By Gary Martin
No words.
Gary B. MartinĀ is an illustrator and animator who has lived on the Upper West Side for more than three decades. His Sunday illustrations for West Side Rag chronicle life in the neighborhood, New York City, and the Universe.
Watch for Garyās illustrations on Sundays in the Rag and see them allĀ here. For a broader range of Garyās work, including animations and other motion graphics, please visitĀ www.martoons.com
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Sadly this is me, too. No words, just deep sadness.
I guess I shouldnāt have expected a cartoon of a smiling guy in a red hat.
This reminds me of Saul Steinbergās famous New Yorker cover.
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Heartbreaking image of a heartbreaking time.
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I guess that sums it up…..so many feelings in one image.
Perfectly, painfully eloquent capture of where & who we are this week – seemingly alone, betrayed, desperately unsure of anything we thought we knew. Thank you. We’re not alone in Martoonerville.
Love how the white person is sad while half the minorities are thrilled he won. Goes to show how out of touch the white liberals of the uws truly are. Going to be a great four years now that the chaos is over.
It’s curious that someone would choose to weigh in on this through the viewpoint of race. Obviously some people are happy about the election results and others not, but immediately looking at it through the standpoint of race, I think reflects the us/them mentality that unfortunately pervades a lot of thinking today. Every individual has their own take on political preferences, and it doesn’t necessarily have to do with race, religion, etc.
Blacks voted approx 85% for Harris. Hispanic women voted 60%+ for Harris. Even Hispanic men voted approx 55% for Harris. That doesn’t add up to “half the minorities.”
Hispanics and other immigrant groups are under grave danger if Trump does what he says he will do. So I suggest MAGAs think about this before gloating.
Muslims on the UWS got treated like garbage even with Biden as president. Do you think when someone gets messed with by police and is Muslim on the UWS, the electeds care? No they do not.
He made incredible inroads with those demographics. I suggest you read Maureen Dowds column in the NYT from this past weekend. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/09/opinion/democrats-identity-politics.html
The majority of people in this country aren’t buying what the liberal uws democrats have been preaching. The majority of the voting electorate woke up happy that next morning. Try leaving this bubble. We aren’t Maga’s. We are just able to vote with our HEADS as well as our hearts.
When people with disabilities are profiled and harassed at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon inflation like last year and the UWS Democrats stand idly by and barely lift a finger, and not only that you have UWS residents who react to it by saying “stereotypes exist for a reason”, then that shows what the liberal UWS Democrats are preaching is hot air.
Liberal UWS Democrats have no credibility on liberal values and on resisting Trump when they are unwilling to address and empathize with people’s problems. What was worse is that Macy’s leadership refused to even empathize with what happened and the UWS Democrats stood idly by.
Get back to us in about three years. No take backsies.
I think 2 years in – at the very most – his supporters will have had enough. It will finally become obvious that he has not done one thing for them. They will be one loud, unruly bunch when they start going against him.
Itās time to officially make Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) a recognized mental disorder.
https://nypost.com/2024/11/09/us-news/lefty-lander-blaming-trump-for-prospect-park-fire/
Sure, but then Obama Derangement Syndrome (ODS) would also have to be classified as a recognized mental disorder. ODS actually proceeded TDS.
Realityville.
Yeah.
Says it all
Exactly how I feel at this moment. But this moment will pass. And then we’ll all rise again to meet the challenges that will come.
Well this just says it all doesn’t it. Heartbreak. No words. Always on point Gary. I found myself waiting to see what Gary Martin would give us today. Thank you.
Yep, so many of us feel this way. Thanks for sharing it.
The power of an image when no words are needed.
The weeping may endure, but joy cometh in the morning!
Yes, this one says it allā¦!!!
Reality check: the Dems have 2 years to figure out a winning strategy to gain back one or both houses of Congress. Stop mourning and start working.
The view from your FLR (friendly local republican):
Yep.
The view from your FLR (friendly local Republican): does some soul searching start at any point? I’m a bit baffled by all the moping. This election wasn’t close. Trump is the first Republican to win the popular vote in 20 years. This was the actual red wave. You have no one to blame but yourselves this time. You can try to peep outside this very blue bubble we live in and ponder the other side (which, to their credit, the WSR has already done with that post election morning walk) or you can wallow, but that’ll just get you more of the same, which lost badly
I think the whole “blowout” narrative is overblown. The election was quite close! This country is still 50/50, the swing states only went for Trump by 2-3%. Dems need to improve their messaging, but I expect another change election in 2028, that’s all swing voters seem to want.
There’s nothing overblown about Harris losing 10 million votes, compared to Biden 2020. It underscores the magnitude of their failure – precisely because you’re right about the 50/50.
I’m concerned about the fragility of our nations general mental health when the disappointment of your preferred candidate not getting elected results in feeling hopeless, bereft, betrayed, alone, heartbroken etc as the comments have all mentioned. Everyone is entitled to their feelings and I understand feeling sad or disappointed, and even surprised. Unfortunately, for many of you, you have been fed such a distorted image of ideas/principles/policies of those not on the left, that it makes sense to me that so many of you feel a sense of dread and doom post-election (many in my family, including my own father are in the same boat as you).
I would sincerely ask all of you to do the following two things: 1. make a list of everything you are fearful will happen under this upcoming presidential term, keep it handy and refer back to it repeatedly and check-in with yourself if any of the things on your list begin to materialize; 2. Do yourself a favor and sincerely listen to a full unedited interview of Vance or Trump (ideally both). Don’t listen to it the way you want to, going in with your beliefs and shouting at every comment (“I can’t believe this guy!”), actually approach it with an open mind and listen carefully with the intention of learning something and possibility of being surprised, look for anything logical or positive that may be there — I personally have done this with interviews of Harris and Walz and while this didn’t do much to change my overall voting decision, it allowed to me experience a more reality-based integrated version of each candidate, with both their good traits and points and weaknesses as related to their character, their way of thinking and relating to the world, and their policies.
The same way you would hope and expect that Republicans and Conservatives would not accept at face value the gross and meaningless talking point that “Harris slept her way to the top,” I would ask you to gather more facts from a variety of sources to better understand why Trump is in fact, not anywhere close to “Hitler.” This is not an exercise meant to prove I am right and you are wrong. It is not an attempt to will you out of your genuine feelings of despair. Rather, it is an attempt to help gird your emotional experience of this outcome by grounding you in reality, truth, and nuance. The same way that I can understand that with millions of votes for Harris, those supporters can’t all be “stupid losers who don’t care about this country,” one must also be able to see that the millions of voters who supported Trump can’t possibly all be “racist white supremacist fascist bigots.” I have tried to learn and better understand why Harris supporters believe in her and her policies (even if I don’t agree with their “why” I still try to see their values), and in the move to unity that the left/liberals have been clamoring for, it would make sense that those not in support of the incoming administration try to do some critical thinking of their own and at least understand (if not accept) the position and beliefs of others.
A great response. When i received a note from my daughters principal about the elementary kids “needing time to process” i inwardly rolled my eyes at how weak people in the liberal bubble have become. Do you think in Alabama had Trump lost to Kamala the red state schools would have given students time off to process? No, they would have said, “that stinks” and gone back to work. This is the crux of why the democrats lost. The inability to process an idea that isn’t spooned fed to them from liberal media is bizarre and sad. And telling on why they lost. Be upset Trump lost if you want, but then go to work trying to make our country better.
The victorious party literally stormed the Capitol almost four years ago in order to try and prevent the peaceful transfer of power, the very bedrock of democracy. Is that the “move to unity” you’re talking about? What about the chants of Not My President and Let’s Go Brandon over the last 4 years? That was acceptable to you, and now you’re genuinely confused about the Democratic response?
When I try to understand – I’ll never accept – the position and beliefs of the MAGA party, I am very troubled by their values. Look at the incoming president, for example. Even if you discount the felonies, what he says and does is truly abhorrent.
Regardless, your team won. Rejoice. Stop telling people how to feel, act and behave. Still our bodies, our choice – for now, at least.
Also, please write down a list of everything you are anticipating will happen in the next four years and refer back to it repeatedly to see if any of it materializes.
Thank you for your comments. Here are some things on my list of things I am fearful will happen under Trump and Republicans:
1. curtailing same sex marriage
2. instituting revenue policies that increase inflation, like big tariffs (we’ll see whether inflation does go up w/ tariffs)
3. throwing govt funds toward “red” states and away from “blue” states, esp. re mass transit
4. reducing limits on burning fossil fuels
I’ll stop here for now.
I am hoping for the best and for good will from all.
Thanks for rubbing it in…you lost me at your sly implication that all of the venom and anger is coming from only one side (‘full unedited’…really?).
I hope you sent this preachy, patronizing pabulum to your compatriots who, when they lost, refused to accept the results and tried to disrupt the orderly transfer of power. Does that riot count as “feel[ing] a sense of dread and doom post-election”, or is it worse to post a cartoon to a website?
Thank you for your sane, rational, and hopeful post. I voted for Harris and was surprised that she lost. But a fully accept the results and respect my compatriots with whom I share a destiny. I have been invited to various “grief debriefings” and received a number of emails asking me to engage in a discussion of how our country is going to become a dystopian nightmare. I have declined to respond to any of it.
We need to cut through the hysteria and hope that things go reasonably well. There will be mid-term elections in two years. I am a Democrat who feels disenfranchised by both parties. If things are going well in two years I might vote for the Rs. We’ll see.
At the end of the day, I love America and wouldn’t consider living anywhere else.
Very cogent, well-reasoned and helpful comments. Thank you very much. I think this comment will help contribute to a sane and thoughtful dialogue.
Itās a lot like voting D in the 80s when Reagan was crushing it which I didāgotta accept most of the country is seeing it differently than youāI donāt ever remember crying or hysterics just disappointment that my candidates were really losing thenāis it media echo chambers or social media seemingly making it worse now IDK
Couldnāt have expressed it any differently. No words.
The whole “unbearable sadness” schtick rings as hollow as the libs’ years of woker-than-woke, self-righteous, holier-than-though, better-than-you pile of lies.
More fake than Trump’s tan.
Have a latte. Revel in the lesson in humility. You’ll be fine.
This says it all. No words necessary.
This is a picture of heartbreak, not hysteria. Please don’t confuse the two.
People are allowed to still feel, aren’t they?
My perspective:
I get it, you hated him 4 years ago and you still hate him now. I’ve seen a lot of hate thrown his way, but this guy is a consistent winner and an overachiever. Call it jealously or envy, some people just can’t handle how successful he is and how much money he has. Yes, there have been some scandals, some lies, and maybe a few times he’s twisted the truth to make himself look better. But he’s out there everyday proving his haters wrong — time after time. You may not have wanted him in this job, but there’s nothing you or I can do about it. I know it might get worse over the next several weeks, but like him or not, Tom Brady is doing a great job as a broadcaster.
I can’t believe none of the people responding to Joey got the joke.
Read it again.
Maintain a sense of humor. Or, if you never had one, get one.
Come on people. Get a grip.
A coup, a disastrous handling of the pandemic, stealing & selling national security secrets, crashing the economy in 2020 (yep, he was in charge) but sure, let’s whitewash it.
Not around here fella
Itās hopeless – if someone thinks Trump is a.n overachiever and winner – rather than a grifter and crook – thereās no conversation to be had. My approach at the moment is not reading US news – maybe Iāll wake up on the other side
I agree – not reading is definitely, clearly, the way to go! And we didn’t even mention his multiple children from different women, his self-absorbed books and courses and clothing and other schemes, I have no idea how a person like that managed to build a dynasty, of sorts. And then he won again, with a different cast of characters. It’s pretty vexing.
Trump Derangement Syndrome is real, lucky by 2028, extreme liberals will exist only in memory.
This election result is troubling. I genuinely fear that I will feel more safe in Turkey than in the United States. Even on liberal UWS.
I remember, just a few years ago, that UWSers were applauding “essential workers” every night at 7 PM.
Many of these essential workers, who kept going through the pandemic, were undocumented. Think of delivery workers; think of the food preparation people and dishwashers in the restaurants that were making these deliveries.
So the undocumented have gone from heroic “essential workers” to villains responsible for almost everything wrong with NYC: crime, high housing prices, they lower wages. I see many in the thread clamoring for mass deportation, without any idea of the ramifications of this, not to mention the morality. Are you read to set up “tent city” concentration camps for millions in the Southwestern desert? that is the plan, read what Steve Miller has to say.
Sweeping generalizations combined with hyperbole don’t make a good argument.
Throw in a dose of moral shaming and you’ve lost your audience.
Nothing is as good as one hopes or as bad as one fears….