MP 2 TOW 2: The Power of Voting

This past election was an important time in American history. Two very different candidates took the stage, and voters decided the course our country will take for the next four years. However, there were also many Americans that were considering not voting at all. In this political cartoon, Jeff Parker depicts the negativity of their actions. Parker is a cartoonist for the Florida Today, and also draws for various television shows. The cartoon is entitled “What is the most powerful place in America?,” and shows the White House, The Pentagon, the U.S. Capital, and a voting booth which is the selected item. This intends to show where the power of our society truly comes from. It also is meant to encourage possible voters to exercise this power and vote. Irony is used in this cartoon, because the viewers do not expect the most powerful image to be the smallest of the group. Parker also uses color quite well. The red check next to the voting booth is the most vibrant and noticeable color of the piece, drawing attention to it immediately. While the cartoon is rather simple, Parker is quite effective in achieving his purpose. It can become very easy for Americans to forget that they hold the true power because primary elections only happen once every four years. This is instrumental in reminding Americans that their vote truly is important in the grand scheme of things.