Why is the symbol of the Republican Party an elephant?

[Sub Atomic]

Because an elephant can reach its trunk under a bathroom stall wall?

:shrug:

[bbinacan]

1. I think that one of

the first editorial cartoonists gave the mascots to the parties.

[Davis_X_Machina]

2. Thomas Nast, IIRC.

It is usually said to have to do with the elephant's legendary memory, and the long shadow of the Civil War, which the GOP could claim to have won.

But there's a more scholarly explanation, and a more interesting one here.

[kentuck]

17. An interesting comment... from the link:

"One of the foolish animals in the cartoon was an elephant, representing the Republican vote - not the party, the Republican vote - which was being frightened away from its normal ties by the phony scare of Caesarism. In a subsequent cartoon on November 21, 1874, after the election in which the Republicans did badly, Nast followed up the idea by showing the elephant in a trap, illustrating the way the Republican vote had been decoyed from its normal allegiance. Other cartoonists picked up the symbol, and the elephant soon ceased to be the vote and became the party itself: the jackass, now referred to as the donkey, made a natural transition from representing the Herald to representing the Democratic party that had frightened the elephant.

[underpants]

3. because they want everyone else to be happy just eating peanuts

[NRaleighLiberal]

4. Because they produce enormous amounts of shit.

[old mark]

7. ....and drop it all over the fucking place. nt

[hankthecrank]

5. because its the only animal with an Ass that big

[scheming daemons]

6. Because they're fat, ugly, and stinky?

[MrScorpio]

8. Because they're just like the three blind men who felt the trunk, the leg and the tail

And not one of them got it right

[3waygeek]

9. Not just under bathroom stalls...

but also up a woman's skirt if one is so inclined:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wfglp8mMLxg/SqUKwh6MghI/AAAAAAAAAVo/jBAwF2WWPFE/s320/elephantupskirt+edited.jpg

[moondust]

10. delete

[Demeter]

11. Because of the Big Piles of Shit They Leave Behind

[BlooInBloo]

12. ....

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_is_the_elephant_the_mascot_for_Republicans

[TCJ70]

13. Why is th symbol of the Democratic Party as ass? n/t

[NightWatcher]

14. plus, who ever heard of a good piece of elephant

[lpbk2713]

15. They all identify with an elephant named Dumbo.

It just fits.

[Warren Stupidity]

16. Largest land based shit machine.