What evidence can you give that shows the cartoonist supports one side or the other?
You can see the cartoonist supports the Democratic side. The cartoon gives the impression to the viewers that Republicans are cranky, stubborn, and want the casualty of shutting down to be the only option unless they get what they desire by use of the explained above.
What “reality” is constructed/framed about your issue?
The reality framed is that readers see the image of the Republican Party as standing firm for their views and will not budge - not even if the government had to shutdown. It puts all the blame on the Republican Party.
analysis:
The conclusion of this cartoon puts the blame for a potential government shutdown on the Republican Party. However, since both the House and Senate could not come to terms on what was agreeable, they are both in the same corner for blame. Each group would not accept the others terms of what was needed and/or what they wanted to happen (Time Inc., 2013). Therefore, readers can come to the conclusion that this cartoon has more truthiness than truth to it since both parties could not find common ground to agree upon. Another bias in this image is the point that the Republicans were not the only ones being blamed for the shutdown as the cartoon would entail. Other members of Congress were also in disfavor with the public. “Congressional Democrats also sustained damage to their image. More than six in ten respondents disapproved of how they handled budget negotiations, and unfavorable ratings of the party have risen to a record high” (Balz/The Washington Post, D, 2013). The primary emotion this cartoon portrayed was blame on the Republicans.