Winning Issue?

Friday's Editorial Cartoon   —   Posted on October 1, 2010

Question(s)

1. Symbol is defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary as: something that stands for or suggests something else...; a visible sign of something invisible (the lion is a symbol of courage)
What does the donkey in this cartoon symbolize?

2. What is cartoonist Chip Bok implying about Democrats running for re-election in November?