The latest cover of The New Yorker magazine did what political cartoons do — made some chuckle and sent others steaming to social media to express their outrage at an illustration meant to capture the “absurdity of the advanced-age politicians” currently vying for or occupying top U.S. offices.
The cartoon, “The Race for Office” by Barry Blitt, which you can see below, depicts Donald Trump (77), Mitch McConnell (81), Nanci Pelosi (83) and Joe Biden (80) all shuffling along in a race while looking very elderly and using walkers.
Blitt, 65, quipped about his own age in a Q&A for the New Yorker. He said that the cartoon is not agist, while poking fun at himself.
The article poses the question of whether the United States is “in danger of becoming a “sclerotic gerontocracy.”
Some reactions include the charge that the cartoon slights the elderly, the use of walkers, and people with disabilities in general.
Here are a few:
