More Tom Toles!

Here Tom Toles caricaturizes both Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich.  Gingrich has become an attack dog, referencing his attacks on Romney in debates for his business practices when he worked in the private sector at Bain Capitol.  Romney is indecisive as always, and the little blurb at the bottom even references his tendency to try and make everyone happy by having both. The cartoonist's emphasizing the fact that the Republican candidates are feeding off each other in the time before the primaries.

The Holidays Are Here!

My favorite holiday memory is one from way back when I was about five. It was just me and my family, here at home and my brother and I had done out traditional waking of the parents at six o clock sharp. We then had to wait at the top of the staircase while my mom set up the video camera downstairs.  My dad sat with us as we waited, asking us what we thought Santa had brought us. "A pony!" My brother was a little more reasonable, with "A spaceship!" being at the top of his list.
When my mom was finally done, my brother and I sprinted down the stairs, around the corner and hurtled towards the stockings, which were stuffed so fat they had been taken down from wall and laid on chairs. But we each had one gift that was too big to fit in the stocking. Mine was a pony.  A giant, stuffed pony that has yet to be beaten as the best gift Santa's ever given me.

Pay-roll tax tricks

Here, Tom Toles is representing the payroll tax bill situation as the GOP luring Obama into a trap.  Republicans in

Congress amended the bill so that the tax cuts were funded by an oil pipeline, while the democrats want it to be funded 

by a tax on millonaires.  He uses caricature - overemphasizing Obama's tendency to compromise, and subsequently

give up too much to the other side.  The message indicates Obama is weak as a leader, and shouldn't fall for the same 

trick again.

Obama Checkup

Obama's approval ratings, at 43%, are not stellar, but at the same time not dismal. Bush's ratings were only a bit higher when he got reelected back in 2004, but then left office at a meager 25%. And I think Obama has nowhere to go but up. With the troops coming home, for example, people are going to be focusing on the fact that it got done, not how long it took, until later. It's clear Obama's been taking a different approach towards things. He's become more aggressive as the election peeks up over the horizon.  It's ironic; he's becoming more confrontational when the GOP's top guy, Gingrich, is known for being confrontational.

In general, Obama's odds look good. Mainly out of lack of opposition. Gingrich, while he looks strong for now, has skeletons in his closet that, due to his lantern hanging, haven't been blowouts in the news like Cain's misdeeds have.  That, along with his leanings away from the center, hurt his chances at winning over that vast middle/undecided section of America.  Romney would still have a better chance at that policy-wise, but he can't even get the people who ARE paying attention to policy to get excited about him, let alone the masses.  I would say Obama's got just over a 50% chance at this point.  But I hope he's still got some aces up his sleeve to whip out as the election draws nearer, then it would be a done deal.

Speaking of Romney...

This cartoon, doodled up by Tom Toles, pinpoints Romney's people pleasing tendencies.  It's a caricature.  Romney is sitting on the GOP Elephant Santa's lap, asking for what he should ask.  It overemphasizes the fact that Romney doesn't actually stand for anything. He'll just pick whatever side will get him elected.  The cartoonist's point of view is rather negative, sticking him in the center of the large frame made him seem even smaller, and therefore, weak.