TOW #9 - Thrown Mud is Ground Lost

In Tom Stiglich’s visual text, he is commenting on the 2016 elections.  His political cartoon is two people, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, covered in mud.  In addition, they are throwing mud at each other and wearing their campaign buttons on their chests.  As a viewer, this text is credible because a majority of people have seen the debates for the election and noticed the insulting rhetoric both Clinton and Trump use.  The insults and dirty way of debating is evident to almost everyone.  This cartoon is for those who are voting, so everyone in America over 18.  However, those who are younger are definitely a part of the audience as well.  Stiglich’s political cartoon is published after and during a series of debates for the 2016 election.  During this time, high tensions created from the election make this cartoon extremely popular.  Stiglich uses syntax and metaphor to show the presidential candidates are acting terrible to each other and ruining their possibility to be president.  Stiglich’s text has the words “Thrown Mud is Ground Lost,” this saying is used to describe their actions in the debates.  The dirty words and harsh accusations not only insult the other candidate, but also their own credibility.  Losing ground is meant to say how you lose your stance in the race and ruining your reputation.  A metaphor in this cartoon is the mud.  The mud is representing the insults they give each other in arguments.  It is mud because some analyzers say that the way these two candidates debate is dirty and wrong.  The artist is trying to say that the way these two act is irresponsible and not how a presidential race should be.  Stiglich’s use of syntax and metaphors creatively show the reader that the way Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump speak in debates is dirty and unlike other elections.  Highlighting this type of rhetoric convinces the viewers to think about who they are voting for based on the way Clinton and Trump present themselves publicly.  

(#77) http://www.usnews.com/opinion/cartoons/2015/01/30/editorial-cartoons-on-the-2016-presidential-elections