My dogs and I watched the results of the Florida Primary on television this week. They were quite perplexed at the whole "dog and pony show" of American politics (pardon the pun). The dogs were very vocal about the human condition in these debates. "The fighting goes on and on! When we have fights they are over as quickly as they start! Is there ever any forgiving and forgetting? We see elephants and donkeys......maybe what these humans need is to have a Dog Party!!
And all this talk about parties.... it doesn't look like these people are having fun at all!"
My dogs had many questions that I could not answer. They remained in heated discussion long after I went to bed.
The next morning I awoke to a dog-scratched note requesting that I consider their ideas about how to better judge our presidential candidates. The note suggested I have several cups of coffee before considering their points of view.
Baley, with her Welsh Terrier ancestry, was convinced that no money should be put toward campaigning as is done in England. Why should billions be spent on elections when that money could be used to build and maintain animal shelters? Little Bit, a mixed breed like many Americans, was discouraged and saddened that candidates needed so much money to even be in the race. Bodhi, my special needs dog, calmly asked why peace and harmony did not reign in these debates when every one of us should share the common goal of a stronger, better country.
The dogs agreed that if it were up to them, two simple questions would determine a candidate's appropriateness: 1) Does the candidate think before he barks? and 2) Does the candidate wag more or bark more? They also drafted other potential questions that could be used by the more complex human voters.
Does the candidate get along well with others?
Does the candidate keenly sniff out danger and trouble the way dogs do?
Does the candidate clean up his own messes or have others clean up after him?
Does the candidate bark before he bites? Or whine when he does not get his way?
Does the candidate need a Rottweiler to make him feel strong and in charge?
Does the candidate consider his bowl half full or half empty?
Is the candidate well behaved when no one is looking?
Does the candidate have anything buried in his back yard? Like we do?
And one last question! What candidate can spell their name backwards and it spells GOD?
Very Cute! I have used that backwards "dog thang" in sermons as a priest (how shocked they will be when they get to heaven and find a dog waiting at the pearly gates, saying, "You've spelled my name backwards all these years!) and now use it often at the retirement community. I love this one little poodle, Buffy, and she loves to have her belly rubbed all the time. Residents ask me why I love this dog and why don't I have one. I answer that dog spelled backwards is GOD and God loves lots of attention too! Then I tell them I don't have a dog at home because I have a God-dess and she also loves to have a good rub all the time - albeit, her feet rubbed! :-) Pat McNamara loves Colleen Anderson!!!
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