The Canine Gap

Here's a new demographic for the Washington Post to focus on. George W. Bush holds a commanding lead over John Kerry among dog owners.

"Asked which candidate they'd trust to walk Fido, dog owners favored Mr. Bush 51% to 37%."

Even the dogs themselves preferred Bush, although their's was only a proxy vote cast by their owners.

Beyond being just good fun, the poll results hint at a more serious political issue: trust and likablity. And while this is the first year the American Kennel Club conducted the poll, dogs have a long pedigree in American politics. Desperate to bolster his family credentials after the Monica-sex-scandal, Bill Clinton ran out and got Buddy, a chocolate Lab--the breed that polls indicated was the most beloved family dog. In 1952 vice presidential nominee Richard Nixon faced accusations of improperly accepting money for political expenses. Nixon defused the issue in a nationally televised speech by claiming the only improper gift he received was a puppy: "We did get something, a gift, after the election. . . . It was a little cocker spaniel. . . . Our little girl, Tricia, the 6-year-old, named it Checkers. . . . I just want to say this right now, that regardless of what they say about it, we're gonna keep it."
Politicians have probably always known the value of reaching voters through their pets, so nearly every president has kept an animal in the White House. Some were not so lovable, such as the Hardings' opossums or William Howard Taft's Pauline, the last cow to live in the White House. For his part, Mr. Bush is clearly a dog lover and is confident enough in his manhood to be seen carrying Barney, his Scottish terrier. He also had a springer spaniel named Spot, who died recently at age 15 and was the only dog to live in the White House during two different administrations.