First Impressions: Editorial Cartoonists' Portrayals of Gen. Wesley Clark from mid-Sept. 2003.
Based on a non-scientific sampling mainly from the Cagle website, but also with some from other sites. A total of 34 cartoons were found.
Gen. Wesley Clark announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination on Wednesday September 17, 2003, becoming the tenth candidate to enter the race. Efforts to draft Clark began in April 2003, and by September some people were getting tired of waiting for him to reach a decision.
A couple of cartoons touch on the long time Clark took to get in the race.
Many cartoonists presented Clark in relation to the nine Democrats already in the race. Stuart Carlson shows him as a giant-sized figure next to the other minature sized candidates and Joel Pett alludes to "Superman." Clark's entry causes consternation among the Democratic candidates according to Gary Varvel (who nicely invokes General Douglas MacArthur), Carlson and Walt Handelsman; Mike Keefe also shows Clark stirring up the Democratic candidates in a couple of cartoons (9/13 and 9/18). In the view of Dan Wasserman and Mike Thompson Clark's candidacy provides a bit of a spark for Democratic voters. (A few cartoons focus on Clark and Sen. John Edwards (D-NC); Edwards' formal announcement of his candidacy on September 16 was overshadowed by a meeting of Clark and his top advisors in Little Rock on Tuesday).
A second major theme is Clark in relation to the Republicans and President Bush. The most frequent approach was to contrast Clark, the General, with the President Bush who donned a flight suit to fly out to the USS Abraham Lincoln on May 1, 2003; Kal, Tony Auth, Tom Toles, Don Wright, Drew Sheneman, Chan Lowe and Matt Davies all allude to the May 1 event.
Clark, at the front door of his home, speaks to a few Draft Wesley Clark supporters outside.
Clark: "I've made a decision: I'm going to decide on a decision deadline soon!"
Democratic candidates on a stage labeled "Dem. Debate;" a man or reporter in the audience; a helicopter labeled "Clark" hovers overhead.
One of the candidates: "Make up your mind, Wesley...land or buzz off!"
Guy in the audience (to the candidates): We can't hear you!"
Four panel cartoon captioned "The Democrats' Debate."
First three panels show candidates coming out on stage for a debate; Democratic donkeys fill the audience. 1. Announcer: "Also introducing Sen. John Kerry..." 2. Announcer: "...Gov. Howard Dean..." 3. Announcer: "...and last but not least..."
The fourth panel shows Clark standing in the middle of the stage having parachuted in; his parachute is covering all the other candidates at their podiums. 4. Announcer: "That was quite an entrance Gen. Clark!"
Evokes General Douglas MacArthur (who was born in Little Rock, Ark.). Clark, dressed like MacArthur, is standing in the water in front of a landing craft labeled "'04" loaded with the nine Democratic candidates. In the background is the ship labeled "USS Dems."
From among the nine candidates on the landing craft Kerry: "The General is messing up our maneuvers!"
Various Democrats: "Well, um, glad to have you on board!" "The more the merrier!" "Isn't this cozy?" "Oof!" "I fully support a larger dais!" "Hey! I was going to support that!"
The first shows the nine Democrats (each has a letter on his or her shirt "D," "E," etc.) running toward the left.
The second shows a tank labeled "Clark" on the left side of the panel, and the Democrats retreating to the right.
The Democratic candidates are all jammed into a phone booth; Clark, carrying a briefcase labeled Wes, is to the side talking to them.
Caption: "Wesley Clark tosses his hat in the ring..."
Shows military helmet with four stars thrown into a ring and landing with a "Thunk" causing the nine hats there (including a Mickey Mouse hat, a beanie with a propeller, and a dunce cap) to bounce up.
Top: Bush waving from plane on deck of aircraft carrier. Bottom: Democratic donkey waving from plane labeled "Dems" on broad shoulder of Gen. Clark.
A vending machine labeled "Democratic Snacks" has various products: Nuts, Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Snickers, Jaw Breakers, Sucker and a big Clark candy bar.
A variation on the hat in the ring theme. Democratic donkeys are at a bar; a military hat labeled "Clark" flies in and the word "Attention!!" appears in bold letters. The donkeys appear startled.
Clark in uniform at a filling station labeled Clark; two Democratic donkeys pushing a broken down car with the licence plate "'04 Hopes."
Donkey 1: "You can trust your car to the man who wears the star, huh?" Donkey 2: "You got a better alternative."
Inside Edwards campaign headquarters, Edwards looks over an aide's shoulder at a computer monitor; two other aides converse in the background. The monitor shows a map of the U.S. with a storm system labeled "Clark Candidacy."
Aide: "It's just wandering around in the Midwest but it could pick up steam..."
Edwards at a podium making his announcement speech, an aide/reporter/supporter(?) at his side, and a huge noisy helicopter labeled "Clark 2004" hovering above.
Edwards: "I said, I've come home to North Carolina today to formally annou... Dang! I forgot about that hurricane!"
Aide/reporter/supporter(?): "That's no hurricane, John..."
Reporters surround a tank labeled "Clark" (Clark is rising out of hatch, arms above his head); the tank has run over an "Edwards for President" banner and balloons and left Edwards, disoriented, on the ground.
Edwards: "Hey this was my big announcement..."
Caption: "Toy Action War Hero Meets Real Action War Hero"
A Republican elephant is playing with a Bush in a flight suit toy; the elephant is shown in six different poses making sound effects (weeeooyeeeoooorrr....) In the last illustration, however, the elephant runs the Bush action figure squarely ("Bonk!") into the legs of a tall man carrying a briefcase labeled "Draft General Wesley Clark For President."
Caption: "Pick the military action figure."
Wesley Clark in a suit. George W. Bush in a flight suit. A box is below each so people can put a check mark to indicate their choice.
On the stage of a debate; a sign overhead reads "Tonight's Debate: Clark-Bush." A couple of reporter/panelists are off to the side. Clark in dress uniform is behind his podium. Bush is putting on a flight suit from a "Dress-up box."
An aide? leans over and talks to Bush.
Aide: "...Not only is Wesley Clark a stud, he's a real war hero!" Bush: "Oh, yeah? Get out my flight suit and call my aircraft carrier!"
Clark in uniform next to Bush in flight suit; Clark towers over Bush.
Caption: "Hole in the Flight Suit"
Bush, in flight suit, is parachuting down and is about to land on the sharp points of four stars labeled "Clark Candidacy."
see also Matt Davies above.
A building on the edge of the ocean is being buffeted by a storm. On the side is a banner "Re-elect the President/Bush 2004 Campaign Headquarters." Two elephants are on the porch looking out at the ocean.
Elephant 1: "Hurricane Isabel?" Elephant 2: "...or Wesley Clark"
Republican elephant holds a newspaper with the full page headline "Clark Says Yes!"
Elephant: "Sigh!!! Another Rhodes scholar from Arkansas"
Clark throws his military hat into a ring containing a rather motley collection of nine other hats (includes a beanie with a propeller and a wizard or dunce cap); a Republican elephant, walking away from the ring, looks towards Clark with a startled expression.
Republican elephant wearing a big badge "GOP Support Our Troops: Go, Military."
Elephant: "...but not General Clark!"
Clark in dress uniform wearing a "Hi My Name Is" sticker; written on the sticker is "Gen. Who?"
Clark on a platform, in front of a "Wesley Clark for President" sign, speaking to an audience.
Clark: "...and I have a plan to repair the relationship between Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez."
One audience member to another: "He had to do something to boost his name recognition."
An invisible man in a uniform, name tag reading Clark, walks by. A man and a woman are over to the side; the woman has a paper "Clark in '04."
Woman: "(Um) the General is still fleshing out his domestic policy views."
Uncle Sam takes a close look at Clark who is in uniform.
Clark: "I got this one for being pro-choice." "And this one for pro-affirmative action." "Anti-tax cuts" "No real original ideas"
Uncle Sam (thinking): "Eisenhower he ain't..."
An unflattering illustration of a squint-eyed Clark in dress uniform, including a Clark 2004 patch on the right pocket.
Clark, in uniform, standing atop a soap box holding a paper on which is written "Clark for Prez." He is in the middle of a desert and no other figures are around. Across the top of the frame in bold poster size letters is written "AN ARMY OF NONE."
Clark, in a jeep with license plate "Clark," is driven by a soldier past a line of television cameras.
Soldier: "Your troops ready for inspection sir..."
Clark in uniform is conducting a military drill with four rather motley looking soldiers; they are labeled "AFL-CIO," "The Press," and "Campaign Donors."
Clark: "You will hold off on endorsements until I'm in the race! You will not question my political abilities! You will provide encouragement for financial donations...." "Aneee questions?"
Man and woman in their living room watching television.
Woman: "Oh, good, 'Patton'...I love this movie!" Man: "I'm afraid not. That's General Wesley Clark, another Democratic candidate for President. He's going to make a speech."