Donkeys and elephants: From satire to symbols

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Actually, New York newspaper editor Arthur Brisbane first phrased it a little differently in 1911:

“Use a picture. It’s worth a thousand words.”

As campaign advertisers know, skipping a thousand words also saves money and space. Instead of a paragraph to relay a platform on a bumper sticker or yard sign, elephants and donkeys convey messages we all recognize.

We seem to see them everywhere in election season, which got me wondering: Why donkeys and elephants? Their real-life characteristics don’t neatly fit their symbolized parties’ platforms and ideals.

That’s because they weren’t meant to. It’s all a joke. And in this case, you can fairly blame (or credit) the media.

In the 19th century, Americans relied on newspapers and news magazines as their primary source of information. That held true even for a large population of illiterate citizens, who absorbed their “thousand words” from news illustrations. Editorial cartoons purposely use exaggerated or satirized news in order to communicate the gist of an issue or story with a picture.

Some of these illustrators displayed pure genius, able to convey complex situations in one image, often depicting two sides. They used humor and tended to evoke strong reactions. Once in a while, modern illustrations still achieve that complexity of skill and storytelling.

German-born Thomas Nast was one such talent. 

Considered the father of modern political cartoons, Nast worked for Harper’s Weekly in New York, publishing more than 3,000 drawings between 1862 and 1885, according to the National Museum of American History. His popular illustrations often depicted animals in outrageous situations, bringing us back to our two symbols.

First came the donkey. Twisting his name in 1828 to insult presidential candidate Andrew Jackson, the Whig (conservative) Party referred to him as “A. Jackass.”

Jackson must have had a sense of humor. Embracing the gibe, he began to include donkeys on his campaign posters. The association stuck so well that by 1870, Nast — not the first, but the most frequent — used donkeys to depict the Democratic Party.

A few decades later, something similar happened with President Lincoln. By the time Lincoln became associated with looming war, an elephant had appeared in a political cartoon to symbolize the Republican Party’s position in favor of war, to prevent the expansion of slavery. That may have been because when Civil War-era soldiers faced the daunting prospect of combat, some called it “seeing the elephant.”

Once again, Nast popularized the association in a November 1874 Harper’s Weekly. The “The Third-term Panic” cartoon showed a massive elephant labeled “Republican vote” teetering at the edge of a pit, while a donkey clad in a lion costume scared off other animals. See the image on the Library of Congress site www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004682001.

Neither was meant to be flattering.

While both parties initially resisted these symbols, preferring national icons such as the eagle and flag, over time their persistent use gave way. And here we are, so accustomed to pachyderms and equines that we take them in stride.

Whichever you choose, please exercise your hard-won right to vote. Look up how and where: voteidaho.gov 

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Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Contact her at Sholeh@cdapress.com.