Mr. President

Today we usher in a new president for the United States of America, and Julia and I couldn't be more proud, not only of Barack Obama, but of our fellow Americans for making the improbable a reality. There are those who say that President Obama's speech isn't as sweeping or grand as they would have liked, but I beg to differ:

"For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace."

His speech emphasized his consistent message of peace in strength and diversity, of unity over divisiveness, and hope over fear and cynicism. Perhaps most important of all he never talked down to us. He never shirked from giving us his challenging and eloquent vision of dignity in hard work, in stead of an easier message of lazy nationalism or coded classism. He is the man Julia and I thought we voted for; he is the man who has helped us rediscover our pride in our country; and he is the man we hope and trust will lead our country into a new era of intelligence, reason, science, and compassion.

Also, my next comic isn't ready yet - I hope to get it out in the next few days.

Hooray for America!

America made the right choice yesterday, and we made a definitive statement with a landslide victory for the good guys. I couldn't be more proud of our country and with the rising level of intelligence and awareness of today's voter. I wrote a post in our other blog detailing what Julia and I did on election night. It was a celebration and a night to remember.

I am not sure if Obama's presidency will make "Joe the Cartoonist" a priority in his first hundred days, but maybe once he solves our country's staggering deficit, two wars, recession, and housing crisis, he could turn some of his attention to America's struggling working cartoonists ;).

Comic Delay... But Don't Forget to Vote!

Unfortunately this week's comic will be delayed due to an action-packed weekend (we went to Vail to celebrate a friend's birthday) and a busy work week so far.

However, I did want to remind everyone who doesn't live in one of the states that already held a presidential primary/caucus, to vote! We live in Colorado, and like over 20 other states, our caucus takes place February 5. If you also live in our great state, please take a moment to figure out how to caucus. It's a rather baroque process, and not as straightforward as a primary - as we found out, having just moved from Florida last year.

You can find out here the location of your caucus (yes, the link is through Barack Obama's site - we are unabashed supporters of Obama - but I would emphasize that I would rather you vote, even if it's for someone else, than not vote at all!).