Rhetorical Analysis of Political Cartoon

This cartoon was in a Florida newspaper in 2012. Right away, this tells me that the artist
wanted to appeal to many different people. He wanted to reach people who care about current
events. This message would have most likely had the same affect in any newspaper. The first
thing I notice in the drawing is National debt hits $16 trillion on the dinosaur. Since this is a
fact, rather than an opinion, I believe in sticks in the readers minds. The dinosaur is drawn as
the largest object on the page, even larger than the buildings. It is also the most colorful item,
demonstrating that it deserves the most attention. Another observation is that the dinosaur is
very old and wrinkly, which could be a simile for the issue, that the national debt is an old
problem. It should also be noted that the dinosaur has fat rolls, bulgy skin, and its not very
pretty. I believe the author is showing the negativity of the national deficit. He has sharp teeth
and claws. This could represent the potential future damage that the animal could cause. The

creature has also smashed a car with its foot. The dinosaur is being violent by ripping the top off
of a building. This initially instills fear into the reader.
Another focal point is the Democratic National Convention sign draped across the
entrance of the building. This signifies that the democrats may need to hear the dinosaurs
message the most, since it is their convention. The stick figures are running away and flailing
their arms. The stick people are faceless, which could represent that the blame of the problem
cannot be placed on an individual. The figures show panic. The quote bubble reads Is this a bad
time?. The expression on the dinosaurs face shows genuine concern. Its as if the dinosaur is
trying to politely open the ceiling of the stadium to ask a quick question. The dinosaur has an
innocent face. Although there is fear toward him, he is blameless in this picture. The author is
trying to demonstrate that it is not necessarily the dinosaurs fault that he is destroying the city.
It is the fault of those running away. He is showing that these are the very people who created
this monster. This creature is actually so large that no one can fight it. All the poor stick figures
can do is run away. Bullets through the dinosaurs body and tanks at his feet would have little
impact at this point.
Jeff Parker is the author of my political cartoon of choice. I visited his website and
looked through many of his drawings. His archive starts in 2001. Some are more conservative
and some more liberal. Because of this, it seems that he wants to educate and entertain readers,
rather than force them to have certain views. Since I cannot sit down and interview Jeff, the best
I can do is brainstorm ideas about what he may have been thinking about his art. It could be
argued in this particular drawing that this message is directed at the Democratic Party. It is
implied that the party was ignoring the national debt, which is why it takes them by such surprise
in the photo. It could also be said that this is targeted at moderates or republicans, for the
purposes of humor. Taking these views both into consideration, I think anyone who is somewhat
involved in politics can relate to the cartoon.
Jeff didnt use any long words in the cartoon. He kept the words very simple. The author
also made a wise choice in labeling the convention and the dinosaur. Without the labels, the
drawing would not have the same meaning. The election of Obama vs. Romney was taking
place during 2012. There is a possibility that Jeff Parker was trying to sway the readers votes.

The election idea can be debunked by the lightheartedness of the drawing. One last observation
I made: The dinosaur of debt could really represent the countries to which we owe the debt.
Most of our national debt is owed to countries in Asia. Godzilla is a giant dinosaur monster who
wreaks havoc on the nation in which it lives. Perhaps the actual meaning behind the cartoon is
that Godzilla has come to retrieve the debt that is owed to him. Ultimately, I believe the purpose
of the drawing was fulfilled. People were made more aware of the state of the government, and
they got a bit of a chuckle at the same time.