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May 12, 2019

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Democrats’ dogged pursuit of Oval Office

By Sébastien Blanc | 00:00 UTC+8 May 12, 2019 | Print Edition

IT’S impossible to predict who will take on Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, but if he is defeated by a Democrat, it’s likely that a dog will return to the White House.

Whether Maple, Bailey, Champ or Skye, a dog appears to be a must-have accessory for Democratic candidates seeking to take on Trump, who stands out from his predecessors for, among other reasons, not having a pet.

In only the third minute of the speech launching his campaign, Democratic phenomenon Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana, brought his two dogs to the fore.

“I grew up in South Bend, in the same neighborhood where Chasten (his husband) and I live today with our two dogs, Buddy and Truman,” Buttigieg said.

The dogs have their own Twitter account and nearly 70,000 followers.

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts has put her golden retriever on the same footing as her husband.

“Today, I thought I’d bring the two guys in my life: Bruce and Bailey. If anyone wants to stay around and take a picture, I’ll be here and we can do that, and Bailey will be out there with his own separate photo line,” she said to cheers from supporters.

Democratic hopeful, Beto O’Rourke, has two dogs, Artemis and Rosie, who star in many family photos.

Representative Tim Ryan of Ohio is accompanied by Bear and Buckeye, dogs he has referred to as “two of the best friends our family could have asked for.”

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York bombarded supporters with images of Maple, her goldendoodle, a cross between a golden retriever and a poodle.

Former Colorado governor John Hickenlooper has a dog named Sky. In a video on Instagram he spoke with his arm around the pooch.

“Hi, I’m John Hickenlooper. This is my faithful dog Skye and I’m running for president,” he said.

In a country where people celebrate “National Dogs in Politics Day,” man’s best friend can play a decisive role.

California senator Richard Nixon (Republican) defended himself on television before 60 million Americans on September 23, 1952.

He assured them that he had accepted only a single gift — a dog for his children named Checkers.

Thus managing to strike an emotional chord with the country, Nixon saved his candidacy, and the “Checkers Speech” went down in history.

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