A Daffy civics lesson

Recently I found the most dazzling masterpiece I ever discovered at any Goodwill. I snatched it up, she rang it up and pranced out of the store clutching my treasure like the Grinch fleeing Whoville with an armload of pure joy.

It was cartoonist’s gold.

To give you a hint I was happier than that mustachioed construction worker who once opened a time capsule to find a frog with a top hat that sings “Hello my ragtime gal.”

“Daffy Duck for President” (1997), charming children’s book and anti-fascist treatise

Intended to be a civics lesson for kids when it was published in 1997, “Daffy Duck for President”, is today a compelling pro-democracy anti-fascist screed more timely than “Twenty Lessons on Tyranny” or “Democracy Awakening”. It was written by the prescient prophet Chuck Jones, and drawn by the same gifted pencil and pen pusher, Chuck Jones, a talent who is in my view, the greatest animator, cartoon producer and cartoonist of the 20th Century.

More about him later.

Seeking to end “Duck Season” forever, Daffy Duck decides to run for congress, then President, all so he can change the law to mandate a perpetual “Rabbit Season”.

Fascist mallard.

Bugs Bunny, this tale’s cross between Twain and Paine and a sharp witted wascally wabbit responds “Good luck, pal. A lot of innocent people have been sent to Congress,.But you may be the first lame duck to be elected.”

Daffy wins, proposes his bill and is laughed out of Congress.

If only our Congress would laugh such quackery out of our Congress.

Daffy quacks up. Like many quackpots on the right. Goes quackers. Quasi-authoritarian. Herr Daffy asks, “Can you imagine anything so ridiculous as majority rule?”

Der Daffy asserts “When I’m president, I’m going to pass a law. That’ll outlaw rabbits.”

A great debate follows, a contest to rival the Lincoln v Douglas spat:

Bugs: “There’s just one slight technicality…the president can’t pass laws”

Daffy: “That’s ridiculous! The president can do anything, anything he wants? He’s just like a king only… Only better.”

Bugs: “Eh, he’s better, all right – but he’s no king.”

“Eh, he’s better, all right – but he’s no king.” is an oddly poetic description of the virtue of our executive.

Frustrated, Daffy asks, “What I wanna know is who’s running this country?”

Bugs Bunny says, “We are. We citizens vote in our leaders to work to uphold the laws or at the next election we vote again and get new leaders who will. Look at the bright side pal. You’ve learned a lot about why one mallard with a mission can’t take over the American system. It’s rigged to protect itself and now you’ve got an idea of how to get along in a democracy.”

Story ends with Daffy deciding to run for king. To quote “Duck-tator Daffy”, “Well, if you don’t succeed, seize, seize again!”

Jones won’t let us forget the persistence of tyranny.

Who is Chuck Jones?

From “What’s Opera Doc?”, wherein Fudd sings “I killed the wabbit” to the exquisite “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” to ”One Froggy Evening” featuring an immortal amphibian springing from his time capsule to sing “Hello my ragtime gal” no other cartoon creator can match Jones ’mastery of animation. He is my personal greatest influence.

“Daffy Duck for President” presents Jones’s beautiful original sketches mixed in with gorgeous watercolors. Jones poured heart into the book and the message.

The Film Short

In 2004, Warner Bros. released a four-minute animated short of the same name based on the book, coinciding with the Presidential election that year. The film was produced by Spike Brandt, Tony Cervone, and Linda M. Steiner, and was dedicated to Chuck Jones’s memory (he died on February 22, 2002, two years prior the release of the cartoon)

Conclusion: An updated version

For those tempted to update the Warner brothers’ tale I would suggest casting the Tasmanian Devil as Donald Trump, a gnashing, rabid, drooling incoherent, barely human tornado who leaves a trail of catastrophes wherever he spins

Starring Pepe le Pew, the skunk, as France, Yosemite Sam as JD Vance, Foghorn Leghorn as Mitch McConnell, Porky as Putin with a cameo by Fudd as Stephen Miller we see Taz rip the cartoon world like nothing seen since Roger Rabbit.

In my version of “Taz for President” Taz destroys the Constitution, takes over cartoon country and, in the end, is defeated by a diverse coalition of cartoon characters including the Power Puff Girls, Speedy Gonzales, Underdog, Pokemon, Bullwinkle, Fat Albert and the entire Simpson’s gang..

The difference between Daffy duck and Donald Trump is that Daffy duck is not malevolent, he is simply Daffy.

Back in 1997 I foolishly scoffed at the sweetly rendered civics lesson. Nearly thirty years ago. Today I miss the naivete.