First, I want to stress that I'm not making a "both sides do it" point with the cartoon. Well, okay, I am, but it's nuanced (and like political conventions, political cartoons are not particularly well suited for nuance).
In my sampling of the Democratic and Republican Conventions over these past two weeks it was clear that fear was the featured technique to attract my vote. For the Democrats it was, "Can you imagine four more years of Donald Trump?" And for the Republicans it was one long, extended, panicked scream.
So, yes, while I would have preferred to hear more from the Democrats about what they are for and less about what they are against, the Republicans left me wondering what the color of the sky is in the dystopian world they seem to be living in. Again, both sides, similar technique, but very different orders of magnitude.
Regardless, the reason it's done at all is that it works. Or, at least, it has worked in the past. It'd be great if we can prove them wrong come November by voting on what we aspire to, not what scares us.
John Auchter is a freelance political cartoonist. His views are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Michigan Radio, its management, or its license holder, the University of Michigan.
Want to support programming like this? Consider making a gift to Michigan Radio today.
