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Ted Rall
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Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist, columnist, author and blogger who describes himself as a “neo-traditionalist” in the style of Thomas Nast, the crusading newspaper cartoonist of the late 19th century. He’s also a rabid leftist whose foaming-at-the-mouth style, no-holds-barred comments and caustic illustrations have generated high praise and death threats alike. His work has appeared in more than 140 publications, and he is the author of Wake Up, You’re Liberal: How We Can Take Back America from the Right and a new work to be released this week, Generalissimo El Busho: Essays and Cartoons on the Bush Years.
Today, as part of our ongoing series of interviews with reporters and commentators across the ideological spectrum, we asked Rall to comment on his own work, that of his competitors, and press coverage of the election campaign in general. Herewith, Rall rails:
Susan Q. Stranahan: You’ve come under fire for your cartoons and commentary, most recently your remark on your blog about the late President Reagan, specifically, “If there is a hell, this guy is in it.” As a result, Fox News’ Sean Hannity described you as “thoughtless, mean and hateful.” Were you surprised by the reaction?
Ted Rall: It was a comment that was typed up really quickly. I said I’m sure he’s turning crispy brown right now. Drudge linked to it and it had a life of its own. All the right-wing subjects — Fox News, the Washington Times, Andrew Sullivan — got hold of it and went crazy. I think frankly it was a pretty mild comment. The man was the scum of the earth. We were suffering a case of national amnesia. There was not a single conservative who wrote to me who had a meaningful argument to counter what I had to say. Nobody offered a substantive argument in favor of Reagan. They don’t want to out-argue you; they just want to make you shut up. It shows how far we’ve gone.
SQS: You obviously don’t pull any punches. Has the current generation of editorial cartoonists — those seen by most newspaper readers — lost their teeth? And if so, why?
TR: At any given time, most cartoonists are not good. There’s nothing new about that. That’s not saying anything especially cruel about cartoonists. Ninety-nine percent of everything — music, books, cartoons — sucks. At the same time, there’s never been as much quality work going on. But in the mainstream press, there’s less willingness than ever to hire cartoonists with teeth, an edge. A guy like Bill Mauldin couldn’t get work today …
I also think there are a number of other factors at work. Editors are wimpier than ever. Since 9/11, there is a fear of all sorts of political cartooning. Time stopped running political cartoons after 9/11. The editors told me that was the day that Americans stopped laughing. They said political humor is no longer appropriate. Ask Jon Stewart if political humor is dead.
I’m as out there [on the political edge] as I am because I have the freedom. It’s the only benefit of being syndicated and not working at a paper. If someone said tone it down and we’ll pay you $100,000 a year, I’d say great. Since no one will have me, I might as well use the freedom I have.
SQS: What role do cartoons have in influencing the outcome of this year’s presidential campaign?
TR: None. [Laughter.] Only to the extent that cartoons are part of the overarching dialogue. I think cartooning reinforces old concepts and introduces new views of a president. I don’t think any election will ever hinge on cartooning.
On the flip side of that, my drawing of George Bush as Generalissimo Busho is intended to remind people that he wasn’t legitimately elected. I really enjoy drawing Bush. I model him on Pinochet.
SQS: Earlier this month, The Guardian of London described you as “among America’s most offensive” people, adding “if Doonesbury and Michael Moore are the cutting edge of American political comedy, Rall is the bludgeon.” Respond, please.
TR: [Laughter.] God Bless the Guardian. It’s the only accurate news source about the US these days, that and the UK Independent. The bludgeon thing, I feel, is just me doing my job. There is something to be said for cartoonists who rely on subtlety, but frankly it doesn’t do much for me. If Ralph Nader were president I probably would be doing some subtle gibes, like where he failed to get in one slight amendment to the Clean Air Act, but we’re dealing with a Nazi.
The current administration is un-elected. Bush starts two illegal wars, engages in … torture, rounds up thousands of people. When you’re confronted with a threat to the country that we all grew up in and love, it doesn’t call for a rapier, it really does call for an ax. In my own small way — which is spilling India ink across the paper, I’m yelling as loud as I can that these guys are insane. I wouldn’t feel the need to do that if there were more of us doing the same thing. Way too many of my colleagues just don’t get it.
SQS: If you had 10 minutes alone with either George Bush or John Kerry, what would you tell them?
TR: I’d tell George Bush that he should release all the prisoners from all the detention camps — Guantanamo, the INS centers, Afghanistan. It’s the most evil thing that the United States is doing, rounding up people without protecting their basic civil rights. And I would ask him to resign. He just needs to get out of Al Gore’s house.
As for John Kerry, I’d tell him I think he’s running a great campaign. He needs to excite the left about his candidacy and then he will win.
—Susan Q. Stranahan
Susan Q. Stranahan wrote for CJR.