Political Cartoon

The Sworn Congress

​Steve Sack is known for his unmistakable ability to show his point of view through his political cartoons. For over thirty years Sack has been an editorial cartoonist and likes to use metaphors for “high-impact results” (StarTribune). 2013 Pulitzer Prize winning Steve Sack’s latest political cartoon emphasizes that we elect people into Congress and then swear at them for the rest of their term.

​This cartoon is full of irony. Every day after Election Day has a mark on it, which states that we swear at our congress every day. Sack uses the word “sworn” twice, but with two different meanings. The first time he implies that the candidate is given under oath, or determined to remain in the role. The second time he uses it, he uses it as a past tense for swear. The public swears at the congress because, in this case, they don’t like the budget mess, gridlock, or the partisanship.

​Exaggerating is  primary tool of this cartoon. In the first picture, under the caption “DAY CONGRESS IS SWORN IN,”there is one mark on the calendar. The character’s house is nice and tidy and everything is in place, and he is reading the newspaper. The second picture with the caption “DAYS CONGRESS IS SWORN AT”, has a lot going on. The calendar is messy, showing that every day after congress is sworn in has a mark for being sworn at. The lamp is falling over and the picture hanging on the wall isn’t level anymore. Smoke comes out of the character’s ears and a lot of filth flarn flarn comes out of his mouth indicating that he is very frustrated with the newspaper articles. The newspaper he reads now has titles on it saying “BUDGET MESS, GRIDLOCK, PARTISANS…”

​Sack easily conveys his point using only a few of the features that a typical political cartoon uses. He doesn’t have iconography, caricature, or a caption. "My job description is simple. I read the paper, crack a joke, and draw a picture," Sack says (StarTribune). By keeping it simple the cartoon has respectable impact.

Steve Sack’s political cartoon is suggesting that we elect people into congress and then are frustrated with them from then on. Once congress is sworn in, the public expects congress to keep their promises.

Works Cited

Steve Sack. StarTribune. 29 Sept. 2013. Web.