New animation: Two cartoons and one big political divide in the USA
“An American Divide” is a mash-up of two Horsey cartoons from earlier in 2015. With one cartoon character invading the space of the other, the video delivers a quirky commentary on the USA’s political and generational divide.
What happens when one political cartoon invades another? My new animation gives an answer to that question.
On Jan. 5, I published a cartoon of a young girl singing a revised version of “America the Beautiful.” On Nov. 20, I offered up a cartoon of an older man wedged inside a silo of brick walls. They were two distinct expressions of our collective American personality; one exhibiting hope, the other encased in fear. While brainstorming ideas for new animated political cartoons, something inspired me to give voices to this pair and a chance for them to interact.
Their meeting, as you will see, goes no better than most current political discussions between liberals and conservatives. Sadly, the days of respectful engagement and the quest for common ground seem to have passed. More and more, the United States is a house divided and, as Abraham Lincoln said, such a house cannot stand for long.
Our rancorous division will be the underlying dynamic of the 2016 presidential campaign. Heading into a new year, it would be nice to think we could start fresh, but that is an impossible wish. It is going to be nasty. With luck, the divide will yet be bridged as the country evolves politically and generations change. That will take years, though.
In the meantime, comic relief is pretty much all we can count on, which is why I do what I do.
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