I.M.P., part 3: everybody is stupid except for her!(Culture and Reviews) (Cartoon)

1940: I.M.P. LUNCHES WITH HER "HERALD TRIBUNE" BOSS, IRITA VAN DORAN ...

PAT, YOU'VE NEVER BEEN SHY ABOUT USING YOUR COLUMN TO CRITICIZE PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT ...

SO I'M SURPRISED THAT YOU'RE SO UNWILLING TO PROMOTE WENDELL WILLKIE'S CAMPAIGN!

"SIGH" ... I KNOW YOU'RE VERY FOND OF OL' WENDELL, * IRITA ...

BUT I FIND LITTLE ABOUT HIS CAMPAIGN TO GET EXCITED ABOUT.

* VAN DORAN WAS WILLKIE'S MISTRESS.

BUT YOU HATE F.D.R.!

I ALSO VOTED FOR HIM BACK IN '32, MAINLY BECAUSE HE WASN'T HERBERT HOOVER ...

TALK ABOUT A BOOBY PRIZE.

I ALWAYS ASSUMED YOU VOTED REPUBLICAN, WHAT WITH YOUR INCESSANT RED-BAITING ...

BAH. I HAVE NO USE FOR THAT GANG OF PROSTITUTES ...

IN FACT, I WAS A "SMITHEREEN" * BACK IN '28 ...

AND IN '20 I EVEN VOTED FOR EUGENE DEBS.

* NICKNAMED FOR AL SMITHS' SUPPORTERS

?!? THE SOCIALIST?

HE WENT TO PRISON RATHER THAN COMPROMISE HIS THAN OPPOSITION TO THE DRAFT ...

THE LEAST I COULD DO FOR A MAN OF SUCH INTEGRITY IS GIVE HIM MY ONE LOUSY VOTE!

STILL, THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANY CONSISTENCY TO YOUR POLITICS.

WHY? BECAUSE I DON'T CONSISTENTLY DEFEND STALIN OR HITLER?

IF I'M "INCONSISTENT," THEN SO WAS JAMES MADISON ...

AND TOM PAINE AND BEN FRANKLIN!

MOST INTELLECTUALS HAVE A PATERNALISTIC, CONDESCENDING ATTITUDE TOWARD THE COMMON MAN ...

WHICH IS WHY THEY ALWAYS BACK ONE TYRANT OR ANOTHER ...

BUT I REJECT ANY AND ALL FORMS OF "SOCIAL PLANNING" SINCE THEY ALWAYS CAUSE MORE MISERY THAN THEY ALLEVIATE ...

HOO-BODY

SORRY I ASKED ...

CHECK, PLEASE!

YOU SHOULD WRITE A BOOK EXPLAINING YOUR TAKE ON THINGS ...

I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO GRASP IT ALL IN A ONE-HOUR CONVERSATION ...

THANKS FOR THE LUNCH, IRITA ...

AND I'M SURE I'LL FIND SOMETHING GOOD TO SAY ABOUT WILLKIE EVENTUALLY ...

EVEN IF IT KILLS ME.

HMM ... MAYBE I WILL WRITE A BOOK ...

1941: LIKE MINDS GATHER AT I.M.P.'S CONNECTICUT FARMHOUSE ...

TO THINK I CAMPAIGNED SO HARD FOR THAT SPINELESS WILLKIE ...

AND THAT IT WAS ALL FOR NAUGHT!

WITH THE ELECTION OVER, F.D.R. NO LONGER TRIES TO HIDE HIS EAGERNESS TO GO TO WAR ...

MEANWHILE, "GREAT MINDS" THE WORLD OVER ARE URGING THEIR DEAR LEADERS TO LEAD US ALL OVER A CLIFF.

THEN WE MUST COUNTER THEM WITH OUR OWN GREAT THOUGHTS!

WE MUST DISTILL OUR IDEAS INTO WORDS!

PAT AND I ARE BOTH WORKING ON BOOKS THAT WILL DO JUST THAT ...

ITS' BEEN A STRUGGLE FOR ME, THOUGH ...

ME TOO ...

I'M ATTEMPTING TO ILLUSTRATE HOW GOVERNMENTS HAVE BOTH HELPED AND HINDERED PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY THROUGHOUT WESTERN CIVILIZATION ...

I FEAR I MAY HAVE BITTEN OFF MORE THAN I...