The subtlety of Biden's Oval Office address about Israel, Palestine, and Ukraine -- and FedHex strikes again
An editorial cartoon, a Candorville comic strip, and an animation
This cartoon, as seen at Comics Kingdom, is free. But paid subscribers can scroll down and view a timelapse animation of the cartoon’s creation:
Some variation of the maxim “never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake” has been attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte, Sun Tzu, and even to some guy named Charles E. Mitchell, who was head of the New York City Bank. Whoever said
it first, it’s a maxim President Biden and the Democrats have been practicing for the past few weeks. House Republicans removed their own Speaker and the wannabe successors have (miserably) failed to win enough votes, leaving the House unable to introduce or pass bills. They’ve spent weeks, now, humiliating themselves and demonstrating they’re incapable of governing. The Democrats have been content to let it happen without much comment, counting on the American people to witness the spectacle and remember it when they step into the ballot booth in November of ‘24.
But that maxim depends on the public knowing the enemy is making a mistake. That maxim died in 1996 when Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News joined right wing radio in a
crusade to fabricate an alternate reality, full of “alternate facts,” for the purpose of fooling millions of Americans, many of whom wanted to be fooled. And for the purpose of turning those viewers and listeners into foot soldiers who’d spread their narrative through casual conversations to millions more who don’t pay attention to the news at all.
By design or by neglect, Democrats are using tactics they should’ve buried at least 27 years ago. Last night, President Biden didn’t explicitly call out the malevolent incompetence of the Republican Party, but that condemnation was present in between the lines, in what he refrained from saying. It’s not clear that that kind of subtle
diplomatic-speak will move the needle at all in MAGA-era America.
Meanwhile, in Candorville, Lemont’s probably about to use some less-than-diplomatic language of his own.
Don’t forget to scroll down to see the animation!
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