Found, and Lost, in Maine
It is a cute reworking of the single most important political graphic in Ango-American colonial history, the 1754 cartoon by Ben Franklin, for political union during the Seven Years War. Mind, political union had taken place in 1643, between the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth Colony, Connecticut Colony, and New Haven Colony, see the Avelon Project for The Articles of Confederation of the United Colonies of New England; May 19, 1643.
However, in Maine, regardless of how the dedicated participants of each faction respond to each other, or the rest of the Party, or the broader, non-party political base, the down-ticket races -- Tom's against Susan, and oneof {Brennan, Cote, Lawrence, Pingree, Strimling} against who ever wins the Republican primary for the 1st CD, ensure that the electoral votes are already cast.
Where the graphic should be found, and what the names of the eight colonies in the original Franklin cartoon should be, is in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Colorado and Iowa.
Of course, just as it is desirable to put the Bush-Cheney tax cuts, the profiteers and the war criminals in leg irons, it may be necessary to put some campaign properties, and this cycle's crop of the unbalanced and self-validating opineratti in leg irons too.
The day the Obama Campaign denounces something orange and sends cease-and-desist letters to a handfull of misogynistic Haka posturing Destructocrats is the day this cartoon will be something other than a vision of what might have been, like the vision of Al and Tipper asking us if we'd like them to kiss and make up the Republic.
h/t for the image from PolitickerME.
Comments
Though it seems increasingly unlikely given the rancor between the leading candidates, I'd still love to see this end up with a Democratic ticket of either Clinton/Obama or Obama/Clinton. [Though I do have a preference between the candidates, I'd rather see my favorite as veep than deal with the disharmony from the other group feeling disenfranchised.]
Posted by: Lis Riba | March 23, 2008 03:41 PM
Second in succession is one solution, however it is not the only solution.
Secretary of State, 4th in succession.
Secretary of the Treasury, 5th
Secretary of Defense, 6th
Attorney General, 7th
It is hard to believe that State, Treasury, Defense, or AG, are beneath the dignity, or beyond the abilities, of one, or the other, of the Hero Twins.
The duties of the VP are ... breathing, and breaking ties in the Senate.
Ignoring the irrational excesses of the orange digital tabloid and its copycats, what is the Obama theory that the economy isn't wicked broke, and the junior Senator from New York shouldn't be running Treasury? Rinse and repeat for State, Defense and Justice.
The other direction is a bit harder, as rhetoric alone isn't sufficient to run one of the four major departments of government, but given what idiots have been given the responsibility for each (Rice, Snow, Rumsfeld/Gates, Ashcroft/Gonzalas/Mukasey), why shouldn't a no-record junior Senator from Anywhere not get a chance to learn what we do all this for -- to govern?
Thanks for contributing your comments.
Posted by: ebw | March 23, 2008 05:31 PM
Hi EBW--where did you find that awesome flag image? (Or did you make it yourself?) It's very cool. (And I'm impressed that you know about the UCNE, although the English alliance had nothing on the Wabanaki and broader Algonquian connections throughout New England.)
Historiann.com
Posted by: Historiann | March 24, 2008 01:50 PM
I ripped it off from politickerme and ment to add the attribution before a browser crash wiped out my short-term memory.
I think I've mentioned the United Colony period a couple of times previously, perhaps not at Wampum.
Posted by: ebw | March 24, 2008 03:24 PM