Democratic candidates in the 2020 US presidential primary: The portrayal of race, gender, and age in editorial cartoons

• Published in: Analyses of social issues and public policy 2022-04, Vol.22 (1), p.6-29
• Main Authors: Zurbriggen, Eileen L., Vallerga, Michael
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Candidates; Cartoons; Content analysis; Editorial cartoons; Elections; Gender; Gender stereotypes; Media coverage; Multiracial people; Political campaigns; Political parties; Presidential elections; Presidents; Race; Sexuality; Stereotypes; Women
• ISSN: 1529-7489; 1530-2415
• DOI: 10.1111/asap.12287

Editorial cartoons provide an incisive view on political candidates and often include more provocative or emotional material than textual editorials. A content analysis of editorial cartoons was conducted to examine the portrayals of candidates for the Democratic nomination for the US presidential election of 2020. Themes related to gender, race, and age were a particular focus. Gender stereotypes were more frequent in cartoons about candidates of color; however, this was largely driven by the high number of gender stereotypes in cartoons about Kamala Harris, a biracial Black woman. Race stereotypes were most common in cartoons about Harris and Elizabeth Warren (due to controversy about her claimed Native American ancestry). Age was a central theme only for the candidates who were younger or older than is typical for a presidential nominee. Women were not shown with their spouse more often than men; the only candidate with more than one cartoon including a spouse was Pete Buttigieg. These representations of his husband were likely a coded way to draw attention to his sexuality. As in prior research, women were more likely to be portrayed as violent. Findings support the continued relevance of age, gender, and race in media coverage of political campaigns.