What California and Venezuela have in Common: vast riches in states being destroyed by self seeking socialist governments. We all have a growing list of friends who made the difficult decision to uproot themselves from what used to be paradise, and move to red states with bugs, heat and humidity. They were seeking freedom and an affordable, sane life. Even more, they are fleeing the political and social culture of the Blue states of the West coast. We know even more people who are toying with the idea of moving. Today, I read that even the founders of Google are discussing fleeing Californistan. Elections here are either crooked, or the populace is so deranged that they fail to see the consequences of societal suicide. In Santa Barbara, the latter option seems likely, in light of the loons standing out by Whole Foods waving signs saying “No Kings” etc. It is no surprise that these folks wait anxiously for the city council to dig an even deeper hole with rent control measures. When you find yourself in a deep hole, the first plan of action ought to be STOP DIGGING. Can we vote our way out of this mess?
We left for a red state; and yes I very much miss my home/birth state and people. At times. But every time I visit I see CA’s decline speeding up. I do not miss that. At all. God bless those who stay and fight. ❤️🙏🏻🇺🇸
Democrats flock to the nicest places and destroy them. California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii would be my top four places to live but all have been transformed by Democrat idiocy. I am tired of dealing with masked, gender indeterminate they thems that can’t make eye contact or form a coherent sentence. I am moving to the Everglades, damn the bugs.
The mere fact the Dem politicians continue to lie about the fallacy of Trump's actions illustrates how stupid they think their Dem voting constituents are about the true facts. If I was a Dem, I'd be embarrassed and get out of the party ASAP. The reason why the constituent Dems don't leave the party in droves can only be explained by the fact that they are truly STUPID.
BR: besides “STUPID”, they “don’t leave the party” because they profit, they benefit. Democrat politicians need the high paycheck plus compensation unobtainable from the private sector until after they’ve the value of being a prior politician.
Fix our elections, remove the money from politics and hold politicians, lawmakers and judicial activists accountable for their actions (and crimes) we have a chance to save our state and union. It's a tall order in this current era but it's worth the fight.
Carbajal is a lightweight who is unknown by many of his fellow members of congress. He chirps the Democrat talking points to stay relevant. He is way out of his league and out of touch with the everyday, hard-working American.
JBizzle: Carbajal reads well and is loyal to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. His primary Congressional assignment is fund raising for the Democrat Party in our wealthy community. He’s quite successful in this assigned job. Locals keep sending Salud lots of money. Why? He’s a likable guy who remembers names.
If the Monroe doctrine does say "keep our hemisphere off limits to foreign powers with possible malign intentions to develop strongholds that could create vulnerabilities to America" explain to me how the Chinese have been allowed to purchase significant amounts of farmland adjacent to our military bases, from which they can monitor our communications. AND how the CCP has satellite police stations in major cities in many states. By cutting off Chinese access to Venezuelan oil we have stopped their major advance into our hemisphere. Now if we can just jumpstart our industrial capacity so that we are not dependent on China for drugs and manufactured goods we may be on the way to a better American century. If WWIII doesn't obliterate us first.
The similarities between Che Guevara and Salud Carbajal may be satirical, but in reality are much different. Guevara’s intellect was much deeper, physician, diplomat, revolutionary and charismatic leader. Carbajal, not so much.
In fact, other than being our multi term congressman, aide to Naomi Schwartz and part time Marine Corps Reservist, it’s hard to tell what else he’s accomplished.
No, Carbajal’s role to the local liberal power base is much more important. Pushing Democratic initiatives, virtue signaling and distracting the public from the truly corrupt and wretched role his party has played over the many decades on the South Coast.
His primary job has been to run interference, putting out fires, keeping his constituents angry, while deflecting from the reality over the lack of good paying private sector jobs, zero affordable housing, high energy costs and shocking poverty rates.
Have people memories been erased of what has been happening for the last 20 years.
If Dems are such amazing humanitarians why aren't they celebrating with the people of Venezuela and rejoicing in the arrest of notorious and sinister dictator and a country ruled by the cartel.
Venezuelans were waiting in line for essentials to live on and in poverty. Yet the natural resource that lay beneath their feet was not helping citizens lead a prosperous life.
Carbajal supports the immigrants in California and gives them all benefits and support yet with the people of Venezulea he'd rather support the dictator than the people. The same name many of the Dems accuse Trump of being.
They are twisting themselves into a pretzel to defy any policies of trump yet their beliefs and policies are so hypocritical.
On top of all their beliefs,their rhetoric is causing all this violence in the US at the moment.
Party of peace and tolerance is no longer what the Dems support. Instead they support Criminals and Dictators.
The same party is still in charge in Caracas, while the same corrupt Venezuelan military and political figures are in charge everywhere else. I'm not so sure the humanitarian situation will change that much without our boots on the ground. And who wants that?
JT- Agree. What’s next? The new President and her brother (who heads Congress) are in tight with China, Iran and other adversaries in our Hemisphere. Will there be honest elections in Venezuela, when elections are controlled/rigged in our state and country?
Best meme I have seen on this is a photo of Trump in a magicians hat, the caption reads " Now for my next trick I am going to get Democrats to publicly support a dictator'.."no Kings indeed" ha ha.
"And yet, all the lefties in America are complaining that Trump has brought a narco-terrorist to justice after he had been indicted back in 2020 on narco-terrorism charges. And, just what did they expect to happen after Biden upped the reward for Maduro’s capture to $25 million before he left office?"
You're arguing because American presidents have a habit of issuing military strikes or operations that now this makes President Trump morally justified? This is infantile.
"America has had a policy in place for some 200 years called the Monroe Doctrine, which has been newly and hilariously dubbed the Donroe Doctrine. This doctrine set our hemisphere off limits to foreign powers with possible malign intentions to develop strongholds that could create vulnerabilities to America. We are long overdue in resurrecting the doctrine lest we ignore it to our own peril."
The Monroe Doctrine referred to foreign interference - it had nothing to do woth corrupt state actors being deposed, that was only justified under the Roosevelt Corollary.
Are you unaware that China and Iran...both bad actors...are and have been very engaged in Venezuela politics and infrastructure and have been for some time? Or are you referring to somewhere else?
President Trump has stated that he has appointed Zionist Stephen Miller to run Venezuela. Major oil company executives who have remained mum over the course of Trump’s statements regarding Venezuela’s oil infrastructure are meeting with Trump the end of the week. At issue is the cost to rebuild the bombed infrastructure so that oil can be extracted. Given oil companies don’t seem too keen on Trump’s proposal/mandate, Trump has reversed his previous mandate and now states US taxpayers will foot the majority of the bill.
In the meantime, Trump and Miller have announced that Venezuela cannot sell ANY oil – its main source of revenue. Making the people suffer! A classic Zionist tactic. Torture and suffering.
Trump has spent billions of taxpayer funds to bomb and kill 110 fishermen, bomb Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, confiscate oil ships and kidnap Maduro. So, what does he have to show for this money spent? Nothing. In fact, he has now managed to isolate every single ally America has ever had in favor of Israel. He has become the madman of James Bond lore — Dr. No. a maniacal villain.
You understand of course that if in fact your unsubstantiated claim that Trump bombed Venezuelan oil infrastructure negates the argument put forth by your buddies on the left that the entire motivation was to take control of Venezuelan oil. Can't have it both ways. Ask Che Carbajal, perhaps he will have an answer...maybe not steeped in facts or reality but plenty of pro-Venezuelan rhetoric.
Strikes on Infrastructure: In late December 2025, President Trump announced that U.S. forces had destroyed a "big facility" on the Venezuelan coast that he claimed was used by drug traffickers to load boats.
Reports from early January 2026 indicated further, more extensive strikes in the region, including on facilities in Caracas, following a naval blockade of Venezuela-bound oil tankers.
And the US taxpayer is set to become poorer as a result, with We The People bailing out the oil companies.Trump says the U.S. government may reimburse oil companies for rebuilding Venezuela's infrastructure
Big oil firms will either "get reimbursed by us or through revenue," Trump told NBC News in an exclusive interview.
Before responding look at the history of US oil industry investment in Venezuela and how billions of dollars were seized by the socialistic/communistic illegitimate government of Venezuela. Look at their economy before they took over and look at the Economy afterwards. And then after you've done that look at the video of the people dancing in the streets and other cities around the world where they have fled.
You are confused. I was responding to your false claim Trump was attacking oil infrastructure. That was not an attack on oil infastructure per se. Do your homework. That attack was on a private chemical plant that the US believe was used in drug processing. Pay attention. I hope that corrects you were misunderstanding.
The drugs are coming from Peru, Bolivia, Columbia, and Mexico, if mean drugs you mean oil then that’s coming from Venezuela for sure. You do your own homework we can either have a republic or an empire and we have an empire which will destroy our lives, our freedoms as Americans.
You’re the one that needs to do some homework. They talked to port as well as military bases, which are used by Venezuela to facilitate oil sales.
What do you think the US is gonna do with this oil? Some people say that it’s going to be used to build massive AI data installations and places like the Appalachia, an agenda that coincides with the New World order in which organic carbon base life will be taken over by silicone AI synthetic life. That’s why there’s such buddies with the technocrats at this White House.
You lost me at "Some people...". That's the kind of reporting that I get from the mainstream med and its' chronic TDS...vague and devoid of substance...just emotion driven by TDS. Sound familiar?
Were you upset when Biden raised the reward to capture Maduro to $25m ??
Anyway...I'm done and intend to enjoy another beautiful Santa Barbara day...suggest you do the same.
Andy, perhaps you should consider running (again) against Congressman Carbajal. I would imagine it would be quite a pay cut from your current position as a lobbyist.
Based on your election drubbing by Carbajal (see below) a few years ago, as well as local public negative sentiment against the current administration, I’d stick with your day job.
Source; Ballotpedia
Salud Carbajal (D) 58.7 212,564
Image of Andy Caldwell
Andy Caldwell (R) Candidate Connection 41.3 149,781
Ballotpedia Logo
Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source
You should be embarrassed for mocking somebody who had the courage and commitment to run for office, regardless of what party and regardless of the outcome.
Respect on both sides would be nice. I think the photoshopped/AI Carbajal face on "Che" is pretty classless. Especially against someone Andy ran against. Andy can make his case without cartoons.
Seriously???? Political cartoons and memes have been an integral component of the American political scene long before we were a nation. There have been courses taught at the universities that have focused on the role of cartoons and memes throughout time. It's unfortunate you're offended by that form of communication; I find it is often clever and communicative without using words regardless of the political orientation or the intent of the creator.
It's unfortunate you are offended at what Andy posted with his article today. It would not be difficult to make an argument supporting the theme of that cartoon.…however that's not the point... it's a form of political expression.
Too many people with thin skin. I see a MANY cartoons and memes negatively depicting Trump. That's OK, it's part of the process. It's a very legitimate and historical form of expression...with the usual exceptions of course. It's countries like Iran...or Venezuela that prosecute such expression (now maybe Britain and EU?).
Perhaps people only get sideways when their ox gets gored?
I don't have thin skin. I just would't do that to someone I ran against. Political cartoons are fine - just not from someone you ran against - especially if you lost. You know, sour grapes and everything.
Who among us could identify a photo of Boss Tweed but yet can conjure up one of the Thomas Nast cartoons from 1871. His scathing illustrations in Harper's Weekly played a key role in Tweed's eventual arrest and conviction for New York Tammany Hall corruption. I say let the cartoons rip ! The problem is when you can't identify something as AI or real, that's when the credulous public falls for propaganda.
IMO: Lobbyist have always been one of the worst problems in Washington DC. Lobbyists are paid large amounts of money, and then sent to D.C. to influence and grant favors to weaker politicians to vote for the interests of companies these lobbyists work for. Like I said, just my opinion.
Agree. It's one thing to advocate for an issue, it's another to spike that advocacy with cash, donations, etc., along with the attendant promise to deliver voting blocs. It is ubiquitous and often toxic.
Peter: We’ve a stellar candidate in Bob Smith!! Help oust Salud! By chance, are you the author of “The Lamb on the Altar
A Reflection on the Symbol of the Lamb and Manhood” posted on Substack? This article addresses in part the courage required to lead, to be a man. Have you considered running for office? Congress? D1 County Supervisor?
Caldwell responded to multiple requests for an informed, prepared, electible candidate with name recognition. Caldwell’s pro-life position resulted in his defeat as too many chose not to vote, who supported Andy’s many other positions. Bodily autonomy was a big issue.
Non-Democrat candidates for office in Santa Barbara City or County are courageous, exceeding their civic duty responsibilities, and subjected to repeated and prolonged attacks by others of various party affiliations, including the GOP. Non-Democrat Candidates typically do not receive any support or funding from complicit conservative and moderate voters claiming they must ‘play it safe by non-visibility, non-participation.’ The time is now: support Bob Smith!
I used to think Carbajal was just a democrat puppet, clapping like a seal, echoing their agenda.
Over the last year his actions and comments have convinced me he is a moron.
I'm not convinced he's a moron. I think he knows exactly what he is doing, that's the unfortunate part.
What California and Venezuela have in Common: vast riches in states being destroyed by self seeking socialist governments. We all have a growing list of friends who made the difficult decision to uproot themselves from what used to be paradise, and move to red states with bugs, heat and humidity. They were seeking freedom and an affordable, sane life. Even more, they are fleeing the political and social culture of the Blue states of the West coast. We know even more people who are toying with the idea of moving. Today, I read that even the founders of Google are discussing fleeing Californistan. Elections here are either crooked, or the populace is so deranged that they fail to see the consequences of societal suicide. In Santa Barbara, the latter option seems likely, in light of the loons standing out by Whole Foods waving signs saying “No Kings” etc. It is no surprise that these folks wait anxiously for the city council to dig an even deeper hole with rent control measures. When you find yourself in a deep hole, the first plan of action ought to be STOP DIGGING. Can we vote our way out of this mess?
We left for a red state; and yes I very much miss my home/birth state and people. At times. But every time I visit I see CA’s decline speeding up. I do not miss that. At all. God bless those who stay and fight. ❤️🙏🏻🇺🇸
We are thinking of leaving too where did you go?
Democrats flock to the nicest places and destroy them. California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii would be my top four places to live but all have been transformed by Democrat idiocy. I am tired of dealing with masked, gender indeterminate they thems that can’t make eye contact or form a coherent sentence. I am moving to the Everglades, damn the bugs.
How do we stop digging in quicksand? Crying HELP for reinforcements and informed voters. If we cannot elect stellar Congressman Bob Smith, I give up!
California is the one party dictatorship, but we can’t lose Hope and keep going to the polls to vote these lunatics out like Carbajal
Carbajal does nothing in Congress to help SB county but can always be counted on to be a lap dog follower of the Left
The mere fact the Dem politicians continue to lie about the fallacy of Trump's actions illustrates how stupid they think their Dem voting constituents are about the true facts. If I was a Dem, I'd be embarrassed and get out of the party ASAP. The reason why the constituent Dems don't leave the party in droves can only be explained by the fact that they are truly STUPID.
TDS Is a really awful condition rendering its victims blind and deaf
BR: besides “STUPID”, they “don’t leave the party” because they profit, they benefit. Democrat politicians need the high paycheck plus compensation unobtainable from the private sector until after they’ve the value of being a prior politician.
Andy, your article should be sent to all members of Congress and to every member of the media, especially to Margaret Brennan.
Fix our elections, remove the money from politics and hold politicians, lawmakers and judicial activists accountable for their actions (and crimes) we have a chance to save our state and union. It's a tall order in this current era but it's worth the fight.
Carbajal is a lightweight who is unknown by many of his fellow members of congress. He chirps the Democrat talking points to stay relevant. He is way out of his league and out of touch with the everyday, hard-working American.
Remember the famous Quote calling some of his constituents the armpit of SB County.
JBizzle: Carbajal reads well and is loyal to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. His primary Congressional assignment is fund raising for the Democrat Party in our wealthy community. He’s quite successful in this assigned job. Locals keep sending Salud lots of money. Why? He’s a likable guy who remembers names.
If the Monroe doctrine does say "keep our hemisphere off limits to foreign powers with possible malign intentions to develop strongholds that could create vulnerabilities to America" explain to me how the Chinese have been allowed to purchase significant amounts of farmland adjacent to our military bases, from which they can monitor our communications. AND how the CCP has satellite police stations in major cities in many states. By cutting off Chinese access to Venezuelan oil we have stopped their major advance into our hemisphere. Now if we can just jumpstart our industrial capacity so that we are not dependent on China for drugs and manufactured goods we may be on the way to a better American century. If WWIII doesn't obliterate us first.
The similarities between Che Guevara and Salud Carbajal may be satirical, but in reality are much different. Guevara’s intellect was much deeper, physician, diplomat, revolutionary and charismatic leader. Carbajal, not so much.
In fact, other than being our multi term congressman, aide to Naomi Schwartz and part time Marine Corps Reservist, it’s hard to tell what else he’s accomplished.
No, Carbajal’s role to the local liberal power base is much more important. Pushing Democratic initiatives, virtue signaling and distracting the public from the truly corrupt and wretched role his party has played over the many decades on the South Coast.
His primary job has been to run interference, putting out fires, keeping his constituents angry, while deflecting from the reality over the lack of good paying private sector jobs, zero affordable housing, high energy costs and shocking poverty rates.
Thank you Andy for this article.
Have people memories been erased of what has been happening for the last 20 years.
If Dems are such amazing humanitarians why aren't they celebrating with the people of Venezuela and rejoicing in the arrest of notorious and sinister dictator and a country ruled by the cartel.
Venezuelans were waiting in line for essentials to live on and in poverty. Yet the natural resource that lay beneath their feet was not helping citizens lead a prosperous life.
Carbajal supports the immigrants in California and gives them all benefits and support yet with the people of Venezulea he'd rather support the dictator than the people. The same name many of the Dems accuse Trump of being.
They are twisting themselves into a pretzel to defy any policies of trump yet their beliefs and policies are so hypocritical.
On top of all their beliefs,their rhetoric is causing all this violence in the US at the moment.
Party of peace and tolerance is no longer what the Dems support. Instead they support Criminals and Dictators.
The same party is still in charge in Caracas, while the same corrupt Venezuelan military and political figures are in charge everywhere else. I'm not so sure the humanitarian situation will change that much without our boots on the ground. And who wants that?
JT- Agree. What’s next? The new President and her brother (who heads Congress) are in tight with China, Iran and other adversaries in our Hemisphere. Will there be honest elections in Venezuela, when elections are controlled/rigged in our state and country?
Good questions.
Best meme I have seen on this is a photo of Trump in a magicians hat, the caption reads " Now for my next trick I am going to get Democrats to publicly support a dictator'.."no Kings indeed" ha ha.
So true.
Carbajal is part of the Democrat Socialist-Marxist movement to destroy the United States of America!
"And yet, all the lefties in America are complaining that Trump has brought a narco-terrorist to justice after he had been indicted back in 2020 on narco-terrorism charges. And, just what did they expect to happen after Biden upped the reward for Maduro’s capture to $25 million before he left office?"
You're arguing because American presidents have a habit of issuing military strikes or operations that now this makes President Trump morally justified? This is infantile.
"America has had a policy in place for some 200 years called the Monroe Doctrine, which has been newly and hilariously dubbed the Donroe Doctrine. This doctrine set our hemisphere off limits to foreign powers with possible malign intentions to develop strongholds that could create vulnerabilities to America. We are long overdue in resurrecting the doctrine lest we ignore it to our own peril."
The Monroe Doctrine referred to foreign interference - it had nothing to do woth corrupt state actors being deposed, that was only justified under the Roosevelt Corollary.
Are you unaware that China and Iran...both bad actors...are and have been very engaged in Venezuela politics and infrastructure and have been for some time? Or are you referring to somewhere else?
I never said the Monroe Doctrine was legitimate either.
Besides, why should I care? It's... Venezuela.
President Trump has stated that he has appointed Zionist Stephen Miller to run Venezuela. Major oil company executives who have remained mum over the course of Trump’s statements regarding Venezuela’s oil infrastructure are meeting with Trump the end of the week. At issue is the cost to rebuild the bombed infrastructure so that oil can be extracted. Given oil companies don’t seem too keen on Trump’s proposal/mandate, Trump has reversed his previous mandate and now states US taxpayers will foot the majority of the bill.
In the meantime, Trump and Miller have announced that Venezuela cannot sell ANY oil – its main source of revenue. Making the people suffer! A classic Zionist tactic. Torture and suffering.
Trump has spent billions of taxpayer funds to bomb and kill 110 fishermen, bomb Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, confiscate oil ships and kidnap Maduro. So, what does he have to show for this money spent? Nothing. In fact, he has now managed to isolate every single ally America has ever had in favor of Israel. He has become the madman of James Bond lore — Dr. No. a maniacal villain.
https://www.globalresearch.ca/president-trump-colonizing-western-hemisphere/5911488
Wow.
You understand of course that if in fact your unsubstantiated claim that Trump bombed Venezuelan oil infrastructure negates the argument put forth by your buddies on the left that the entire motivation was to take control of Venezuelan oil. Can't have it both ways. Ask Che Carbajal, perhaps he will have an answer...maybe not steeped in facts or reality but plenty of pro-Venezuelan rhetoric.
Strikes on Infrastructure: In late December 2025, President Trump announced that U.S. forces had destroyed a "big facility" on the Venezuelan coast that he claimed was used by drug traffickers to load boats.
Reports from early January 2026 indicated further, more extensive strikes in the region, including on facilities in Caracas, following a naval blockade of Venezuela-bound oil tankers.
I hope that corrects your understanding.
And the US taxpayer is set to become poorer as a result, with We The People bailing out the oil companies.Trump says the U.S. government may reimburse oil companies for rebuilding Venezuela's infrastructure
Big oil firms will either "get reimbursed by us or through revenue," Trump told NBC News in an exclusive interview.
Before responding look at the history of US oil industry investment in Venezuela and how billions of dollars were seized by the socialistic/communistic illegitimate government of Venezuela. Look at their economy before they took over and look at the Economy afterwards. And then after you've done that look at the video of the people dancing in the streets and other cities around the world where they have fled.
You are confused. I was responding to your false claim Trump was attacking oil infrastructure. That was not an attack on oil infastructure per se. Do your homework. That attack was on a private chemical plant that the US believe was used in drug processing. Pay attention. I hope that corrects you were misunderstanding.
The drugs are coming from Peru, Bolivia, Columbia, and Mexico, if mean drugs you mean oil then that’s coming from Venezuela for sure. You do your own homework we can either have a republic or an empire and we have an empire which will destroy our lives, our freedoms as Americans.
You’re the one that needs to do some homework. They talked to port as well as military bases, which are used by Venezuela to facilitate oil sales.
What do you think the US is gonna do with this oil? Some people say that it’s going to be used to build massive AI data installations and places like the Appalachia, an agenda that coincides with the New World order in which organic carbon base life will be taken over by silicone AI synthetic life. That’s why there’s such buddies with the technocrats at this White House.
You lost me at "Some people...". That's the kind of reporting that I get from the mainstream med and its' chronic TDS...vague and devoid of substance...just emotion driven by TDS. Sound familiar?
Were you upset when Biden raised the reward to capture Maduro to $25m ??
Anyway...I'm done and intend to enjoy another beautiful Santa Barbara day...suggest you do the same.
You must be suffering from a case of TDS yourself, meaning Trump Denial Syndrome. The cure is to look at what he’s actually doing.
Yes, best to just enjoy the day and not argue all the time.
Carbajal is an embarrassment.
Andy, perhaps you should consider running (again) against Congressman Carbajal. I would imagine it would be quite a pay cut from your current position as a lobbyist.
Based on your election drubbing by Carbajal (see below) a few years ago, as well as local public negative sentiment against the current administration, I’d stick with your day job.
Source; Ballotpedia
Salud Carbajal (D) 58.7 212,564
Image of Andy Caldwell
Andy Caldwell (R) Candidate Connection 41.3 149,781
Ballotpedia Logo
Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source
Total votes: 362,345
You should be embarrassed for mocking somebody who had the courage and commitment to run for office, regardless of what party and regardless of the outcome.
Cheap shot. Small ball.
Shame on you.
Respect on both sides would be nice. I think the photoshopped/AI Carbajal face on "Che" is pretty classless. Especially against someone Andy ran against. Andy can make his case without cartoons.
Seriously???? Political cartoons and memes have been an integral component of the American political scene long before we were a nation. There have been courses taught at the universities that have focused on the role of cartoons and memes throughout time. It's unfortunate you're offended by that form of communication; I find it is often clever and communicative without using words regardless of the political orientation or the intent of the creator.
It's unfortunate you are offended at what Andy posted with his article today. It would not be difficult to make an argument supporting the theme of that cartoon.…however that's not the point... it's a form of political expression.
Too many people with thin skin. I see a MANY cartoons and memes negatively depicting Trump. That's OK, it's part of the process. It's a very legitimate and historical form of expression...with the usual exceptions of course. It's countries like Iran...or Venezuela that prosecute such expression (now maybe Britain and EU?).
Perhaps people only get sideways when their ox gets gored?
I don't have thin skin. I just would't do that to someone I ran against. Political cartoons are fine - just not from someone you ran against - especially if you lost. You know, sour grapes and everything.
I guess your ox got gored?
Who among us could identify a photo of Boss Tweed but yet can conjure up one of the Thomas Nast cartoons from 1871. His scathing illustrations in Harper's Weekly played a key role in Tweed's eventual arrest and conviction for New York Tammany Hall corruption. I say let the cartoons rip ! The problem is when you can't identify something as AI or real, that's when the credulous public falls for propaganda.
IMO: Lobbyist have always been one of the worst problems in Washington DC. Lobbyists are paid large amounts of money, and then sent to D.C. to influence and grant favors to weaker politicians to vote for the interests of companies these lobbyists work for. Like I said, just my opinion.
Agree. It's one thing to advocate for an issue, it's another to spike that advocacy with cash, donations, etc., along with the attendant promise to deliver voting blocs. It is ubiquitous and often toxic.
Peter: We’ve a stellar candidate in Bob Smith!! Help oust Salud! By chance, are you the author of “The Lamb on the Altar
A Reflection on the Symbol of the Lamb and Manhood” posted on Substack? This article addresses in part the courage required to lead, to be a man. Have you considered running for office? Congress? D1 County Supervisor?
Caldwell responded to multiple requests for an informed, prepared, electible candidate with name recognition. Caldwell’s pro-life position resulted in his defeat as too many chose not to vote, who supported Andy’s many other positions. Bodily autonomy was a big issue.
Non-Democrat candidates for office in Santa Barbara City or County are courageous, exceeding their civic duty responsibilities, and subjected to repeated and prolonged attacks by others of various party affiliations, including the GOP. Non-Democrat Candidates typically do not receive any support or funding from complicit conservative and moderate voters claiming they must ‘play it safe by non-visibility, non-participation.’ The time is now: support Bob Smith!