The donkey is a common symbol of the Democratic Party of the United States, originating in a cartoon by Thomas Nast of Harper's Weekly in the nineteenth century.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donkey

Many cultures have colloquialisms and proverbs that include donkeys or asses.

British phrases include "to talk the hind legs off a donkey", used to describe someone talking excessively and generally persuasively.

Donkeys are the animals featured most often in Greek proverbs, including such statements of fatalistic resignation as "the donkey lets the rain soak him".

The French philosopher Jean Buridan constructed the paradox called Buridan's ass, in which a donkey, placed exactly midway between water and food, would die of hunger and thirst because he could not find a reason to choose one of the options over the other, and so would never make a decision.

Italy has several phrases regarding donkeys, including "put your money in the ass of a donkey and they'll call him sir" (meaning, if you're rich, you'll get respect)

and "women, donkeys and goats all have heads" (meaning, women are as stubborn as donkeys and goats).

The United States developed its own expressions, including "better a donkey that carries me than a horse that throws me",

"a donkey looks beautiful to a donkey",

and "a donkey is but a donkey though laden with gold", among others.

From Afghanistan, we find the Pashto proverb, "Even if a donkey goes to Mecca, he is still a donkey."

In Ethiopia, there are many Amharic proverbs that demean donkeys, such as, "The heifer that spends time with a donkey learns to fart" (Bad company corrupts good morals).

The words "donkey" and "ass" (or translations thereof) have come to have derogatory or insulting meaning in several languages, and are generally used to mean someone who is obstinate, stupid or silly,

In football, especially in the United Kingdom, a player who is considered unskilful is often dubbed a "donkey", and the term has a similar connotation in poker.

In the US, the slang terms "dumbass" and "jackass" are used to refer to someone considered stupid.

In keeping with their widespread cultural references, donkeys feature in political systems,

symbols and terminology in many areas of the world. A "donkey vote" is a vote that simply

writes down preferences in the order of the candidates (1 at the top, then 2, and so on), and is

most often seen in countries with ranked voting systems and compulsory voting, such as

Australia.

The bray of the donkey may be used as a simile for loud and foolish speech in political

mockery. For example,

"There are braying men in the world as well as braying asses; for what's loud and senseless

talking and swearing, any other than braying." – Sir Roger L'Estrange

In 1963, Party of Donkeys, a frivolous political party was founded in Iran.