In this 1891 Judge cartoon, Grover Cleveland is depicted by Victor Gillam as a showy jackdaw parading in borrowed peacock feathers—each labeled with a different state election. The joke is simple and brutal: a politician trying to claim victories he didn’t actually win. Today’s authoritarian-leaning politicians have perfected this move—declaring triumph where there was none, spinning losses into “stolen victories,” and treating democratic processes as props for personal glory.
Opportunism, ego, and the hunger for unearned power aren’t new—but calling them out never goes out of style.
Add two mugs to your cart to receive an automatic bundle discount.
In this 1891 Judge cartoon, Grover Cleveland is depicted by Victor Gillam as a showy jackdaw parading in borrowed peacock feathers—each labeled with a different state election. The joke is simple and brutal: a politician trying to claim victories he didn’t actually win. Today’s authoritarian-leaning politicians have perfected this move—declaring triumph where there was none, spinning losses into “stolen victories,” and treating democratic processes as props for personal glory.
Opportunism, ego, and the hunger for unearned power aren’t new—but calling them out never goes out of style.
Add two mugs to your cart to receive an automatic bundle discount.
