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They didn't so much choose it as decided to go along with what someone else was using to represent them.

The first time the donkey was used in connection with the Democratic party was during Andrew Jackson's presidential campaign when his opponents tried to label him a "jackass" (Jackson the jackass). Jackson turned it around and used it as his own symbol on his campaign posters. His opponents used it again to characterize his stubbornness in refusing to re-charter the national bank. It got dredged up again after he left office but still though of himself as the leader of the Democratic party. In a political cartoon, Jackson was shown trying to get the donkey to go where he wanted it to go. The cartoon, published in 1837, was titled "A Modern Baalim and his Ass." In this case the donkey was representing the Democratic party rather than Jackson - the first time the donkey actually represented the party rather than a member of the party.

Years later (starting around 1870) the famous political cartoonist Thomas Nast used a donkey to represent the Democratic party and party members in his Cartoons. His cartoons are also established the Elephant as the symbol of the Republican party. It is unlikely that Nast ever saw the Jackson cartoons since he didn't emigrate to the US with his parents until 1940 when he was six.

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12y ago
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14y ago

They don't. The Democrats (Democratic Party of the US) use a donkey and the Republicans (Republican Party or GOP) are symbolized by an elephant.

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Q: Why did the Democratic Party choose a donkey for their mascot?
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