Life — February 15, 1929 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Crisis in Washington" Cartoon Analysis This political cartoon satirizes President Calvin Coolidge during his administration. The caption reads: "Mr. Coolidge refuses point blank to vacate the White House until his other rubber is found." The joke plays on Coolidge's reputation for extreme frugality and caution. The cartoon depicts him sitting surrounded by luggage in the White House's grand hall, refusing to leave until a missing rubber (likely a rubber shoe or galosh) is located. The satire mocks both Coolidge's penny-pinching nature and his perceived indecisiveness or stubbornness—suggesting he would hold up the entire machinery of government over a trivial lost item. The elaborate White House setting contrasts absurdly with the mundane domestic concern, amplifying the ridicule.