Obama Political

Cartoon:Puppets
by Jason Liosatos
Presentation by Erwin Ni

Background Info
This cartoon, titled Puppets, was created during
President Obamas administration by Jason Liosatos.
This person does not approve of how Obama
is handling the countrys numerous problems, and
painted this to show his disapproval.

Character:

Barack Obama is the

primary character
depicted in this cartoon.
He is currently the
President of the United
States of America. In this
piece, he is shown as a
corrupt official that
abuses his power and
enslaves the American
people for his own
benefit.

Character:

Businessmen are
chained and unhappy,
indicating that Obama
has damaged
businesses in America

Chains symbolize the

unnecessary regulations
that burden businesses

Character:

Protesters line the

streets, which indicates
public disapproval

Protesters symbolize
everyday Americans
harmed by the Obama
Administration

Character/Color:

Shadowy figure
represents the
corruption and secrecy
in the government

The figures darkness

indicates that many
important secrets are
hidden from Americans

Color:

Red liquid symbolizes

the lifeblood of the
American people that
Obama is stealing

Color:

The red and blue in the

American flag indicate a
political motive for this
cartoon, as the two
major political parties
today (Democrats and
Republicans) have red
(Republicans) and blue
(Democrats) as their
primary color.

Light:

The light in the distance

suggests that there is
still hope in the future

The shadows around the

picture warn of the dire
consequences should
the problem be left
unsolved

Angle:

Viewer is standing at the

same level as everyone
else, which indicates
that Obamas poor
policies affect
everybody, no matter
how rich or poor they
are.

Angle:

President Obama
doesnt seem to look at
the viewer, but instead
looks at some object in
the distance. This may
suggest that the
president doesnt care
about ordinary citizens,
and instead only focuses
on his own goals.

None of the ordinary

people seem to look at
the viewer, which may
suggest that they are too
distressed by their own
problems to worry about
others.

Proportion:

Size of figures = amount

of power their wield

Obama is the biggest

character, which
indicates that he has a
lot of power to affect
others

The businessmen are of

moderate size, which
indicates a moderate
amount of power

The protesters are small

and therefore have little
control over their own
lives

Proportion:

However, the buildings,

which represent the
economy, tower over all
the people. This
indicates that the
economy hasnt been
fully destroyed, which is
further evidence that
there is still plenty of
time to correct the
damage that the
government failed to fix.

Placement:

Part of Obamas body is

hidden under a table,
which indicates
governmental secrecy

Ordinary people are

shown in plain sight,
which indicates that they
are honest

Setting:

The cartoon is set on Wall

Street in New York City, the
financial capital of America.
The time period is 20082013 (Obamas presidency),
which is right after the 2007
stock market crash. After
the crash, a global
recession ensured as
leaders failed to stop the
economy from collapsing.
What was once a
flourishing place is now in
decline as protesters line
the streets. These features
point out the artists
opinion that Obama is
destroying the country and
worsening the economic
collapse. He is not doing
anything to help bring the
country out of the
recession.

Other Important
Features:

The Wall Street sign is

broken, suggesting
economic breakdown

The burning money

indicates severe (currency
is in large denominations)
and global (foreign bill is
also burning) economic
damage

CCLAPPS
Character: Barack Obama is the character spotlighted by this cartoon. In the cartoon, he is depicted as a villainous
politician who abuses his power for personal gain while the entire country collapses around him. He is wearing an
apron emblazoned with the words Immoral Monetary Fund, and is feeding a red liquid to an unknown individual.
The public strongly disapproves of him, which is indicated by the protestors on the streets. Two despondent
businessmen in chains are also shown in the cartoon. They represent the economic damage Obamas
unnecessary regulations has done to the countrys businesses. The protesters that line the streets represent the
average American citizen who is being hurt by Obama. Last but not least, the shadowy figure walking in the
building at the corner of the image represents the hidden corruption in the government.
Color: The red color of the liquid in the pot symbolizes the lifeblood of the American people that Obama is stealing
and feeding to the Immoral Monetary Fund. The red and blue in the American flag indicate a political motive for
this cartoon, as the two major political parties today (Democrats and Republicans) have red (Republicans) and
blue (Democrats) as their primary color.
Light: Most of the cartoon is brightly lit, indicating that there is still hope in the future. This implies that the American
people still have the power and time to undo the damage. However, there are several shadows in the cartoon that
warn of the catastrophic results that will ensure if the problem isnt corrected. Also, the everyday people
(protestors and businessmen) are shown in dark shading, which indicates that they are being harmed in some
way by Obama.

CCLAPPS (continued)
Angle: The viewer of the image is standing at the same level as the businessmen and the protestors. This indicates
that Obamas poor policies affect everybody, no matter how rich or poor they are. President Obama doesnt seem
to look at the viewer, but instead looks at some object in the distance. This may suggest that the president doesnt
care about ordinary citizens, and instead only focuses on his own goals. Also, none of the ordinary people seem
to look at the viewer, which may suggest that they are too distressed by their own problems to worry about others.
Proportion: The size of objects in the image is proportional to the amount of power that object wields. Obama is a
very large figure in the cartoon, much larger than the businessmen and protesters. This suggests that he wields
an enormous amount of power over the American people, and therefore can greatly affect their future. The
protesters, which represent ordinary people, are tiny compared to the other figures, suggesting that they have
little control over their lives. However, the buildings, which represent the economy, tower over all the people. This
indicates that the economy hasnt been fully destroyed, and that there is still plenty of time to correct the damage
that the government failed to fix.
Placement: Part of Obamas body in hidden from view by a table. This suggests governmental secrecy, which in this
cartoon may be the harmful (to the American people) activities Obama is secretly engaging in. Many important
secrets are hidden from Americans. The ordinary people are shown in plain sight, which suggests that they are
honest, working people unjustly harmed by poor leadership.

CCLAPPS (continued)
Setting: The cartoon is set on Wall Street in New York City, the financial capital of America. The time period is 20082013 (Obamas presidency), which is right after the 2007 stock market crash. After the crash, a global recession
ensured as leaders failed to stop the economy from collapsing. What was once a flourishing place is now in
decline as protesters line the streets. These features point out the artists opinion that Obama is destroying the
country and worsening the economic collapse. He is not doing anything to help bring the country out of the
recession.

Thanks For Watching!