Life — August 9, 1928 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis This 1920s *Life* magazine page satirizes the "Anti-Bunk Party" campaign supporting Henry Ford for president. The grotesque caricature depicts two men in an umbrella during rain, with the caption mocking someone who "talks two weeks after bein' born"—a ventriloquist's dummy joke. The accompanying text, attributed to Will Rogers, ridicules both Smith (likely Al Smith, Democratic candidate) and Herbert Hoover. Rogers mocks attempts by regular Republicans and Democrats to lure Ford away from the Anti-Bunk platform by invoking the baby/woman voter strategy. The satire targets how politicians exploit emotional appeals and manufactured endorsements. Ford, allied with the Anti-Bunk Party, refused such theatrical tactics, positioning himself as genuinely independent and above traditional campaign manipulation.