On Edge Isn't Funny

The Republicans in the House Of Representatives can’t seem to get their act together, I’ve never seen anything like it. They are supposed to be electing a Speaker, and they nominated one but then decided maybe he’s not that great. If this weren’t so frightening, it would be funny. The House is unable to act without a Speaker, and foreign policy actions are tied up because of this disfunction. All of this is a direct result of Trump’s influence on the party, and his continued influence. It’s a clown car that can’t function, and a clown car that could hurt our country.

How does one draw specifically about something like this? I am a different sort of editorial cartoonist, I touch on politics from time to time but don’t have to daily come up with a visual commentary that’s funny for any publication. While I would like the regular employment (all New Yorker cartoonists are freelance), I can’t imagine how hard that is—I have respect for my on-staff colleagues at newspapers. But actually, there are very few such staff editorial cartoonist jobs now.

In drawing, I usually go at politics indirectly. This is sort of the tradition with New Yorker cartoons, and what drew me to try to get into the magazine many moons ago. Political commentary, but quietly. We need both kinds, for sure: the hard hitting political cartoonists of major newspapers, who are opinion journalists in the way a columnist is, and quieter cartoonists who help us see the big picture. A drawing about the House GOP could be funny and enlightening, but I personally can’t think of a way to draw about that, particularly without attacking specific individuals.

It’s one of those weeks—hopefully not months, but I am not optimistic. We are all on edge.

Thanks for being here.