The Liberal Mascot Is What?

The Democratic Party and Republicans have been associated with two distinct political symbols: the donkey for Democrats and the elephant for Republicans. Both symbols were popularized by cartoonist Thomas Nast, who interpreted the donkey as lacking intelligence, strength, and often loud and stubborn. However, for Democrats, the donkey is smart, brave, and humble.

The Libertarian Party has unofficially adopted the porcupine as its animal mascot. The Democratic donkey was generally seen as a party of braying fools in Nast’s eyes, while the Republican elephant symbolized a party that had departed from its social roots. Elephants are native to Asia and Africa, while donkeys were brought to America by explorers.

Today, the elephant remains the official symbol of the Republican Party, and although the Democrats have yet to declare their own, one of their mascots would be easily identifiable. The two beasts represent the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, and their association with the donkey dates back to a 19th-century cartoonist.

The Democratic Party preferred the rooster until the early 1900s, but by 1932, the donkey had become the party’s sole national symbol. The two symbols have become part of America’s visual culture, reflecting the political ideologies of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States.