"Binders of Bayonets for Big Bird": Analysis of Political Cartoon Images of the 2012 Presidential Debates. (August 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Conners, Joan L.
• Other Names: Payne J. Gregory guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: American behavioral scientist. Volume 58:Number 9(2014:Sep.)
• Page Start: 1144
• Page End: 1156
• Publication Date: 2014-08
• Subjects: political cartoon -- visual commentary -- political commentary; Social sciences -- Periodicals; Political science -- Periodicals; United States -- Social conditions -- Periodicals; United States -- Politics and government -- Periodicals; 300
• DOI: 10.1177/0002764213506203
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0002-7642

Abstract

Consistent with other media covering the 2012 presidential campaign, political cartoons attended to the events surrounding the three presidential debates between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. While political cartoons offer a humorous visual commentary, they are part of the campaign media narrative, and are perhaps more memorable than many stories or columns themselves. This analysis discusses the attention to and portrayal of particular candidate performance in the 2012 presidential debates, and how particular statements or behavior was visually demonstrated in political cartoons, and also discusses the implication of such portrayals and attention in cartoons.