porn at noon" agenda. The airwaves are dominated by non-porn shows. Finally some balance will be restored!

Hat tip to Abell Smith who parodies the letter in his latest comic.

Illustration

For the Boston Phoenix

Too Liberal

The Right is demanding Obama govern from the center and that his win is not a mandate. I must have missed their concern for overreaching when Bush won in 2004 by a smaller margin. Obama will govern from the center. But his center--the political center as defined by most of Western Civilization--is still too liberal for America's Right Wing.

That's because in the center there is no place for things like offshore prison camps that employ sadistic medieval torture methods.

People who are apologists for torture and other blatantly illegal Bush programs are extremists. In an ideal world, they wouldn't be consulted for their views or asked for their opinions. They would be treated with the exact same seriousness one gives David Duke, Lyndon LaRouche and Alex Jones.

Hussein is the new Red, White and Blue

Friedman today:

America is surely the only nation that could — in the same decade — go to war against a president named Hussein (Saddam of Iraq), threaten to use force against a country whose most revered religious martyr is named Hussein (Iran) and then elect its own president who’s middle-named Hussein.

Is this a great country or what?

HEAR, HEAR! Hold your head high, America--we got a Hussein Hard-On! (my proposed Friedmanism for this effect.) Are you named Hussein? Maybe we'll elect you. Maybe we'll invade you. Maybe we'll threaten to invade you. Whatever the case, it will show how great we are with our diverse treatment of people named Hussein.

What other countries can boast of invading a country for no reason and then, only a few years later, electing Barack Hussein Obama President?

No Countries.

As Friedman famously told Iraqis after we invaded their Insane in the Hussein Nation,* "SUCK. ON. THIS."

*Is that a good one or what? I could totally ghost write for Friedman.

The Big Question

Hardest hitting cartoon ever. Man, that sucker hits hard!

I can't wait till CNN blasts these at me in hologram form.

I'm calling it now. "I'm ready to make a big projection" as my close personal friend Wolf Blitzer might say. This comic has Pulitzer written all over it. Give it to the committee in hologram form and you're golden. (Not that the intense hard-hitting nature of it alone wouldn't secure the prize.)

OK, I'm done now.

...and the Lincoln

Cartoonists love weeping statues. And who doesn't? The image really tugs at the heart strings.

I'm not even going to post any because there are too many to choose from, but the sentient Lincoln Memorial cartoons are way out of hand. Cagle rounded up some of them in a gallery called "Lincoln Likes Obama."

There are a ton of Lincoln statues giving the thumbs up, some fist-bumping, some with tears in their eyes (and Obama logo pupils!) and even crying while fist-bumping.

The sad thing is, this theme was explored months ago when Obama won the nomination. It wasn't any better then but couldn't they think of anything else in the time between? Can we expect another wave on inauguration day?

The first problem with this is sheer laziness and unoriginality. When editors look at the cartoons coming out of the syndicates and half of them feature gleeful Abes, I bet they can't understand the argument made by cartoonists that they must employ a staffer to connect with their readers.

Secondly, is Lincoln really the best symbol to celebrate African-American accomplishment? I know he ended slavery, but it's hard to imagine him weeping over the success of blacks--he's no Frederick Douglass.

This week's batch goes down with the weeping Statues of Liberty after 9/11.

Prop 8

This one is great. California also voted to give chickens more freedom.

(click here to view)

Rex Babin Sacramento Bee Nov 7, 2008 EditorialCartoonists.com

Legacy

What does the future hold for Obama, Palin, Biden and McCain?

Crap

Bad News: In addition to bigots getting a victory with the passing of Prop 8 in California, San Franciscans voted down a measure to name a sewage plant after George W. Bush. You may remember a cartoon I did on this a few months ago.

the Bad

The Craftsmanship Award goes to Bob Gorrell, who really spent a lot of time creating this cartoon. Obama came up with the phrase "calloused hand by calloused hand" watching Bob labor over cartoons like these. He puts a lot of elbow grease in these things.

But seriously, I think I could do this in under ten mouse clicks.

(click here to view)

Bob Gorrell Creators Syndicate Inc. Nov 5, 2008 EditorialCartoonists.com

Next!

I saw a Rob Arial cartoon back when Obama won the South Carolina primary that had his smile in the shape of South Carolina. Cutting edge, right? Well, now it's about as cutting edge as John McCain's campaign strategy. Ron Rogers is taking this shit to the next level. That's right: America teeth.

What is the state of our union? Minty fresh, bitches!

(click here to view)

Ron Rogers South Bend Tribune Nov 5, 2008 EditorialCartoonists.com

It's Never Too Early...

To get your "We Say Merry Christmas" bumper sticker at billoreilly.com.

Mailbag

Suzanne in Georgia:

Even though Georgia stayed red, I'm in the area of the state that voted democratic. Our neighbors were out shooting fireworks when they called the election last night! One of the people my husband works with went over to Ebenezer Baptist Church last night where over a thousand people met and walked across the street to Martin Luther King's grave site and set out a wreath to commemorate the event.

Get A Copy Editor!

The Wall Street Journal must have laid off their copy editors to help keep the paper going through the recession. Their editorial page made and embarrassing error this morning by mixing up terms in a sentence as to make it read like it was written by patients in an insane asylum. They printed:

The treatment President Bush has received from this country is nothing less than a disgrace.

Obviously, they meant "The treatment this country has received from President Bush is nothing less than a disgrace."

I'll look for the correction tomorrow.

the Good

Two cartoons I saw this morning that I liked. Both are very simple and direct.

(click here to view)

Justin DeFreitas Berkeley Daily Planet, West … Nov 5, 2008 EditorialCartoonists.com

(click here to view)

Clay Bennett Chattanooga Times Free Press Nov 5, 2008 EditorialCartoonists.com

As usual, this historic moment has been met with some very bad and predictable cartoons. I'll post some of the worst soon.

Good Grief

Barack Obama will be the 44th President of the United States.

Links

For the cartoon lovers out there--here's some election day links:

• Rob Tornoe is posting a ton of cartoons all day over at his blog
• Kevin Moore has some cool sketches
• Ted Rall released an animation about Sarah Palin
  
• Jen Sorensen is Live Blogging Election Night

And the Daily Cartoonist will have links throughout the day of a lot more stuff.

The End

Today is the day the wheels of history finally get to roll over John McCain, his petty VP and their disgraceful campaign.

I'll be posting a cartoon after the election is called for Obama.

The Spectre of Communism

My last cartoon before the election...

Obama is a very sneaky fellow but he's revealed his ultimate agenda. He plans to turn America into a Totalitarian Communist Regime complete with reeducation camps and the mandatory bulldozing of all hard-working small businesses. The tell? His platform involves restoring the income tax to levels we saw during the 90s.

Wednesday: Election Results!

Phil

I flew on a plane the other day. Sat next to Phil.

Slowdown at the Comic Factory

On November 10th I will go down to producing two syndicated cartoons a week. This is due to the collapse of the newspaper industry and simple math regarding how many days a week I can afford to draw political cartoons. New comics will be posted on Monday and Wednesday.

As always, if you enjoy my work, write your local alt weekly (or daily) and ask them to run it. Paying gigs are what keep this site up and running!

Human Dignity

The New York Times invited a few people to expound on what they will miss most about George Bush when he leaves office in today's paper.

Disgraced White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan opened up with this sentence: "What I will miss most about George W. Bush as president is his sincere concern for promoting human dignity."

No word from the children Bush imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay without charge and what they will miss most about the affable Texan.

McClellan also endorsed Obama today.