Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Cartoon rivalries bring levity, and familiarity, to the election

Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote

Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote have a lot in common with our presdiential candidates.

BSR Entertainment/Getty Image

Corbin is professor emeritus of marketing at the University of Northern Iowa.

According to the April 12-16 NBC News survey, 52 percent of voters have somewhat or very negative feelings toward President Joe Biden, while 53 percent of voters have the same notion about former President Donald Trump. To make matters worse, Americans’ interest in the Nov. 5 election is the lowest since 2008.

Maybe it’s time to spark up interest in the election by bringing some comedy to the situation. First — with assistance from Greg Daugherty of Money — let’s review some cartoon characters who, via their creators, have actually announced a presidential candidacy. Then we’ll examine a few fictitious cartoon rivalries. One or more of the following may remind you of Biden or Trump. If a cartoon-related Biden-Trump 2024 rivalry doesn’t seem to develop, then the following is a jog through memory lane, good for any soul to do from time to time.


The Greatest Generation (1901-1927), the silent generation (1928-1945), baby boomers (1946-1964), Generation X (1965-1980) and millennials (1981-1996) may recall the cartoon duo Mutt and Jeff. Despite their strikingly different heights, they broke the cartoon-character-as-presidential-candidate glass ceiling as running mates in 1908. Their every-four-year-run for presidency ended in the 1980s. Many Americans would concur that the phrase “Biden and Trump are as different as Mutt and Jeff” is apropos.

Pogo, created by cartoonist Walt Kelly, first ran for office in 1952. The 1952 “Pogo for President” campaign rally at Harvard University turned into a riot. Pogo’s quadrennial candidacy ended in the 1970s and is known for the saying “We have met the enemy and he is us.” A presidential rally turning into a riot rings a bell, doesn’t it?

Another fabricated candidate who sought office against Dwight Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson in 1956 was Alfred E. Neumann, Mad Magazine’s mascot. Among Neumann’s campaign slogans was the infamous “You could do worse, you always have!” Many voters would claim that applies to recent elections.

In 1960, Alvin the singing chipmunk ran for president during the John F. Kennedy-Richard Nixon competition. Kennedy welcomed Alvin to the race by remarking, “I’m glad to know that I have at least one worthy opponent.”

Snoopy, the beagle of the “Peanuts” comic strip, ran for president in 1968, 1972, 1976 and 1980. In 1980, Ronald Reagan wrote to cartoonist Charles Schulz stating, “anything you can do to talk Snoopy out of running will be appreciated. How would he feel about a cabinet post?”

According to WatchMojo, there are quite a few cartoon rivalries that have entertained us for years. See if one or more of the following cartoon characters resemble Mr. Biden or Mr. Trump.

Democratic and GOP presidential candidates try to attract voters in their own unique manner, just like Popeye and Bluto (aka, Brutus) have fought — for 92 years — over Olive Oyl. Biden and Trump also seek the appeal of women voters, but in a strikingly different manner of grace, poise and decency.

Since the 1940s the rivalry of Tom and Jerry has been intense; they can’t agree on anything (just like Biden and Trump). Jerry is an overconfident good guy while Tom is about winning at all costs. Sound familiar?

For decades, Elmer Fudd has been purposefully chasing after that “wascawwy wabbit” Bugs Bunny. But thanks to his disguises and the various tricks up his sleeve, the rabbit always survives. This begs the question: Which of this year’s presidential candidates is most proficient — like Bugs Bunny — at disinformation, misinformation and propaganda?

In the “SpongeBob SquarePants” TV series (1999-present), Mr. Krabs and Plankton have continuously been fighting over the Krabby Patty recipe. Plankton keeps trying to steal back the recipe while Krabs is focused on revenge, retribution and greed as he really, really loves money. Any presidential candidate come to mind?

My favorite cartoon rivalry is Road Runner vs. Wile E. Coyote (1930-1969). The devious coyote uses complex contraptions from the Acme Corporation to catch his prey, with each conspiracy backfiring. Put into a forced-choice comparative decision, Biden is Road Runner, constantly on the run with continual attempts at bipartisan legislation and international peace making. Meanwhile, Trump is Wile E. Coyote. Trump’s 343 merchandise opportunities (e.g., $40 MAGA hat, $59.99 Bible, $200 sneakers, etc.) are available at the Trump Store and not Acme Corporation.

If nothing else, this rundown may have given you time to reminisce, relax from the struggles of daily life, laugh and ponder the similarities between comedy and presidential candidate similarities before realizing that on Nov. 5 voting will be no laughing matter.

Read More

Musician Nimo Patel Reminds Us To Take Our Time

Empty Hands Music Founder Nimo Patel’s new music video, "Takin' My Time," reminds us that taking time for yourself allows us to heal and thrive.

Getty Images, pocketlight

Musician Nimo Patel Reminds Us To Take Our Time

So far in 2025, we honored and celebrated culture as a bridge to the latest news and analysis of politics, policy, and the birth of a new civic and political voice to build greater social cohesion, civic engagement, and problem-solving.

We hope you have taken the journey with us as we shared stories, music, poetry, and dance to inspire our better angels as part of our continuing coverage of the problems and solutions of our times.

Keep ReadingShow less
Red, White, and Blue-tiful: America's Sporting Hype
Getty Images, vm

Red, White, and Blue-tiful: America's Sporting Hype

By now, you've seen the highlight reels: Christian Pulisic juking defenders like he's dodging TSA agents at JFK. Coco Gauff digging deep, her serve as fierce as her post-match interviews. The U.S. Women's National Team is still fighting for greater pay and respect, even after collecting more World Cup trophies than the men's team has, and still has excuses. It's another summer of global competition, and Team USA is, as always, performing for an audience of millions—many of whom only care about soccer every four years but will die on the hill that "we invented sportsmanship."

Welcome to the American sports paradox, where patriotism is a jersey worn as needed. We drape ourselves in flags when we win and drape our failures in "well, it's not our real sport anyway" when we lose. We're a nation obsessed with winning but allergic to the humility that comes with actually playing the world's games on the world's terms.

Keep ReadingShow less
From Vision to Action: 
Remaking the World Through Social Entrepreneurship
blue and brown globe on persons hand
Photo by Greg Rosenke on Unsplash

From Vision to Action: Remaking the World Through Social Entrepreneurship

Social entrepreneurs are people who launch ventures aimed at promoting positive change in their community and in the world. I am such a person. In 1982, I founded a nonprofit organization called Search for Common Ground (informally known as “Search”). My bottom line was not financial gain but making the world a better place.

My credentials as a social entrepreneur grew out of my hands-on involvement in building Search from zero into the world’s largest nonprofit group involved in peacebuilding. My partner and closest collaborator wasand ismy wife, Susan Collin Marks. By the time we stepped down from Search’s leadership in 2014, we had a deeply committed staff of 600 employees working out of offices in 35 countries. In 2018, Search was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bruce Springsteen Speaks Out: Rise With Us and Raise Your Voices

Bruce Springsteen and Max Weinberg perform during the first night of 'The Land of Hopes and Dreams' tour at Co-op Live on May 14, 2025 in Manchester, England.

Getty Images, Shirlaine Forrest

Bruce Springsteen Speaks Out: Rise With Us and Raise Your Voices

During Bruce Springsteen’s recent Land of Hope and Dreams tour in Europe, the legendary musician drew the ire of President Trump at a concert in Manchester, England, on May 14, 2025. Springsteen openly criticized the Trump administration, calling it "corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous" and urging the audience to stand against authoritarianism.

He expanded on his concerns during the introduction to My City of Ruins, delivering a powerful statement on the state of democracy. Addressing the crowd, he declared: "There’s some very weird, strange, and dangerous shit going on out there right now. In America, they are persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. This is happening now. In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world’s poorest children to sickness and death. This is happening now."

Keep ReadingShow less