Are the Democrats in that much disarray -- or are conservative Brits just using the party for a piñata?
I read through this magazine's latest opinion piece and its special report and still couldn't find any reason party leaders would be depicted as mariachis. The logical explanation -- given current news -- is that the Dems have some special connection to (or advantage from) the immigration issue. But do they?
Or, maybe the graphic inspiration here was more a geographic one. Employing a Western motif, maybe the collage is supposed to emphasize territory in which Democrats compare most favorably to roadkill?
I was also interested in the sign -- and the flag. Because yellow diamond-shaped signs with black borders typically warn of danger, you would think -- given the direction people are walking -- the party has seen the worst. Considering the bullet holes, however, it suggests the Dems have been shot up good, and are open to withering fire at anytime.
Does the fact the donkey has been blasted through the middle signify the party is only intact on the extreme left or right?
And, I guess the placement of the stars and stripes shows that Dems will abandon the national good as they push down the road in pursuit of their own.
Then, there's the handicapping:
Is George Clooney running for something? Is Hillary that obnoxious? Are the Brits predicting a Hillary-Gore showdown? Is Kerry that much in the thick of it? (And, when has anybody run a picture of this guy in which he didn't look lost in his own world?) Guess it's compulsory to take a rip at Dean. (The head of the party shows up as a runaway midget with his back to the crowd.) I think the Brits always liked Bubba, here pursuing his middle way. He's not as big as Clooney, but Obama is on his way up. And, are they saying Warner is as close to the flag as the blue team is going to get?
But anyway, not to worry -- there's always Ted to bring up the rear.
For more of the visual, visit BAGnewsNotes.com.
(image: The Economist Magazine. April 22, 2006. Cover)