Dan Krotz – In 1972, students at the University of Minnesota elected R. Crumb’s comic strip hero, Fritz the Cat, as President of the Student Body. Fritz was a sincerely louche feline, portrayed by Crumb as a promiscuous and lascivious serial liar. That same year, Fritz starred in a full-length movie, directed by Ralph Bakshi, that grossed $90 million dollars. It was the first ever X-rated animated film.
The parents of the Student Body – hardworking Catholic and Lutheran taxpayers who farmed or owned decent family shoe stores – went nuts. Why didn’t their kids elect that little snot from the cake eating suburb instead? Or, how about Thorvald “Tory” Stoltenberg, a pre-pharmacy major from Lac qui Parle County? Sure, Tory was a bit of a stick, but at least he was a human being!
Fast forward five decades and the Party of Calvin Coolidge is poised to nominate their own Fritz the Cat for the office of President of the United States. And, horror of horrors, their major political and policy shift for the election – to be nicer to Mexicans – went down the toilet. Which, incidentally, the Justice Department says can’t be Made Great Again (the toilets, I mean). What’s a Mother to do?
They could begin by recognizing why voters chose Fritz over the little snots and pharmacy majors they’d pinned their hopes to. Congress has a public approval rating of 12%; why would they field candidates who disgust 88% of voters? And then there was their last great White Hope, Ted Cruz, the meanest Christian in public life since Cotton Mather burned witches in Salem, the guy who’s done more to popularize atheism than Madalyn Murray O’Hair. What were they thinking?
They weren’t thinking about the 45% of Americans who don’t have $400 in ready cash lying around. Trickle Down economics may have worked for traditional Republican voters, but it hasn’t done much for the socially conservative working class. Why wouldn’t they vote for Fritz? He, at least, understands bankruptcy.
Of course, there’s that cliffhanger on the Democrat side. Will they nominate Good Grandpa!? Or, will they nominate Bad Grandma!? Either one can beat Fritz but, oh my, how the tension builds!
Promiscuity and lasciviousness are clearly underated.