The trademarks for America’s major political parties, the elephant and the donkey, were adopted from a series of cartoons that caricaturist Thomas Nast began publishing in 1874 in Harper’s Weekly.  The leadoff cartoon depicts a trumpeting elephant labeled “The Republican Vote.”  The mighty pachyderm is shown to be blasting away at New York’s major newspapers that are also symbolized as a variety of animals.

While the Democratic Party is directly portrayed as a skittish fox in the Nast cartoon, the image that stuck was the primary target of the cartoon’s mockery, a donkey as the Democratic-sympathizing New York Herald.  Nast frequently alluded to the fables of Aesop in his illustrations.  The Herald newspaper appears as Aesop’s character of a donkey wearing the skin of a dead lion with the lengthy caption, "An Ass, having put on the Lion's skin, roamed about in the Forest, and amused himself by frightening all the foolish Animals he met with in his wanderings."

Mark Baisley

Mark Baisley

Mark Baisley is CEO of Slipglass, a defense-intelligence contractor specializing in information security.

Most Recent Articles

Join the Debate
71 Comments So Far
Login in to Post Your Comments
« Previous1Next »
Robert548 Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 8:11 PM
And here I thought You were talking about Obama, the braying arse!
Flag as Offensive
Public Citizen Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 6:34 PM
And in this whole discussion the Fox, in the person of George Soros, still absconds with the fawn, the American Economy and the savings of the American People.
Flag as Offensive
dahni Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 12:20 PM
Why can't I use the term 'Braying A$S' in my post?
Flag as Offensive
Robert548 Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 8:12 PM
I had to say arse. I guess we are too much for virgin ears.(or they just don't want to hear us)
Flag as Offensive
Barskor Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 12:09 PM
I will not Cringe from my right to vote Never again will I vote for a lesser evil, I vote for Ron Paul 2012!
Flag as Offensive
vietnamvet Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 12:55 PM
Yeah, but ... who will you vote for in the general election?
Flag as Offensive
Collateral Damage Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 5:16 PM
Oh yeah, legalizing all drugs will be really helpful.
Flag as Offensive
Blue27 Wrote: Jan 31, 2012 1:26 AM
I support Newt, but you're wrong about Ron Paul on this issue. He wants the states to regulate these drugs instead of the federal government. I'm sure an overwhelming majority of the states would NOT legalize drugs with some possible exceptions regarding medical marijuana. VOTE NEWT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Flag as Offensive
Blair43 Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 9:58 AM
So one thing you as a writer need to emphasize is that Political Action Committees (PAC's) - no matter which candidate they endorse - are NOT controlled or run by a political candidate. That is illegal by law. So neither Gingrich nor Romney have any control over these so-called negative ads, their content, or their organizers.
Flag as Offensive
Robert548 Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 8:14 PM
were you born stupid or did you have to work at it?
Flag as Offensive
Blue27 Wrote: Jan 31, 2012 1:34 AM
You couldn't possibly be that naive. Romney is SCUM and started this whole scorched Earth campaign strategy when he started losing to Newt. I will never vote for that arrogant condescending A$$ HOLE. The way he started the whole mess and acts smug when Newt fights back really emphasizes what a D!K he is!
Flag as Offensive
Black and White Brian Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 12:13 AM
"An A$s, having put on the Lion's skin, roamed about in the Forest & amused himself by frightening all the foolish Animals he met with in his wanderings."

Later morphed into:

A vast RICO-racketeering organised criminal hoard that prefers we call it by its street name: an a$s, having put on the snake's skin, roams about in the press-rooms & enrichens itself & its cohorts, cronies, contractors & suppliers by fooling into voting for it -- &/or otherwise into supporting it -- all of those too damned stupid to know they're being lied to &/or who're too damned mean-spirited &/or greedy to care, their alien relatives & acquaintances in foreign lands, their dogs, several pages of their 'local phonebooks & several generations of their dead!
Flag as Offensive
Black and White Brian Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 12:16 AM
How stupid is an "inappropriate content" filter that won't permit the cutting an pasting of a word from thread's title?
Flag as Offensive
LarryMoo Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 5:29 PM
The same kind of stuff when I tried to order a "DICKIE" to wear under my coat...Everyone knows what a dickie is and I'm sure everyone knows what part of the word means - neither the two shall meet...modern technology? Sometimes it isn't as smart as we give it credit...
Flag as Offensive
Ms Kelly Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 10:15 PM
I commend Mr. Baisley for clearly spelling out what is happening in our primary contests.

I am so sick of hearing that the voters detest negative campaigning, and then listen to what the negative ads are saying and support the message by switching sides. I would NEVER be persuaded by the opposition's campaign ads without first researching very carefully to see if what has been said is true.

That someone could switch candidates within a matter of weeks, or in some cases even days, tells me that we have a lot of very immature people who are voting. Perhaps this explains why our country is in such a mess.
Flag as Offensive
BibiGanoush Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 7:31 PM
The question of calling Tea Party people 'baggers' originated with the Tea Party people themselves. They wore Tea Bags on their hats and heads. The name originated with Tea Party people, it is Republicans who constantly pursue the politics of personal destruction.
Flag as Offensive
Black and White Brian Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 12:32 AM
Rubbish.

Tea party movement folks began flaunting tea bags in response to one of CNN's pillow-biting political-polemicist's use of the tea-bagger expression that came so easily and with a poofter's polished practice to his lips.
Flag as Offensive
Collateral Damage Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 6:22 PM
Democrat Party = the JACK@$$ Party. That's what Andrew Jackson's loyal oposition constantly referred to him as: "Jack@$$ Jackson! Jack@$$ Jackson!" That's why the donkey (JACK@$$) remains the party's symbol today. Does anybody know any history anymorejQuery15206030901971210074_1327879036485?
Flag as Offensive
BibiGanoush Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 5:00 PM
If you shuffle a pedophile priest onto another unsuspecting parish, are you not condoning pedophilia? Those who knew and transferred pedophiles should be in jail, not get promotions like Cardinal Bernard Law.

The Roman Catholic systemically PROTECTED PEDOPHILES.

A true Christian leader would live life by these words: "Woe unto them who would hurt one of these little ones who believe in me. It would be better for them to have a millstone around their neck and be thrown into the sea."
Flag as Offensive
Black and White Brian Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 12:39 AM
An American is 47,000 times more likely to have been sexually abused by a school teacher, lecturer or professor than by one of the predatory poofters that penetrated if you'll pardon the pun the Priesthood and protected other poofters in the precinct and/or in the presbytery practicing "pedophilia."
Flag as Offensive
anonymous1455 Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 8:41 AM
American's are statistically most likely to be molested by a relative. It is ironic that the Catholic church is getting more criticism than ever now---now when leadership is doing more than ever to prevent this. Bishops who once moved bad priest around are now kicked out of office. But people like to hate the church.
Flag as Offensive
annfan6 Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 4:53 PM
A rat would be a far more appropriate symbol for the DemocRATS.
Flag as Offensive
Blair31 Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 4:12 PM
Make an arse of yourself, and everybody will ride you.
Flag as Offensive
Black and White Brian Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 12:41 AM
That's what Cooper Anderson says!
Flag as Offensive
BibiGanoush Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 2:38 PM
Ronald Reagan built up the largest peacetime budget deficit in history back in the day, and also signed the largest peacetime tax increase.

Republican George W. Bush took over a $200 billion annual budget surplus left by Democrat Bill Clinton, and handed President Obama a $1.2 trillion annual deficit.

Where was the Tea Party movement when Republicans were looting the Treasury?
Flag as Offensive
RG_From_THP Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 2:44 PM
BibiGanoush a.k.a. mynameisLegion a.k.a. Sybil a.k.a. Ray Ancle is a mentally ill person who is employed by the Barack Obama Administration at the Internal Revenue Service.

BibiGanoush a.k.a. mynameisLegion a.k.a. Sybil a.k.a. Ray Ancle wants Obama elected and taxes raised for his own personal job security.

BibiGanoush a.k.a. mynameisLegion a.k.a. Sybil a.k.a. Ray Ancle has lived 'Off' the Government in some form or other for many Years and has a 'Twisted' vested interest in the re-election of Barack Obama.
Flag as Offensive
Mac287 Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 10:37 AM
2:44PM response...I don't care what BibiGanoush's name really is...that is hardly the point. Did Bill Clinton leave George Bush with a 200 billion annual budget surplus? And did Geroge Bush leave Obama with a 1.2 trillion deficit? Those numbers are facts...whether presented by a wingnut or a lizard...are they true?
Where are those figures to be found as fact?
Flag as Offensive
Black and White Brian Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 5:56 AM
.... Where was the Tea Party movement when Republicans were looting the Treasury ...?

Given that Treasury, like the Fed & as has every other department, secretariat, agency, bureau, court & service at every level of American government these past eighty-odd years or so, been insidiously infiltrated, corrupted, owned, operated & lock, stock and barrel, controlled by "Democratic" potty activist/looters; the chance the Republicans might Loot the Treasury" has long been Absolutely Zero!

No Republican has the inclination of a "Democrat" to steal from the lives' energies of other men & the suggestion one might exists only in what passes for the minds of "Democrats" -- & is further confirmation that pathological Projection marks "liberals."
Flag as Offensive
jessie7 Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 7:33 AM
Well said, B&W Brian!!!
Flag as Offensive
Mac287 Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 10:40 AM
response to post of 5:56AM ...pathological projection? And only Democrats indulge in projection? Wake up and smell the coffee.
Flag as Offensive
Martin151 Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 6:35 AM
The Tea Party movement hadn't started at that time. The folks that make up the Tea Party were getting their fill of gov't spending, however were not quite ready to puke. Then Oblowme got elected and now most of us except the deniers are all puking. We are all on the same train and it's heading for the wall. It doesn't matter if you are gay or black or a union member or in the tea party...we are all still heading for the wall. If you can't see that the course this administration is on is unsustainable, you are either simply a moron or delusional. This crap isn't rocket science.
Flag as Offensive
Chuck22 Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 1:34 PM
Negative Ads - An industry just by itself. Mark, your telling us about all those millions that were paid to the TV stations (I'm sure they budgeted for and counted on those ads - think of the sales commissions). Then there are all of the production companies that produced the ads that probably made the participants quite proud of how they smeared the other guy (They too were looking towards these employment oppurtunities). And to think that all of this would be brought to a stop when each of us call the TV station and especially the candidates and say "YOU PEOPLE MAKE ME SICK".
Flag as Offensive
BibiGanoush Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 1:20 PM
Again, I asked a Tea Party guy, "How can the government prevent abortion?"

Let's say a woman has her baby-bump one day, and then the next week her bump is gone. Do you report her to the police? Does this woman need a medical certificate to ascertain that she had a miscarriage rather than an illegal abortion?

My Tea-Party friend didn't have and answers that day. He did say that all this government intervention could be paid for with a tax cut though. God Bless supply-side theory!
Flag as Offensive
RG_From_THP Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 2:07 PM
BibiGanoush a.k.a. mynameisLegion a.k.a. Sybil a.k.a. Ray Ancle is a mentally ill person who is employed by the Barack Obama Administration at the Internal Revenue Service.

BibiGanoush a.k.a. mynameisLegion a.k.a. Sybil a.k.a. Ray Ancle wants Obama elected and taxes raised for his own personal job security.

BibiGanoush a.k.a. mynameisLegion a.k.a. Sybil a.k.a. Ray Ancle has lived 'Off' the Government in some form or other for many Years and has a 'Twisted' vested interest in the re-election of Barack Obama.
Flag as Offensive
wayne566 Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 2:44 PM
You make it illegal to perform the procedure. Given the whining about how dangerous back-alley abortions are, you can see that we don't need to punish her.... Call it karma, call it consequences, or call it justice, eventually, she will pay the price even without the law getting involved.
Flag as Offensive
jessie7 Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 7:36 AM
And you can bet she'll have the latest i-phone, gold jewelry, etc. but can't afford to pay for her own birth control.
Flag as Offensive
Charles SWVA Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 9:12 PM
Bibi,
You really need to outgas.
Flag as Offensive
Norm183 Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 6:30 AM
Ah, the mythical tea party friend!! AGAIN!!
Flag as Offensive
kenneth416 Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 12:01 PM
Obama's voice is not like the typical donkey voice. It is more like a frog's--you know, like a "croaker". That is a word my older son acquainted me with many years ago when he was in high school. Next time he (Obama) is on TV, try not looking (quit making fun of his big, protruding ears) and just listen to him. Is that not a croak?
Flag as Offensive
Ms Kelly Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 10:22 PM
I could never understand why people talked about Obama's great speaking skills when he was campaigning in 08. I found his voice to be flat and rather monotonous. I thought his speeches sounded canned and boring.
Flag as Offensive
Norm183 Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 6:33 AM
Besides which, as Shakespeare said,"... a tale told by an IDIOT, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."
Flag as Offensive
jessie7 Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 7:38 AM
He does the "low shout" in all his speeches...so stupid.
Flag as Offensive
annfan6 Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 11:13 AM
The donkey is the perfect symbol for the Democrats - ignorant, lazy, loud, obnoxious, stubborn and basically useless.
Flag as Offensive
Charlotte239 Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 1:40 PM
Why denigrate the poor inoffensive donkey in such a way? I would never consider the donkey to be able to crawl through the grass like an elite democrat. Notice that I said an elite democrat, I figure that most democrats in the population are just as unhappy with the condition of the economy as most Republicans and Independents. Pity the poor donkey that is stuck being a symbol of socialism and marxism, when he was the one carrying the Virgin Mary on her way to Bethlehem.
Flag as Offensive
Collateral Damage Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 6:26 PM
It's the JACK@$$ Party that has denigrated the donkey!!!
Flag as Offensive
Younger Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 6:39 PM
I'm sorry, but I do not recall any mention of a donkey as transportation in the accounts of the birth of Jesus.
Flag as Offensive
Younger Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 6:39 PM
I'm sorry, but I do not recall any mention of a donkey as transportation in the accounts of the birth of Jesus.
Flag as Offensive
Charlotte239 Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 1:40 PM
Why denigrate the poor inoffensive donkey in such a way? I would never consider the donkey to be able to crawl through the grass like an elite democrat. Notice that I said an elite democrat, I figure that most democrats in the population are just as unhappy with the condition of the economy as most Republicans and Independents. Pity the poor donkey that is stuck being a symbol of socialism and marxism, when he was the one carrying the Virgin Mary on her way to Bethlehem.
Flag as Offensive
Mac287 Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 10:43 AM
post of 11:13AM...nuh uh,annfan6...nuh uh.
Flag as Offensive
Andy440 Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 10:15 AM
Thomas Nast, 19th century German immigrant, was the 'father' and 'gold standard' of American political cartoons. He is credited with creating the cartoon 'mascots' for both political parties- the Elephant, for the Republicans, and the Donkey for the Democrats.
Nast's cartoons, and the outrage they stirred in the public, were credited with 'taking down' the powerful Boss Tweed syndicate in New York. Called 'Nasty Nast' by the targets of his cartoons, Nast was living proof that the 'pen' is mightier than the sword.
Flag as Offensive
willis9 Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 3:49 PM
Corrupt politician power brokers scheming out of the public eye then and now deserve the scorn of political cartoons. Just as what makes a joke funny is the element of truth in it, so to the cartoon caricatures.
Flag as Offensive
Bencheeseburger Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 9:56 AM
I didn't know. Very interesting. Thanks, Mark.
Flag as Offensive
dmusgrove Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 8:15 AM
Yep, I would know obama's voice anywhere.
Flag as Offensive
Matt in N.C. Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 7:30 AM
Santorum has left Florida on the eve of the primary and flown home to spend time with his three-year-old daughter, a victim of trisomy 18 who's apparently taken a turn for the worse. I wonder how long it'll be before Alan Colmes, Bill Maher, and the Town Hall trolls stir from their drug-induced torpor and start making fun of the situation.
Flag as Offensive
annfan6 Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 11:12 AM
God bless Santorum and his family. He's a class act.
Flag as Offensive
Collateral Damage Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 6:28 PM
Thoughts and Prayers.
Flag as Offensive
Mac287 Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 10:58 AM
Santorum may be a class act and most importantly he is a father and is with his
sick little girl and we all wish her a good recovery and are glad he is a good dad
who is with her. That alone makes me respect Santorum and God bless his family
Matt in N.C. however does NOT have much class because he made a low-down
comment using Santorum's little daughter as "bait".Response to post of11:12AM
Flag as Offensive
Mac287 Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 10:52 AM
Stupid,ugly response of 7:30AM...how dare you? I don't know a single person who would EVER make fun of a sick three year old child!!! Drug-induced ? Look at Alan Colmes...do
you really think anyone would imagine him being mean in any way to a three year old child? Check with Karl Rove...quickly! You may have stepped over even that extended
"line" you seem to think doesn't apply to you...well it does and you,lower-than-low did step
over the decency line in order to slam and slander...and YOU used a 3 year old to do it...
for shame!
Flag as Offensive
Steelpony Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 7:01 AM
The analogy is still so true, thanks for the sunshine on just how the D party got its logo.

How accurate can you get with the definitions. Jackasses all. Faux everyone of them.
Flag as Offensive
Bill110 Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 6:55 AM
Mark, Why do you, the Democrats and the Liberal Media continually call the Democrat Party the Democratic Party. Are you in bed with the change agents? The braying A$$ was on TV the other night blaming Bush for his own incompetence.
Flag as Offensive
wayne566 Wrote: Jan 29, 2012 11:02 AM
Democracy is not the great thing people say it is. This is why our founders gave us a republic, rather than a democracy.
Democrat, democratic - whichever.... neither one is a good thing.
Flag as Offensive
Blair31 Wrote: Jan 30, 2012 9:30 AM
Winston Churchill said it: "Democracy is the worst form of government. Except for all
the others." The late, great, Paul Harvey said it: "Self-government without self-discipline won't work.
Flag as Offensive
« Previous1Next »
New comments on this article - click to refresh