Romney has been the subject of the syndicated strip all week, with the fictional radio show anchor Mark Slackmeyer appearing stunned when Romney isn't the same person who previously ran - as the comic portrays him - as a pro-choice, gay rights supporting, NRA-opposing moderate.
Comics-page lambasting is just one of the trials of the trail for those in the top tier of the White House chase.
"Today it might be in the comics, but tomorrow it might be on the front page," says Costas Panagopoulos, an assistant professor of political science at Fordham University in New York.
Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and head of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, has been in the news a great deal of late, most recently for raising more money than any other Republican candidate and for portraying himself as a lifelong hunter, though he has actually only hunted twice.
The Doonesbury jabs have been aimed at some of Romney's previously reported flip-flops.
"I can't believe what I'm hearing here, Governor," the cartoon character says, portraying a radio host interviewing Romney. "Abandoned positions on abortion and gun rights and gay rights and stem cell research and immigration and tax cuts and your own health care plan? Is there anything that hasn't changed?"
"Yes, my deep conviction that I should be president," the cartoon quotes Romney as saying.
"Gee, Mitt," the pseudo National Public Radio host says.
"It's Mike," Romney responds.
The cartoon, drawn by Pulitzer Prize winner Garry Trudeau, is syndicated to some 1,400 newspapers worldwide, including The Salt Lake Tribune.
Alan McDermott, a senior editor for Universal Press Syndicate, which distributes Trudeau's cartoon, says Romney is a natural target.
"He's in the news, therefore an apt subject for satire," McDermott says.
Romney's national press secretary, Kevin Madden, says he hadn't seen the cartoon strips as of Friday afternoon.
And the lampooning in the comic actually shows traction in Romney's candidacy, Madden says.
"It just means that people are taking notice of Mitt, even the ones that aren't prone to support us," Madden said. Fordham University's Panagopoulos says Romney bounced back into the spotlight with his $21 million in first-quarter fundraising, opening himself up for "all kinds of attacks and heightened scrutiny."
"It's not surprising to me this would happen," Panagopoulos says. "It does not mean some of these criticisms are legitimate or valid. But anyone who's running for president should expect to be vetted."
tburr@sltrib.com
