LETTER: Political cartoon of Mike Johnson on the Opinion page stirs debate over Republican policies on health care and taxes observes Donald Pearson of Midland.

The Elephant was meant to symbolize political greatness, the Donkey Democratic unwisdom and loud braying. This great artist was none other than Thomas Nast.

Sheneman has drawn political cartoons for The Star-Ledger since 1998. His work is syndicated nationally through Tribune Content Agency. Find him at Drew Sheneman’s Cartoon Cavalcad e.

As mentioned in the above quote, while the first Thomas Nast Republican elephant cartoon appeared in the Harper’s Weekly issue dated November 7, 1874, that edition of the magazine appeared on the ...

On Nov. 7, 1874, the first cartoon depicting the elephant as the symbol of the Republican Party was printed in Harper's Weekly.

The Republican elephant also owes its rise to Thomas Nast, who used it in an 1874 cartoon published in Harper’s Weekly. In the cartoon, Nast portrayed the Democratic donkey scaring other animals, ...

Since the 19th century, the Democratic donkey and the Republican elephant have been enduring symbols in American politics, resurfacing every election cycle in cartoons, campaigns, and even on memes.

Let’s venture into the animal kingdom and explore some of the terms and expressions that are derived from these denizens.

Political Pattie's in Washington, D.C., removed the Republican elephant and Democratic donkey from its logo just after opening as critics bashed the new bar for showing the GOP mascot.

Owners of the U Street "sports bar of political affairs" made the decision to drop the mascots following online hate over the inclusion of the GOP elephant.

Political Pattie’s started to go viral before the U Street bar even had a chance to officially announce its opening. Online commenters mocked the idea of another political bar in DC. They took issue ...