User:Rod-Dal/sandbox

American Obstructionists is a parody of Grant Wood's American Gothic. It is painted by art student Roderick Dalmacio based in Seattle WA. The two men represented on the painting are House Speaker John Boehner (Republican, Ohio) and Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell (Republican, Kentucky). The theme of the painting is two Republicans using their legislative office to obstruct President Obama and the democrats. Mitch McConnell is painted holding the fork, an allusion to his obstructionism. On the handle of the fork are written the letters GOP which stands for the Grand Old Party or the Republican Party. While Boehner is wearing a medallion with the image of elephant on it. Elephant being the symbol of the Republican party. In the background is the US Capitol, the very institution Boehner and Mcconnel are using to block the executive branch of the government. And on top of the Capitol, the Statue of Freedom is replaced with the statue of the elephant. While the dark cloud on the left hand corner of the painting that appears to engulf the Capitol, symbolizes money and partisanship, which from the point of view of the author are threats to American democracy.