Bugs Bunny for President?
According to an article by Jeff Greenfield of Slate.com every election year since 1960 a pole is taken asking people who they would vote for for president - Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck. Hands down, every 4 years the waskaly wabbit wins the nomination for president of the United States. It may sound like comedy but since the 1960's analysts have studied the phenomenon and have come to some interesting conclusions.
"Bugs and Daffy represent polar opposites in how to deal with the world. Bugs is at ease, laid back, secure, confident. He's onto the cons of his adversaries. Bugs never raises his voice, never flails at his opponents or at the world. He is rarely an aggressor. When he is pushed too far and must respond, Bugs always prevails" writes Greenfield.
Daffy Duck, by contrast, is always at war with a hostile world. Greenfield adds, "He fumes, he clenches his fists, his eyes bulge, and his entire body tenses with fury. His response to bad news is a sibilant sneer ("Thanks for the sour persimmons, cousin!"). In one classic duel with Bugs, the two try to persuade Elmer Fudd to shoot the other—until Daffy, tricked by Bugs' wordplay, screams, 'Shoot me now! ...Hmmm,' he adds a moment later in a rare bit of self-scrutiny. "Pronoun trouble."
The article goes on to make parallels between the Loony Toon characters and past and present presidential nominees, and sure enough, Bugs Bunny always wins.
In 2000, when George W. and Al Gore were sparing partners, the two created one of the most memorable debate quips in recent history. As Bush began answering a question Al Gore arrogantly stood up and began walking behind Bush almost as if he were nervously stalking his opponent. Bush looked over his shoulder, smiled wryly and said "Oh, hi there!" It was a classic, laid back and lightly comedic, Bugs vanquishing tactic - and the debate was effectively over.
Greenfield states "Is there any doubt about who is Bugs and who is Daffy between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama? When Clinton insisted that Obama not simply "denounce" Louis Farrakhan but "reject him," Obama shrugged. "Well, he said, I don't really see any difference, but if you think there is, I reject and denounce." Very bugs-like.
So this begs the question, does life imitate art or is the political stage and it's players a collection of personified characters better describes as Loony Toons?
