The darken doorway on the right is the L Street entrance to the Washington Post. This is the employee entrance. It is the nearest entrance for commuters using the DC Metro system and the Farragut North Metro Rail stop on the Red Line. Through this door pass most of the writers and editors of the WP on a regular basis. And next to this entrance is a clear display of the ingrown bias that we fight in Washington DC. Let's take a closer look at the sculptures on display by the American Flag:
Yep, it is a Donkey and an Elephant.
Many years ago a Chicago artist placed sculptures of a cow around the city that were painted by other artists. It was not long before this painted sculpture craze swept across America. It seems that every city and town has some version (crabs in Baltimore, Peanuts characters in St. Paul, mermaids in Nolfork, bulldogs in Athens, GA and so many more).
Some years ago in Washington DC it was Donkeys and Elephants because they are the symbols of power in this town. The Washington Post purchased two of these sculptures and now they stand sentry at the employee entrance. I've walked by them hundreds of times. A few months ago I stopped one day and looked at them and since then I've been thinking about what they tell us about the power bias in Washington. Here is a closer look:
The Republican image""the elephant""is decked out with ALL the symbols of power in Washington DC. The Capital Building is on its left side and the White House is on the right. The Supreme Court is on its head. Other monuments are tattooed across its body. The sculpture is a monument to the inherent and lasting power of the Republican Party and Conservative ideals. It is a perfect illustration of the power bias in DC that Republicans are, or at least should always be in power""even when they are not. It is this bias that mandates a form of bipartisanship defined only by Democratic concessions. It is this bias that leads to more Republicans always being booked on the Sunday shows, the editorial pages, and cable shows than Democrats. It is this bias that mandates beltway denizens must always treat Chuck Grassley with more respect than Tom Harkin. It is this bias that treats "tea baggers" with more respect than war protestors. It is a bias that is reinforced by the Donkey sculpture the WP has chosen to pair with its Republican Elephant of Power:
Pandas. Democrats are Pandas. Odd. Endangered. Picky eaters. Shy. Timid. Hard to reproduce. Cute. Sweet. Non-threatening. Weak.
The gap in how Republican Power is viewed in DC and how Democratic Power is viewed is on clear display in these two sculptures. The conventional DC wisdom is that there is nothing powerful about Democrats and that Republicans are powerful as a birthright. It is a bias that anybody who walks by the 15th Street entrance of the Washington Post can see on display any day of the week.
Look at the heads of this Donkey and this Elephant:
The Elephant is clear-eyed and clear-headed. The Republican mind is on the Supreme Court, power and how to wield it.
The Donkey?
His head is in the clouds. The eyes are cloudy. Democrats are in a dream state. They wouldn't know what to do with power if it fell into their lap. They are hopeless, but they are cute.
Now, this is only an illustration of the power bias that we fight as we try to bring change to Washington.
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