Difference between revisions of "1756: I'm With Her"

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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
In this serious, ''no joke'', comic released the day before the {{w|2016 United States presidential election}} (which was more contentious than most, due in part to many people finding both candidates unusually distasteful), [[Randall]] urged his American viewership to vote, and showed his {{w|Political endorsement|endorsement}} for {{w|Hillary Clinton}}, the {{w|US Democratic Party|Democratic}} nominee in the election. She was up against the {{w|US Republican Party|Republican}} nominee {{w|Donald Trump}}, who ended up winning. For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that there were also nominees from other parties, including {{w|Green Party of the United States|Green Party}} nominee {{w|Jill Stein}}, and {{w|Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian}} nominee {{w|Gary Johnson}}. Neither hoped to garner enough votes to become president, but there was a chance {{w|spoiler candidate|they could affect the result}} in some states (no third-party candidate has ''won'' a state since {{w|United_States_presidential_election,_1968|1968}} - and it did not occur this time either - the closest any came in 2016 was independent candidate {{w|Evan McMullin}} in Utah.)
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In this serious, ''no joke'', comic released the day before the {{w|2016 United States presidential election}} (which was more contentious than most, due in part to many people finding both candidates unusually distasteful), [[Randall]] urged his American viewership to vote, and showed his {{w|Political endorsement|endorsement}} for {{w|Hillary Clinton}}, the {{w|US Democratic Party|Democratic}} nominee in the election. She was up against the {{w|US Republican Party|Republican}} nominee {{w|Donald Trump}}, who ended up winning. For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that there were also nominees from other parties, including {{w|Green Party of the United States|Green Party}} nominee {{w|Jill Stein}}, and {{w|Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian}} nominee {{w|Gary Johnson}}. Neither hoped to garner enough votes to become president, but there was a chance {{w|spoiler candidate|they could affect the result}} in some states (no third-party candidate has ''won'' a state since {{w|United States presidential election, 1968|1968}}, and it did not occur this time either: the closest any came in 2016 was independent candidate {{w|Evan McMullin}} in Utah.)
  
 
It was the second time Randall referred to this election, the first being [[1748: Future Archaeology]] three weeks before the election, but here it was just a wish to know the result using time travel (of course he did not learn the result back then…).
 
It was the second time Randall referred to this election, the first being [[1748: Future Archaeology]] three weeks before the election, but here it was just a wish to know the result using time travel (of course he did not learn the result back then…).
  
The "H" with an arrow was {{w|Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016|Clinton's campaign}} logo, and '''I'm with her''' an official slogan that was widely used by her supporters, hence the title. Randall then lists tips to help you cast your vote ([[#How to help|see table below]]) suggesting a personal investment in the election. Clinton herself may be represented by [[Blondie]] sitting on top of the H looking out at the reader as the only of the 11 characters. The only type of joke in the comic is the chosen characters. Two with weapons flank the left and right side looking out ready to defend against Trump. Both are from earlier comic. Especially [[Ponytail]] with a ray gun (the one she also wielded in [[322: Pix Plz]]). The gun is for melting computers of persons that make snide remarks at women, clearly a reference to {{w|Donald_Trump_sexual_misconduct_allegations|Donald Trump's sexual harassment of women}} in general and especially to his ''grab them by the pussy'' {{w|Donald Trump and Billy Bush recording|comment}}. [[Cueball]] with his weapon is from [[303: Compiling]]. See more details in the [[#Character gallery|character gallery]] below.
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The "H" with an arrow was {{w|Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016|Clinton's campaign}} logo, and '''I'm with her''' an official slogan that was widely used by her supporters, hence the title. Randall then lists tips to help you cast your vote ([[#How to help|see table below]]) suggesting a personal investment in the election. Clinton herself may be represented by [[Blondie]] sitting on top of the H looking out at the reader as the only of the 11 characters. The only type of joke in the comic is the chosen characters. Two with weapons flank the left and right side looking out ready to defend against Trump: [[Ponytail]] with an emp gun (that she also wielded in [[322: Pix Plz]] for melting computers of persons who make snide remarks at women, clearly a reference to {{w|Donald Trump sexual misconduct  allegations|allegations of Donald Trump's sexual harassment of women}} in general and especially to his ''grab them by the pussy'' {{w|Donald Trump and Billy Bush recording|comment}}) and [[Cueball]] with his sword (from [[303: Compiling]]). See more details in the [[#Character gallery|character gallery]] below.
  
This is the first time Randall has used a comic to directly support a presidential campaign, although he did [https://blog.xkcd.com/2008/01/28/obama/ endorse] {{w|Barack Obama}} in 2008 on his [[Blag]]. He wrote himself later that it was very controversial when he endorsed Obama, but that it was not the most [[388:_Fuck_Grapefruit#Controversy|controversial comic he had published]] at that time. This comic might take that prize now, given that this was one of the most discussed elections up to its time.  This is particularly noteworthy outside the US - for example, some European leaders openly opposed Trump, while others supported him. There were also reports of Russian hackers attempting to influence the election.
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This is the first time Randall has used a comic to directly support a presidential campaign, although he did [https://blog.xkcd.com/2008/01/28/obama/ endorse] {{w|Barack Obama}} in 2008 on his [[Blag]]. He wrote himself later that it was very controversial when he endorsed Obama, but that it was not the most [[388: Fuck Grapefruit#Controversy|controversial comic he had published]] at that time. This comic might take that prize now, given that this was one of the most discussed elections up to its time.  This is particularly noteworthy outside the US—for example, some European leaders openly opposed Trump, while others supported him. There were also reports of Russian hackers attempting to influence the election.
  
Randall's support for Hillary Clinton may have been due in part to Donald Trump {{w|Donald_Trump#Healthcare.2C_education_and_environment|being a prominent}} {{w|climate change denier}}. Randall has published comics opposing climate change denial such as this: [[1732: Earth Temperature Timeline]], published less than two months before the election, as well as several other [[:Category:Climate change|comics on climate change]]. Also Trump beating Clinton made Randall's [[1313: Regex Golf|regex that matches the last names of elected US presidents but not their opponents]] impossible to update.
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Randall's support for Hillary Clinton may have been due in part to Donald Trump {{w|Donald Trump#Healthcare.2C education and environment|being a prominent}} {{w|climate change denier}}. Randall has published comics opposing climate change denial such as this: [[1732: Earth Temperature Timeline]], published less than two months before the election, as well as several other [[:Category:Climate change|comics on climate change]]. Also Trump beating Clinton made Randall's [[1313: Regex Golf|regex that matches the last names of elected US presidents but not their opponents]] impossible to update.
  
 
All the information on the bottom half of the comic includes sites, numbers, info, etc., current as of 2016, that are intended to help US voters to vote, regardless of whom they vote for. Including this information can assist voters who don't understand the process, don't feel that it's worth it, or feel intimidated or threatened.  In general, these sites and numbers were likely included to help boost voter turnout.
 
All the information on the bottom half of the comic includes sites, numbers, info, etc., current as of 2016, that are intended to help US voters to vote, regardless of whom they vote for. Including this information can assist voters who don't understand the process, don't feel that it's worth it, or feel intimidated or threatened.  In general, these sites and numbers were likely included to help boost voter turnout.
  
The title text, which states that "We can do this", refers to Randall's desire to unite Democratic voters and elect Hillary Clinton to the White House instead of Trump.  It is possible to [https://www.lookhuman.com/design/86542-hillary-clinton-we-can-do-it/tshirt buy t-shirts] with the famed {{w|We Can Do It!}} logo from the "Rosie the Riveter" wartime poster, but with Hillary Clinton in the famed position. However this is not quite the same "We can do this" sentence that Randall uses. "We can do this" (or in German, "[https://www.dict.cc/?s=Wir+schaffen+das+%5BAngela+Merkel%5D Wir schaffen das]") was also the catchphrase of the German Chancellor {{w|Angela Merkel}} during the recent influx of refugees from the Syrian War — like Clinton, Merkel was fighting against {{w|Pegida|a populist nativist movement}} that wanted to close the country's borders.
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The title text, "We can do this", refers to Randall's desire to unite Democratic voters and elect Hillary Clinton to the White House instead of Trump.  One can [https://www.lookhuman.com/design/86542-hillary-clinton-we-can-do-it/tshirt buy T-shirts] with the famed "{{w|We Can Do It!}}" logo from the Rosie the Riveter wartime poster, but with Hillary Clinton in the famed position. Both resemble the former president {{w|Barack Obama}}'s campaign slogan {{w|Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign#Slogan|Yes We Can}} and German Chancellor {{w|Angela Merkel}}'s "[https://www.dict.cc/?s=Wir+schaffen+das+%5BAngela+Merkel%5D Wir schaffen das]" (We can do this) refrain during the Syrian War refugees influx the year earlier—like Clinton, Merkel was fighting against {{w|Pegida|a populist nativist movement}} that wanted to close the country's borders.
 
 
Unfortunately for Randall, these efforts were in vain, as {{w|Donald Trump}} (another populist nativist who wants to close the country's borders) was elected on Tuesday, November 8, falsifying the title-text. This result became a fact less than two weeks before the first ([[1761: Blame]]) of [[#Sad comics|several sad comics]] that all seemed related to the election of Donald Trump.
 
  
 
===How to help===
 
===How to help===
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Here is Randall's list of suggestions for how to help Hillary Clinton win the election:
 
Here is Randall's list of suggestions for how to help Hillary Clinton win the election:
 
{|class="wikitable"
 
{|class="wikitable"
!What to do
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!Suggestion
!How to do it
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!Tip
 
!Explanation
 
!Explanation
 
|-
 
|-
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|If you're having problems voting
 
|If you're having problems voting
 
|[http://www.866ourvote.org/ 866-OUR-VOTE]
 
|[http://www.866ourvote.org/ 866-OUR-VOTE]
|Racism or other biases on the part of people running polling places is a real issue for minorities. Though it is illegal, people may lie or deny rights to would-be-voters who they believe will not vote for the candidate they agree with. In some instances, voters may require backup from someone with legal understanding to get to vote, which is a service this phone number provides. Since Donald Trump has suggested that unofficial {{w|poll watchers}} should patrol voting stations - which has been described as potential [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/05/election-day-violence-donald-trump-poll-watchers voter intimidation] - this has been an especially widely discussed topic in this election. The phone number written out as numbers is (866) 687-8683
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|Racism or other biases on the part of people running polling places is a real issue for minorities. Though it is illegal, people may lie or deny rights to would-be-voters who they believe will not vote for the candidate they agree with. In some instances, voters may require backup from someone with legal understanding to get to vote, which is a service this phone number provides. Since Donald Trump has suggested that unofficial {{w|poll watchers}} should patrol voting stations—which has been described as potential [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/05/election-day-violence-donald-trump-poll-watchers voter intimidation]—this has been an especially widely discussed topic in this election. The phone number written out as numbers is 866-687-8683.
 
|-
 
|-
 
|Experimental social turnout project   
 
|Experimental social turnout project   
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|Reminder:  
 
|Reminder:  
 
|If you're in line when the polls close, they have to let you vote.  
 
|If you're in line when the polls close, they have to let you vote.  
|This is correct, as is printed on most election pamphlets as part of the ''Voters' Bill of Rights'', as well as being cited on numerous sources online (eg [http://votersedge.kqed.org/en/ca/ballot/election/area/42/section/voting-info?id=statewide-42-ca#section-my-rights-as-a-voter here].) Being turned down for trying to vote after the polling place is officially closed (if you were already in line ''when'' the polls closed) might be an instance where you want to use the phone number mentioned above.
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|This is correct, as is printed on most election pamphlets as part of the ''Voters' Bill of Rights'', as well as being cited on numerous sources online (e.g. [http://votersedge.kqed.org/en/ca/ballot/election/area/42/section/voting-info?id=statewide-42-ca#section-my-rights-as-a-voter here].) Being turned down for trying to vote after the polling place is officially closed (if you were already in line ''when'' the polls closed) might be an instance where you want to use the phone number mentioned above.
 
|}
 
|}
  
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The comic shows a gallery of 11 xkcd characters including all the main characters from xkcd (except [[Hairy]]), which stand united behind Randall and Clinton despite their lack of agreement in many other comics.  
 
The comic shows a gallery of 11 xkcd characters including all the main characters from xkcd (except [[Hairy]]), which stand united behind Randall and Clinton despite their lack of agreement in many other comics.  
  
*From left to right on the left side of the H are: <!--AS THIS INFORMATION IS ALSO RELEVANT FOR OTHER COMICS LINKING HERE PLEASE LEAVE IT BOTH HERE AND ABOVE EVEN THOUGH IT IS A REPETITION-->
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*From left to right on the left side of the H are <!--AS THIS INFORMATION IS ALSO RELEVANT FOR OTHER COMICS LINKING HERE PLEASE LEAVE IT BOTH HERE AND ABOVE EVEN THOUGH IT IS A REPETITION-->
**[[Ponytail]] with a ray gun (the one she also wielded in [[322: Pix Plz]], a comic where she was named Joanna). The gun is for melting computers of persons that make snide remarks at women, clearly a reference to {{w|Donald_Trump_sexual_misconduct_allegations|Donald Trump's sexual harassment of women}} in general and especially to his Grab Pussy comment.
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**[[Ponytail]] with a ray gun, (that she also wielded in [[322: Pix Plz]], where she was named Joanna, for melting computers of persons whom make snide remarks at women, clearly a reference to {{w|Donald Trump alleged sexual misconduct allegations|Donald Trump's sexual harassment of women}} in general and especially to his Grab Pussy comment)
**[[Black Hat]] (who was the one introducing Joanna/Ponytail in the mentioned comic)
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**[[Black Hat]], (who was the one introducing Joanna/Ponytail in the mentioned comic)
**[[Danish]] (Black Hat's girlfriend setting up a kite for him, although it could be Megan, but she is also shown later with her regular shorter hair). However it has mainly been Megan in comics with kites, like [[235: Kite]] and [[1614: Kites]]. Kites are a [[:Category:Kites|recurring theme]] on xkcd.  
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**[[Danish]], (Black Hat's girlfriend setting up a kite, although it could be Megan, but she is also shown later with her regular shorter hair. However it has mainly been Megan in comics with kites, like [[235: Kite]] and [[1614: Kites]]. Kites are a [[:Category:Kites|recurring theme]] on xkcd.)
 
**[[White Hat]] looking at the kite.  
 
**[[White Hat]] looking at the kite.  
*On top of the H are:
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*On top of the H are
**[[Blondie]] (looking out at us, maybe representing Clinton herself)
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**[[Blondie]], (looking out at us, maybe representing Clinton herself)
**[[Megan]] (next to Cueball)
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**[[Megan]], (next to Cueball)
**[[Cueball]] (forming the standard couple in xkcd with Megan)  
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**[[Cueball]], (forming the standard couple in xkcd with Megan)
 
**[[Hairbun]] with glasses (so specifically not the one from the previous comic [[1755: Old Days]], but rather like in [[1637: Salt Mine]]).  
 
**[[Hairbun]] with glasses (so specifically not the one from the previous comic [[1755: Old Days]], but rather like in [[1637: Salt Mine]]).  
*On the right side of the H are:
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*On the right side of the H are
**[[Science Girl]] (The adult version of her, is holding her hand out towards a cute squirrel. Of course she could also be the girl from [[635: Locke and Demosthenes]] where the squirrel is poisoned...)
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**[[Science Girl]] (the adult version of her) holding her hand out towards a cute squirrel, (Of course she could also be the girl from [[635: Locke and Demosthenes]] where the squirrel is poisoned...)
**[[Beret Guy]] is holding a squirrel out towards Science Girl. (The first time squirrels was mentioned was actually when Beret Guy found them in a tree in [[167: Nihilism]] and since then they have become a [[:Category:Squirrels|recurring theme]] on xkcd and a similar squirrel can for instance be seen in [[1503: Squirrel Plan]]. Beret Guy has not been seen together with a squirrel before, but has been shown to care for animals, for instance in [[614: Woodpecker]]).
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**[[Beret Guy]] holding a squirrel out towards Science Girl, (The first time squirrels was mentioned was actually when Beret Guy found them in a tree in [[167: Nihilism]] and since then they have become a [[:Category:Squirrels|recurring theme]] on xkcd and a similar squirrel can for instance be seen in [[1503: Squirrel Plan]]. Beret Guy has not been seen together with a squirrel before, but has been shown to care for animals, for instance in [[614: Woodpecker]].)
**[[:Category:Multiple Cueballs|Another Cueball]] is standing on an office chair wielding a sword as he was shown in [[303: Compiling]]. (Interestingly enough the previous comic [[1755: Old Days]] was about Cueball asking Hairbun about {{w|compiling}} in the old days. Seems realistic that Randall has this comic ready for this Monday before the election for some time, and when finding this 9 year old version of Cueball in the old comics, he may have gotten inspired to make a comic about compiling in the old days).
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**[[:Category:Multiple Cueballs|Another Cueball]] standing on an office chair wielding a sword. (as in [[303: Compiling]]. Interestingly enough the previous comic [[1755: Old Days]] was about Cueball asking Hairbun about {{w|compiling}} in the old days. Seems realistic that Randall has this comic ready for this Monday before the election for some time, and when finding this 9-yeared version of Cueball in the old comics, he may have gotten inspired to make a comic about compiling in the old days.)
  
 
Note that the two characters at either side of the comic wield weapons pointing out, defending the other nine. Those next to the characters with weapons are doing recreational things like kiting and admiring adorable squirrels, both of which are recurring subjects in xkcd.
 
Note that the two characters at either side of the comic wield weapons pointing out, defending the other nine. Those next to the characters with weapons are doing recreational things like kiting and admiring adorable squirrels, both of which are recurring subjects in xkcd.
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|It's agreed that this overwhelming texts are not a proper transcript.}}
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:[Inset: Eleven characters are drawn around a huge H with a rightwards arrow as the horizontal bar connecting the two vertical towers. Ponytail stands on the left with a raygun looking leftwards. Behind her is Black Hat who looks at a girl that might be Danish or Megan (but with longer hair than Megan typically has). She is flying a kite above the first two characters. Behind her and looking up at the kite is White Hat. The H is right behind him, and on top of the left tower sits Blondie looking straight out at the reader with her legs dangling over the edge and her arms resting on her knees. On the arrow sits Megan leaning against the left tower, also dangling her legs over the edge and arms resting on her knees. Cueball stands to her right by the right tower. On top of the right tower sits Hairbun with glasses looking straight right with her legs dangling over the edge one arm resting on a knee and leaning back on the other arm. On the right side of the H is an adult version of Science Girl holding a hand out towards the squirrel which Beret Guy is holding out in both arms towards her. Another Cueball stands on an office chair on the right brandishing a sword looking rightwards. He keeps his balance by holding his other arm out behind him.
:[Eleven characters are drawn left, right and on top of a huge H with an arrow as the horizontal bar connecting the two vertical towers. The arrow breaks the right part of the H. It represents the logo from Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign for 2016. From left to right on the left side of the H are Ponytail with an exotic looking futuristic ray gun like weapon looking to the left away from the H and the others. Behind her is Black Hat who looks at a girl that might be Danish or Megan (but with longer hair than Megan typically has). She is setting up a kite that flies above the first two characters. Behind her and looking up at the kite is White Hat. The H is right behind him, and on top of the left tower of the H sits Blondie looking straight out at the reader with her legs dangling over the edge and her arms resting on her knees. On the arrow between the two H towers sits Megan leaning against the left H tower, also dangling her legs over the edge and arms resting on her knees. Cueball is standing to her right, just left of the right H tower. On top of the right H towers sits Hairbun with glasses looking straight right with her legs dangling over the edge one arm resting on a knee and leaning back on the other arm. On the right side of the H is an adult version of Science Girl holding a hand out towards the squirrel which Beret Guy is holding out in both arms towards her. Behind them is another Cueball standing on an office chair holding a sword high up in front of him to the right away from the others. He keeps his balance by holding his other arm out behind him. Below the H there is a large caption.]
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:Caption]
:<big><big><big>H</big></big></big>
 
 
: <big><big>I'm with her.</big></big>  
 
: <big><big>I'm with her.</big></big>  
  
:[Below the panel there are several lines of text. The first header line refers to the next four lines with solutions to problems, title/problem on one side then a long dash and the web-link or other information on the right side of that. Below those there is a reminder.]
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:[Centred]
 
:<big><u>How to help</u></big>  
 
:<big><u>How to help</u></big>  
:Vote - iwillvote.com
+
:Vote―iwillvote.com
:Get a ride to the polls - drive2vote.org
+
:Get a ride to the polls―drive2vote.org
:If you're having problems voting - 866-OUR-VOTE
+
:If you're having problems voting―866-OUR-VOTE
:Experimental social turnout project - civicinnovation.com App Store: VoteWithMe
+
:Experimental social turnout project―civicinnovation.com App Store: VoteWithMe
 
 
 
:<big>Reminder:</big>  
 
:<big>Reminder:</big>  
 
:If you're in line when the polls close, they have to let you vote.
 
:If you're in line when the polls close, they have to let you vote.
  
 
==Trivia==
 
==Trivia==
*Despite securing more of the popular vote (votes from individual citizens), Hillary Clinton lost the election in the {{w|Electoral college (United States)|electoral college}}.  
+
*Shortly after this comic was released Hillary Clinton lost the election. She won {{w|Massachusetts}}—Randall's home state—which was never doubted, and she also got the most voters. But Trump did win the most states and the most electoral voters and started his term as the {{w|President of the United States}} in January 2017.
**She did win in {{w|Massachusetts}} (Randall's home state), but that was never really in any doubt.
 
*The fact that Trump was elected instead is likely the reason for several comics with a bad mood released after this and until at least just past the day Trump was inaugurated. See [[#Sad comics|below]].
 
 
 
===Sad comics===
 
<!-- Please do not delete this trivia as it is referenced by other sad comics. If you dislike the phrasing then change it but keep the references to the sad comics here! -->
 
*After this comic there have been a clear trend that '''[[Randall]] has had sad thoughts''' after the {{w|United States presidential election, 2016|election}} of Trump in 2016.
 
**Over the next few months after the election (at least up till just after Donald Trump’s {{w|Inauguration of Donald Trump|inauguration}}) Randall has posted (at least) five comics that could be interpreted as him being sad/angry or that people around him are acting in such a way.
 
*Not since Randall's wife's [[:Category:Cancer|cancer diagnosis]] has there been so many sad/negative or depressing comics.
 
**During a two year span there were only five decidedly sad cancer comics.
 
**There has now been more "sad" comics in a little more than three months (November 18th 2016 to February 24th 2017), and they continued longer.
 
***As a comparison the year before the first sad comic there where no really sad, and only one (for real) scary comic: [[1732: Earth Temperature Timeline]].
 
***That comic has just been made more scary as it now seems the doing nothing is no longer the worst case scenario given That Randall did not expect Trump to win. And his policy of denying climate change, will probably make it even worse than if we did nothing.
 
***So this is another good reason why Randall would begin to post sad comics after the election. He is likely really scared the climate will be beyond saving once Trump leaves office. And it may be for a good reason. See about the comic [[#Sad|Sad]] below from after Trump became president.
 
**Hopefully Randall is not so depressed for real as the comics below could suggest.
 
*Note that none of these sad comics, also including this one, directly mentions Trump at all.
 
**But this comic indirectly references him as the opponent of the one Randall is with, and all the other comics could be interpreted as being about something that could have come about because of this election result.
 
**But the connection is not only inferred from the mood. Three comics where released close to some important day on Donald Trump's way to becoming president and another was the New Year comic, thus representing going into the year where Trump actually becomes president. And the fifth was during the days when the first executive order of Trump was overruled (see more below under [[#Focus Knob|Focus Knob]]).
 
*If more related comics appear they can be listed below; then update the above section regarding dates and number of comics.
 
**These comics are collected here because they are not easily collected under a specific category.
 
**Since the connection to Trump and the election is circumstantial in the sad comics, this trivia has been put on this comics page. Though this is not in itself one of the really sad comics, this comic definitely relates to Trump and Randall's stance regarding him becoming president.
 
**After April 2017 the sad comics related to the election stopped, but in August 2017, a week before the solar Eclipse, the election was mentioned in [[1876: Eclipse Searches]].
 
**Another few comics came out later with reference to the election: for instance [[#October 2017|October 2017]] (at that time) and, in January 2018, about two weeks before Trump had been president for a year, a comic which clearly tried to show that he was not the popular vote winner: [[#2016 Election Map|2016 Election Map]].
 
*Here below follows a list of the comics related to these sad comics.
 
**Relations (if any) between the release day and the comics will also be listed.
 
**The links points here below to an explanation why each comic is listed here:
 
*[[#I'm With Her|I'm With Her]] (not one of the sad, thus not numbered)
 
#[[#Blame|Blame]]
 
#[[#Negativity|Negativity]]
 
#[[#2017|2017]]
 
#[[#Sad|Sad]]
 
#[[#Focus Knob|Focus Knob]]
 
#[[#Phone|Phone]]
 
#[[#Location Reviews|Location Reviews]]
 
#[[#Vomiting Emoji|Vomiting Emoji]]
 
#[[#Flag|Flag]]
 
#[[#Security Advice|Security Advice]]
 
#[[#Identification Chart|Identification Chart]]
 
#[[#Eclipse Searches|Eclipse Searches]]
 
#[[#October 2017|October 2017]]
 
#[[#2016 Election Map|2016 Election Map]]
 
#[[#I'm a Car|I'm a Car]]
 
 
 
====I'm With Her====
 
*[[1756: I'm With Her]] (This comic)
 
**2016-11-07: The day before the election:<!--AS THIS INFORMATION IS ALSO RELEVANT FOR OTHER COMICS LINKING HERE PLEASE LEAVE IT BOTH HERE AND ABOVE EVEN THOUGH IT IS A REPETITION-->
 
***It all began when Randall urged his American viewership to vote in the election the day after this comic was released.
 
***Here he clearly showed his {{w|Political endorsement|endorsement}} for {{w|Hillary Clinton}}, the {{w|US Democratic Party|Democratic}} nominee in the election. 
 
***Although this is not directly sad, he included two weapon carrying defenders on either side of the comic.
 
***One of these was [[Ponytail]] with a ray gun (the one she also wielded in [[322: Pix Plz]]). The gun is for melting computers of persons that make snide remarks at women, clearly a reference to {{w|Donald_Trump_sexual_misconduct_allegations|Donald Trump's sexual harassment of women}} in general and especially to his ''grab them by the pussy'' {{w|Donald Trump and Billy Bush recording|comment}}.
 
***Randall has often made comics against women harassment before (see for a great example in [[1027: Pickup Artist]]).
 
 
 
====Blame====
 
*[[1761: Blame]]
 
**2016-11-18: Ten days after the election.
 
***This is the first really sad comic in which [[Cueball]] actually begins by stating that: ''I feel sad!'' a clear relation to [[1790: Sad]] (the fourth sad comic after I'm With Her, see below).
 
***This is likely due to all the angry and scared comments of Cueball’s Facebook friends, and he thus decides to blame them rather than what they are angry about.
 
***It took some days before Randall posted anything that could be said to have relation to the election, but the defeat of Hillary may have taken some time to digest.
 
***Also the reactions to Trump’s victory on Facebook needed to build up over time before this comic.
 
***Furthermore there was also some uncertainty to begin with if some states would call for a re-vote etc.
 
***Still it was only the fifth comic after his campaign for Hillary failed.
 
 
 
====Negativity====
 
*[[1773: Negativity]]
 
**2016-12-16: Three days before the {{w|U.S. Electoral College}} voted for {{w|Donald Trump}} to become the 45th president of the United States.
 
***The first comic with a really negative title. (Like ''Sad'' (see below), although ''Blame'' is of course a negatively loaded word, the comic did not need to be so sad as it was).
 
***This comic and ''Blame'' could be seen as a small series as Cueball blames his friends on Facebook in the first comic, and then goes outside to avoid all the negativity online in the second, probably worsened for him after he blamed his Facebook friends because: ''Bad thing are happening''.
 
***Only it does not work because even the grass is after him.
 
***At the time of the comics release there was still some rumors/hopes that the {{w|Faithless electors in the United States presidential election, 2016|some of the electors would not vote for Trump}}. (But only two changed away from Trump!)
 
 
 
====2017====
 
*[[1779: 2017]]
 
**2016-12-30: The [[:Category:New Year|New Year comic]] – a transition to the year when Donald Trump would become president.
 
***Even the comic "celebrating" New Year was depressive and it was the first time that a New Year comic had such a depressive mood.
 
***Cueball and [[Megan]] discuss if 2016 could end up as having been better than 2017 since all the bad thing happening in 2016 would first really take effect in 2017.
 
***The biggest of these would be Trump becoming president, but also {{w|Brexit}} and a lot of {{w|2016#Deaths|dead famous people}} would be troublesome. None of these events (or any other specifically bad event of 2016 are cited in the comic).
 
***Randall tries to make a happy twist by saying that maybe some unexpected good would come in 2017 as most of the sad events (just mentioned) was not expected to happen.
 
***But hopping for this in the face of what awaits is difficult so he retorts to just hoping ''they'' won’t cancel the {{w|Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017|2017 solar eclipse}}.
 
***Fearing (for real) that astronomical events like this being canceled would call for you to be very depressed. Of course Randall doesn’t fear for this in real life, but it puts a perspective on the other parts of the comic.
 
***Although the eclipse will certainly happen on August 21st 2017 Randall may still miss it, even if he is in the right place, as the weather could always be overcast and then ruin the experience.
 
***So the worry that he will miss it is real and had also been mentioned three years earlier in [[1302: Year in Review]].
 
 
 
====Sad====
 
*[[1790: Sad]]
 
**2017-01-25: Five days after Donald Trump’s {{w|Inauguration of Donald Trump|inauguration}}.
 
***This was the comic that sparked this section, with the title really being ''[[#Sad comics|Sad]]''.
 
***The title "Sad" is a common interjection in Trump's tweets.  The time-frame of "the past few months" from the first panel is consistent with this, as the election was on November 8, 2016, and the comic was posted on January 25, 2017 four days after Donald Trump's inauguration as 45th president of the United States on January 20, 2017. 
 
***This was only the second comic released after the inauguration the Friday before this comics Wednesday release.
 
***Although it could be said that Trump first took office Monday (before this Wednesday comic) he already began signing {{w|Decree|decrees}} (or {{w|Executive order|executive orders}}) on Friday January 20th {{w|First_100_days_of_Donald_Trump's_presidency#Immediate_regulatory_freeze_pending_review|within a few hours}} after becoming president.
 
****{{w|First_100_days_of_Donald_Trump's_presidency#Policy|Most of these}} would make it even worse for those already sad about him becoming president, because they could now see that he really meant all the things he promised (which is not always the case in politics!)
 
****Up to the day this comic was released (January 25th) it would already be drastic things like the {{w|First_100_days_of_Donald_Trump's_presidency#Mexican_border_wall|Mexican border wall}} (on the day of the comics release), the {{w|First_100_days_of_Donald_Trump's_presidency#Withdrawal_of_Affordable_Care_Act|withdrawal of Affordable Care Act}}, the approval of the {{w|First_100_days_of_Donald_Trump's_presidency#Dakota_Access_and_the_Keystone_XL_pipelines|Dakota Access and the Keystone XL pipelines}} (which would be troublesome for an [[:Category:Climate change|environmentalist]] as Randall as {{w|Dakota_Access_Pipeline#Environmental_concerns|both}} {{w|Pipeline_transport#Oil_and_natural_gas|oil pipes}} {{w|Keystone_Pipeline#Environmental_issues|have}} environmental issues) and the {{w|First_100_days_of_Donald_Trump's_presidency#Mexico_City_Policy|Mexico City Policy}} regarding stopping any help to poor women abroad with regards to information or any other way helping with {{w|abortion}}.
 
***The actual reasons for Ponytail's frustrations and depression aren't dwelt on and the focus is on her retreat into video games and the damage it's doing to her work projects.
 
****The video game she plays is referenced again only seven comics later in [[1797: Stardew Valley]], thus showing this game is on Randall's mind, and that he might be using this to avoid thinking of the things that makes him sad.
 
****This fits with the [[#Focus Knob|next sad comic]] mentioned below, coming out just before ''Stardew Valley'', where Randall focuses on his e-mail settings rather than the big picture.
 
***It might appear to be non-political, the reference to {{w|PolitiFact.com|PolitiFact}}, however, makes it clear that she is thinking on politics, and the fact checking of most of Trump's claims
 
****This is another indication that one of her troubles is Trump's leniency with the truth in both election campaign and after, to the point where lies are now on a daily basis just called {{w|alternative facts}} or {{w|Post-truth_politics#United_States|post-truth}}.
 
****His statements would often turns out to be ''Pants on Fire!'' on the PolitiFact scale.
 
****See more on Politifact.com the earlier comic [[1712: Politifact]] from during the election campaign
 
*****By the way apart from the ''Politifact'' comic and ''I’m with Her'' then the only other direct reference to the election during the {{w|United_States_presidential_election,_2016#General_election_campaign|election campaign}} was in [[1748: Future Archaeology]], where Randall expressed interest in knowing the result of the election in advance.
 
***Seeing that this comic is about Ponytail being sad, the woman who in the first comic on this list was standing with a weapon to defend herself against condescending men (like Trump) and that one of the first decrees Trump signed, was regarding removal of support for abortion abroad, she can see that she still have good reason (especially as a woman) to being sad as she has been these past few months.
 
 
 
====Focus Knob====
 
*[[1796: Focus Knob]]
 
**2017-02-08: Less than three weeks after Donald Trump’s inauguration, only six comics after the previous Sad comic.
 
***Although this comic may look like an easy joke, there is ''panic and existential paralysis'' if you turn your focus more than two thirds towards the big picture (of the world).
 
****For instance during the days just before this comics release an {{w|Legal_challenges_to_Executive_Order_13769#State_of_Washington_v._Trump|American judge}} (February 3rd) and two days later {{w|Legal_challenges_to_Executive_Order_13769#Proceedings in the Ninth Circuit|several big companies}} went against {{w|Executive Order 13769|Trump's decision}} of banning people from seven countries from entering USA.
 
****There have thus been many reasons to panic since his inauguration if one follows the news in any way.
 
***In the comic the detail oriented side is indicated to be a focus on his e-mail settings. But as it was shown already in the next comic [[1797: Stardew Valley]], there are also video games that can help you take your mind off the real world.
 
****This also relates back to [[#Sad|Sad]] where the same game was mentioned a week before.
 
 
 
====Phone====
 
*[[1802: Phone]]
 
**2017-02-22: During the days before this comic, Trump has promised to make a {{w|Executive_Order_13769#Proposed_related_Executive_Order|related Executive Order}} regarding the banning of people from the same seven countries from entering USA, as was ruled illegal around the time of the [[#Focus Knob|last]] of these comics.
 
***The sadness is not so clear in this comic, but the conclusion in the title text that it is both bad to hear all the scary news and to disconnect in order avoid them seems rather sad. It is a lose/lose situation.
 
****This also seems related to the problem of finding the right balance mentioned in [[#Focus Knob|Focus Knob]].
 
***The idea of going for a walk with the phone, thus not avoiding the news feed, is the exact opposite idea of [[#Negativity|Negativity]], where going outside was to avoid the negativity on the internet. Neither of the idea seems to work.
 
 
 
====Location Reviews====
 
*[[1803: Location Reviews]]
 
**2017-02-24: Second comic in a row, this one could be a reaction to the cold relationship between Russia and the United States, that became worse a few weeks before this comic.
 
***Two weeks prior to this comics release [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/14/world/europe/russia-cruise-missile-arms-control-treaty.html?_r=0 Russia Deploys Missile, Violating Treaty and Challenging Trump].
 
***In this comic a Nuclear Launch Facility is reviewed on a Google Map and the last of the reviewers pleads ''Please don't launch these''. Another notices the lack of security as there is a hole in the fence. (See more in the [[1803:_Location_Reviews#Reviews|reviews explanation]] and [[1803:_Location_Reviews#Politics|here]]).
 
 
 
====Vomiting Emoji====
 
*[[1813: Vomiting Emoji]]
 
**2017-03-20: The day of this comics release [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/20/public-editor/trump-russia-fbi-liz-spayd-public-editor.html?_r=0 stories] about Trump's connection with Russia and the word treason was mentioned, and the stories got [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/23/opinion/theres-a-smell-of-treason-in-the-air.html worse] during the week that followed.
 
***In this comic six vomiting emoji has been created. Most of them can be connected to the situation in USA.
 
***A vomiting cowboy, could represents the Americans that votes for Trump but now has regretted it.
 
***Vomiting Statue of Liberty speaks for it self...
 
***Vomiting peace dove a clear reference to the fear of Nuclear War, as is the rocket below
 
***Vomiting Moon, the only one that is not clearly connected in any way with this situation. Although Randall has expressed fear that the moon will be gone before the Eclipse this summer, see [[#2017|above]].
 
***Vomiting rocket ship, see peace dove above.
 
***Vomiting Hand, could be a reference to the way Trump always holds up his hand in a special way, which is likely to cause nausea in those that really detest what he stands for.
 
 
 
====Flag====
 
*[[1815: Flag]]
 
**2017-03-24: On this day {{w|Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act#2017|Trump failed}} to get a vote through for removing/changing {{w|Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act|Obamacare}} which was expected. But had it succeeded Randall might have wished for a departure from Trumps states (see below).
 
***The comic depicts a flag similar in style to the {{w|Flag of the United States|Stars and Stripes}}, and explains he was asked to create it for a new country.
 
***This seems like a reference to the fact that some have talked about states leaving the USA due to the election of Trump ({{w|California}} for [http://www.yescalifornia.org/ instance]).
 
***This flag with three stars could thus be Randall's thoughts on this, maybe the three small states in New England; {{w|Massachusetts}}, where he lives, {{w|Connecticut}} and {{w|Rhode Island}} could break free and form their own small state union.
 
 
 
====Security Advice====
 
*[[1820: Security Advice]]
 
**2017-04-05: No special event seems related.
 
***There are two references to what to do when crossing a border, and especially that last tip could be related to the increasing border control caused by Donald Trump's election:
 
***''If a border guard asks to examine your laptop, you have a legal right to challenge them to a chess game for your soul.''
 
 
 
====Identification Chart====
 
*[[1824: Identification Chart]]
 
**2017-04-17: No special event seems related.
 
***Once again reference to the military like in [[#Location Reviews|Location Reviews]].
 
***In the title text hostility between fighter-plane like birds that are territorial are mentioned.
 
 
 
====Eclipse Searches====
 
*[[1876: Eclipse Searches]]
 
**2017-08-14: A week before the total {{w|solar eclipse}} occurring on Monday, {{w|Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017|August 21, 2017}}.
 
***This is not a sad comic, but it refers directly to the election day regarding media interest and searches on Google, which makes it the first in almost four month referring back to the election or the result of said election.
 
***For that reason alone it is included here. It seems that Randall has stopped focusing on Trump and his actions.
 
 
 
====October 2017====
 
*[[1898: October 2017]]
 
**2017-10-04: A month before the similar titles comic [[1757: November 2016]], released the day after the election, both of which had the subject [[:Category:Comics to make one feel old|to make one feel old]].
 
***The comic mentions a movie that is already 7 years old, to make one feel old.
 
***But in the title text it refers directly to the election stating that so much has happened (because of this) that it is hard to believe that not even a year has passed since the election itself. However Election 2016 includes the active campaigning which led up to it, starting well before the first state primary election in February 2016.
 
***It thus still seems that Randall can be sad about the election results, although it was only the second reference to it in almost half a year.
 
 
 
====2016 Election Map====
 
*[[1939: 2016 Election Map]]
 
**2018-01-08: Release close to a year after Trumps inauguration. Could be related to the news that [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/us/politics/trump-voter-fraud-commission.html Trump Disbands Commission on Voter Fraud], five days before this comics release.
 
***The comic displays the distribution of voters across the US in much more detail than the {{w|Choropleth map}} used during the election, which makes large states with small population seem more important and also removes any sign that a state is more of less split in half between red and blue.
 
***Thus the comic displays that Trump did not win many states by a large margin, and it has been known by everyone except Trump that Hillary got the most votes, in spite of the allegations of Russian involvement in the election trying to get Trump the win.
 
***Randall is clearly still sad about the election results, almost a year after Trump became president.
 
 
 
====I'm a Car====
 
*[[2064: I'm a Car]]
 
**2018-10-26: Release 11 days before the {{w|United States midterm election}} to be held on {{w|United States elections, 2018|Tuesday, November 6, 2018}}.
 
***The comic reminds people to register for voting.
 
***It is generally believed that many of those not voting would have chosen democrats on election day.
 
***Also shortly before this comic was released the [[Design_of_xkcd.com#Header|header text]] at the top of the xkcd page was changed to "Check your registration and find your polling place at [https://www.vote.org/ vote.org]." 
 
***The comic is not sad but refers back to the election two years earlier.
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
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[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
 
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[[Category:Kites]]
 
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[[Category:Squirrels]]

Revision as of 00:29, 27 February 2020

I'm With Her
We can do this.
Title text: We can do this.

Explanation

In this serious, no joke, comic released the day before the 2016 United States presidential election (which was more contentious than most, due in part to many people finding both candidates unusually distasteful), Randall urged his American viewership to vote, and showed his endorsement for Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee in the election. She was up against the Republican nominee Donald Trump, who ended up winning. For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that there were also nominees from other parties, including Green Party nominee Jill Stein, and Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson. Neither hoped to garner enough votes to become president, but there was a chance they could affect the result in some states (no third-party candidate has won a state since 1968, and it did not occur this time either: the closest any came in 2016 was independent candidate Evan McMullin in Utah.)

It was the second time Randall referred to this election, the first being 1748: Future Archaeology three weeks before the election, but here it was just a wish to know the result using time travel (of course he did not learn the result back then…).

The "H" with an arrow was Clinton's campaign logo, and I'm with her an official slogan that was widely used by her supporters, hence the title. Randall then lists tips to help you cast your vote (see table below) suggesting a personal investment in the election. Clinton herself may be represented by Blondie sitting on top of the H looking out at the reader as the only of the 11 characters. The only type of joke in the comic is the chosen characters. Two with weapons flank the left and right side looking out ready to defend against Trump: Ponytail with an emp gun (that she also wielded in 322: Pix Plz for melting computers of persons who make snide remarks at women, clearly a reference to allegations of Donald Trump's sexual harassment of women in general and especially to his grab them by the pussy comment) and Cueball with his sword (from 303: Compiling). See more details in the character gallery below.

This is the first time Randall has used a comic to directly support a presidential campaign, although he did endorse Barack Obama in 2008 on his Blag. He wrote himself later that it was very controversial when he endorsed Obama, but that it was not the most controversial comic he had published at that time. This comic might take that prize now, given that this was one of the most discussed elections up to its time. This is particularly noteworthy outside the US—for example, some European leaders openly opposed Trump, while others supported him. There were also reports of Russian hackers attempting to influence the election.

Randall's support for Hillary Clinton may have been due in part to Donald Trump being a prominent climate change denier. Randall has published comics opposing climate change denial such as this: 1732: Earth Temperature Timeline, published less than two months before the election, as well as several other comics on climate change. Also Trump beating Clinton made Randall's regex that matches the last names of elected US presidents but not their opponents impossible to update.

All the information on the bottom half of the comic includes sites, numbers, info, etc., current as of 2016, that are intended to help US voters to vote, regardless of whom they vote for. Including this information can assist voters who don't understand the process, don't feel that it's worth it, or feel intimidated or threatened. In general, these sites and numbers were likely included to help boost voter turnout.

The title text, "We can do this", refers to Randall's desire to unite Democratic voters and elect Hillary Clinton to the White House instead of Trump. One can buy T-shirts with the famed "We Can Do It!" logo from the Rosie the Riveter wartime poster, but with Hillary Clinton in the famed position. Both resemble the former president Barack Obama's campaign slogan Yes We Can and German Chancellor Angela Merkel's "Wir schaffen das" (We can do this) refrain during the Syrian War refugees influx the year earlier—like Clinton, Merkel was fighting against a populist nativist movement that wanted to close the country's borders.

How to help

The list of things that can help is all about getting people to vote. While Randall is likely to have wanted to boost voter turnout regardless of political leanings, it's clear from his endorsement of Clinton that he believed increased turnout would have helped her win the race. There is general evidence that certain more heavily Democratic-leaning demographics are less likely to vote, and in this election in particular, the various political issues that had been raised against Hillary (such as the FBI's public disclosures of its investigation into her use of a private email server) were shown to have reduced enthusiasm among Democrats. But all these issues aside, both Republicans and Democrats alike agree on encouraging everyone to vote, and Randall is likely to have agreed with that sentiment as well.

Here is Randall's list of suggestions for how to help Hillary Clinton win the election:

Suggestion Tip Explanation
Vote iwillvote.com A site to look up polling locations, ID requirements, etc.
Get a ride to the polls: drive2vote.org For voters in Douglas and Sarpy County, Nebraska, who needed a ride to the polls from Warren Buffett or his friends.
If you're having problems voting 866-OUR-VOTE Racism or other biases on the part of people running polling places is a real issue for minorities. Though it is illegal, people may lie or deny rights to would-be-voters who they believe will not vote for the candidate they agree with. In some instances, voters may require backup from someone with legal understanding to get to vote, which is a service this phone number provides. Since Donald Trump has suggested that unofficial poll watchers should patrol voting stations—which has been described as potential voter intimidation—this has been an especially widely discussed topic in this election. The phone number written out as numbers is 866-687-8683.
Experimental social turnout project civicinnovation.com
App Store: VoteWithMe
An app which "gives you a list of the top 10 highest-impact potential voters in your address book to get in touch with -- based on the likelihood that they support progressive candidates, and that they live in states with the most competitive races". This app is for Android and iOS, with the App Store ID as "VoteWithMe". The "VoteWithMe" app is created by Civic Innovation Works and "uses publicly available voter records to predict which of your contacts are likely to support Democratic candidates, but might not have a plan to vote", as it says on its App Store Page.
Reminder: If you're in line when the polls close, they have to let you vote. This is correct, as is printed on most election pamphlets as part of the Voters' Bill of Rights, as well as being cited on numerous sources online (e.g. here.) Being turned down for trying to vote after the polling place is officially closed (if you were already in line when the polls closed) might be an instance where you want to use the phone number mentioned above.

Character gallery

The comic shows a gallery of 11 xkcd characters including all the main characters from xkcd (except Hairy), which stand united behind Randall and Clinton despite their lack of agreement in many other comics.

  • From left to right on the left side of the H are
    • Ponytail with a ray gun, (that she also wielded in 322: Pix Plz, where she was named Joanna, for melting computers of persons whom make snide remarks at women, clearly a reference to Donald Trump's sexual harassment of women in general and especially to his Grab Pussy comment)
    • Black Hat, (who was the one introducing Joanna/Ponytail in the mentioned comic)
    • Danish, (Black Hat's girlfriend setting up a kite, although it could be Megan, but she is also shown later with her regular shorter hair. However it has mainly been Megan in comics with kites, like 235: Kite and 1614: Kites. Kites are a recurring theme on xkcd.)
    • White Hat looking at the kite.
  • On top of the H are
    • Blondie, (looking out at us, maybe representing Clinton herself)
    • Megan, (next to Cueball)
    • Cueball, (forming the standard couple in xkcd with Megan)
    • Hairbun with glasses (so specifically not the one from the previous comic 1755: Old Days, but rather like in 1637: Salt Mine).
  • On the right side of the H are
    • Science Girl (the adult version of her) holding her hand out towards a cute squirrel, (Of course she could also be the girl from 635: Locke and Demosthenes where the squirrel is poisoned...)
    • Beret Guy holding a squirrel out towards Science Girl, (The first time squirrels was mentioned was actually when Beret Guy found them in a tree in 167: Nihilism and since then they have become a recurring theme on xkcd and a similar squirrel can for instance be seen in 1503: Squirrel Plan. Beret Guy has not been seen together with a squirrel before, but has been shown to care for animals, for instance in 614: Woodpecker.)
    • Another Cueball standing on an office chair wielding a sword. (as in 303: Compiling. Interestingly enough the previous comic 1755: Old Days was about Cueball asking Hairbun about compiling in the old days. Seems realistic that Randall has this comic ready for this Monday before the election for some time, and when finding this 9-yeared version of Cueball in the old comics, he may have gotten inspired to make a comic about compiling in the old days.)

Note that the two characters at either side of the comic wield weapons pointing out, defending the other nine. Those next to the characters with weapons are doing recreational things like kiting and admiring adorable squirrels, both of which are recurring subjects in xkcd.

Transcript

[Inset: Eleven characters are drawn around a huge H with a rightwards arrow as the horizontal bar connecting the two vertical towers. Ponytail stands on the left with a raygun looking leftwards. Behind her is Black Hat who looks at a girl that might be Danish or Megan (but with longer hair than Megan typically has). She is flying a kite above the first two characters. Behind her and looking up at the kite is White Hat. The H is right behind him, and on top of the left tower sits Blondie looking straight out at the reader with her legs dangling over the edge and her arms resting on her knees. On the arrow sits Megan leaning against the left tower, also dangling her legs over the edge and arms resting on her knees. Cueball stands to her right by the right tower. On top of the right tower sits Hairbun with glasses looking straight right with her legs dangling over the edge one arm resting on a knee and leaning back on the other arm. On the right side of the H is an adult version of Science Girl holding a hand out towards the squirrel which Beret Guy is holding out in both arms towards her. Another Cueball stands on an office chair on the right brandishing a sword looking rightwards. He keeps his balance by holding his other arm out behind him.
Caption]
I'm with her.
[Centred]
How to help
Vote―iwillvote.com
Get a ride to the polls―drive2vote.org
If you're having problems voting―866-OUR-VOTE
Experimental social turnout project―civicinnovation.com App Store: VoteWithMe
Reminder:
If you're in line when the polls close, they have to let you vote.

Trivia

  • Shortly after this comic was released Hillary Clinton lost the election. She won Massachusetts—Randall's home state—which was never doubted, and she also got the most voters. But Trump did win the most states and the most electoral voters and started his term as the President of the United States in January 2017.


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Discussion

Comments from before 2017 can be seen here: Comments from 2016

The woman to the right of the H looks more like Jill than Hairbun without glasses.1234231587678 (talk) 21:33, 15 January 2024 (UTC)

Found the joke

It turns out that this comic was funny in hindsight. 162.158.75.160 08:50, 12 January 2017 (UTC)

Ha ha ;-) But I think that most of those that rooted for Randall and Hillary fails to see the funny part now, especially Randall, but probably also several of those that actually voted for Trump in a protest either against the system of Hillary personally... --Kynde (talk) 14:29, 11 March 2017 (UTC)

Today was the first time I saw it, and yes, I guffawed, though definitely from a schadenfreude perspective. Not that I cared who would win, the second most hated person in America or the first most hated person in American (and, in retrospect, those titles were interchangeable), but it is ~always~ funny to see those that either beg for more gov't or those that note that ~their particular~ reason for wanting more gov't is justification to force those ideas onto those who disagree get what they wanted/justified handed to them in spades.162.158.186.30 01:09, 15 August 2017 (UTC)

I invoke Poe's law. Either way, a comment here from a living, breathing barrier to human progress and happiness. *insert troll insult spiel here*172.70.91.236 03:24, 25 October 2023 (UTC)

This 'sad comics' list is utterly ludicrous, and really should just be removed altogether. It's headed by many bullet points of meaningless blather. And the content is just stupid. Funny gag about a notification bar in a flag being seen as a Randall making a flag for a conspiratorial three-state independence move? Comic about random funny security mishmashes (and clearly about border enforcements and laptop passwords - a very old issue) being seen as comments on Trump's presidency? Just a population distribution map being seen as Randall being 'still sad about election results'? A frigging bunch of funny emoji ideas being seen as SECRET REFERENCES to US politics, and not just the dumb things they very very obviously are? A comic about unnecessary reviews being seen as reference to nuclear war? New Year is.. maybe sad, kind of? But pretty spurious. A comic about focus being seen as political commentary. Every freaking comic here is somehow linked to Trump. Most for no reason whatsoever.

The only person wasting time here is me, for some reason pointing out the utter meaninglessness and ridiculousness of this list. I'll go prune it now. --162.158.111.241 00:38, 10 January 2018 (UTC)
I reverted the edit that took an axe to the 'Sadness' section, as it seemed needlessly antagonistic. The section may need some culling or re-presenting, but it should be done in a more dispassionate way. For the most part, perhaps simply putting a statement at the top of the section noting that it represents speculative interpretation would suffice? (Also, for an edit that purported to be fixing spelling and grammar, it was somewhat rife with typos and grammatical errors.)141.101.76.16 09:44, 10 January 2018 (UTC)

A) Why does the sad comics list exist (see comment above)? B) If it did have a reasonable argument for existing, why is it in here and not in its own category? C) If it should not have its own category, wouldn't it be more reasonable to put it in a table? D) How the hell are vomiting emojis supposed to represent a significant connection to Trump? E) A flag with 3 stars. Definitely connected to the Trump election/inauguration. F) The list is just stupid in general. Halo422 (talk) 14:25, 10 January 2018 (UTC)

This utterly ludicrous 'sad comics' list only exist because just one single editor likes and maintains it. Of course it's NOT a trivia belonging to this comic which was released BEFORE the election. Randall just shows his choice to vote and he further provides some hints how to vote. So in general the entire trivia should be removed because it doesn't explain anything of this particular comic. AND if all that mentioned sad comics are really sad is highly questionable, but more worse that's also mentioned all over at the other comic explanations and nobody had criticized this before.--Dgbrt (talk) 21:20, 11 January 2018 (UTC)

Ok, not American-from-US, and frankly finding Trump amusing (Nobel!! Ha!) Anyway....why, in the comment, is Danish or possibly Megan "setting up the kite for black hat"? She's a competent and confident woman, whichever she is, and if she's setting up a kite she probably intends to fly it herself. Black Hat is just there to applaud. 108.162.250.11 07:39, 9 July 2018 (UTC)

INCOMPLETE

I've moved entries from 2016 to a sub-page mentioned at the top, I removed the mentioning of "trolls" because a moderator always has to be polite. Nevertheless there are at least four major issues here to be solved (maybe more):

The transcript is not standard.
The table at the explanation is bad layout.
The title text is bad explained, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel is irrelevant here but Barack Obama's famous speech "Yes, we can" has to be mentioned.
The "Sad comics" section at trivia doesn't belong to this comic.

I am happy about any input here at the discussion or even more at the explanation. --Dgbrt (talk) 21:27, 27 October 2018 (UTC)

I've squeezed the "Sad comics" section, but that's a preliminary solution. We can delete that irrelevant content, but maybe there is a better place for this. Most referenced comics are not actually sad, but maybe we should preserve a reference at this trivia to other comics, entitled by a less sad, whining, header. --Dgbrt (talk) 21:52, 27 October 2018 (UTC)
Sad comics tivia moved to Sad comics. --Kynde (talk) 13:51, 2 November 2018 (UTC)