Why Is A Jackass The Democratic Party Mascot?

The Democratic-Republican Party split into the Jacksonian movement and the National Republican Party in 1824, which eventually became the Democratic Party in 1828. The two political symbols – the donkey for Democrats and the elephant for Republicans – were popularized by Andrew Jackson’s embrace of the “jackass” label and influential cartoonist Thomas Nast. The donkey has evolved into a proud emblem of the Democratic party, as it symbolizes the Democratic hero as vicious, misjudged, and borderline traitorous.

The use of a donkey was an obvious way to belittle the Democrats, and Nast continued to use the donkey as a symbol for Democratic organizations. In an 1874 cartoon, he used its image to react to President Andrew Jackson’s nickname “jackass”. The donkey and elephant are widely known as symbols of the Democratic and Republican parties in the US.

The popularity of both the donkey and the elephant being associated with the parties can be traced back to a 19th-century cartoonist, Thomas Nast. Nast came up with the Elephant and Donkey symbols for both parties, implying the Dems were stubborn and the donkey represented the Democratic Party. The two major political parties in the US have been illustrated by a donkey, symbolizing the Democratic Party, or an elephant, symbolizing the Republican Party. The acceptance of these symbols grew out of negative comments and political cartoons.