Perhaps you've seen a funny little story in the news recently about Mitt Romney and his dog. Seems an article in the Boston Globe examining Romney's family life - part of a broader, in-depth series on the man - included an interesting anecdote about the accommodations of Romney's dog on a long family road trip.
Besides the inevitable and humorous Clark Griswold comparisons, some liberals went into full-fledged freak-out mode. Anna Marie Cox (formerly Wonkette) earnestly consulted PETA then laced into Romney about the 24 year-old matter.
Local bloggers joined in the shrill outrage, which seemingly only humorless liberals can muster, over at NPI and Evergreen Politics. The latter provided some exceptional lather:
At the very least, I'd like to see PETA file a major lawsuit over this. Romney is just another sadistic bastard who deserves to get hit with everything we can throw at him. And then some. People who abuse animals almost always abuse other people as well. It's classic sociopathic behavior. [Emphasis in the original]
Maybe next these nattering nabobs of nothingness will insist Romney be charged with child abuse for once raising his voice with his five boys. Whatever.
Modern liberals apparently don't visit Red America much. Wander outside the liberal cocoon and their likely to see dogs being transported in ways - primarily in the back of pickup trucks - that would send PETA into orbit based on their comments in Cox's article. Don't get me started on what they would have seen 24 years ago. But then again, PETA may not be satisfied until pets are treated with the same care as infants.
Offended liberals may not grasp that PETA raising a ruckus has about the same effect to conservatives as it would to liberals if the John Birch Society was howling at them. It invokes laughter and then people promptly move on.
Now, one could reasonably argue Romney's choice of transport for the dog wasn't the best, though I'll let anyone who has never made a retrospectively bad choice amidst the chaos of a family vacation throw the first stone. On a more serious note, if this is worst that comes of a major MSM expose of a Presidential candidate then it's small potatoes indeed.
UPDATE: Link to Evergreen Politics added.
UPDATE II: Methow Ken's comment at #8 about PETA's activities in the Okanogan reminds me the organization also whined about a rodeo being included in festivities for the Olympics in Salt Lake City, which Romney discussed as part of this news clip:
I like the local reporter describing the "tough questions" Romney is facing on the issue. "Tough." Right. Candidates would love it if such topics were the extent of the scrutiny they face on the campaign trail.
Posted by Eric Earling at June 30, 2007 11:30 AM | Email ThisGot it. Just wanted to know where their priorities are.
Posted by: jimg on June 30, 2007 12:30 PMAmericans definitely need better things to do with their life. If something like this can incense you so much, bring out so much hate, ignore anything else about a person, not make you reflect on your own stupid actions, which may not include what Mitt Romney has done, but stupid and probably bad as well, then we are a very arrogant crowd.
Look deeper into your own stupidity closet and see if you do not have a few skeletons you would rather not talk about. EVERYONE DOES!!
Do we think this was a bad choice? Yes. Do we know much more about how he treats animals? NO. You assume. Is what he did unconventional? Yes. Were times different 20+ years ago? Yes. We did not even wear seatbelts, for Heavens Sake!! Animals and kids were free to roam in the back of moving pick-up trucks. Less than 10 years ago I once saw a dog straddling the planks of a trailer that was attached to a car which was moving 60+ miles down the freeway. Unbelievable. Do I know anything else about this guy? NO. Can I assume? Yes. Could I be wrong? Probably.
Does PETA get involved with all animal issues? ..even cases that are TWENTY FOUR YEARS OLD?
Our world has become so politically correct that we do not give people a chance to explain, make mistakes, be human, without us there, in their faces, and ready to condemn.
Maybe in someone's dreams they can twist it to fit they way they'd like to see it.
But if it were possible for PETA to take legal action, I'd love to see it.
Anyway, I just read the story. I'd only heard Cox's version of it, and my only thought was that the only serious danger, so long as it was secured well and he didn't go under a low overpass or something, would be from the wind: that's a lot to take for that many hours. But he built a windshield for the dog! For crying out loud, there's no evidence the dog was in any serious danger whatsoever.
I have three large dogs. I drove across country with them (and two cats; we now have three) en route to moving here to Washington, from Massachusetts. Just me and them and a loaded up Suburban. I wish I could've put them on the roof, but there wasn't enough room ...
Posted by: pudge on June 30, 2007 02:02 PM2... Take it to the bank that PETA is NOT welcomed by most people in Okanogan County: They have been trying to shut down the long-standing Omak Stampede Suicide Race for years. PETA and their allies continually publish distorted propaganda about the horses that run in that race; many of which are owned and raced by members of the Colville Tribes (and who are probably some of the best-cared for and pampered horses in WA).... which makes (for example) claims that are still up on the Humane Society website that the Omak Suicide race is not really part of the traditions of local tribes a real hoot.
Posted by: Methow Ken on June 30, 2007 02:41 PMTrust me, these folks would never equate a human infant with a dog; they have too much contempt for humans.
Posted by: TB on June 30, 2007 11:37 PMActually, none of the Republican candidates are dooing too great. Rudy is too liberal, he actually lived with a gay couple for a while in their apt. in NYC when he didn't want to stay in the mayoral mansion because of problems with his former wife. He LIVED WITH TWO GAY GUYS!
McCain has a bad policy on Iraq and immigration (from the R point of view) .....
Thompson is just "none of the above" really.....
now that Lugar has told Bush to get out of Iraq and now that the R's have totally dissed the Hispanic population losing them for a generation, it's hard to see how any R candidate can win. The war is just stupid and wrong and most Americans think so. Meanwhile Obama raised about $31 million this quarter. From smaller donors. Wowie zowie.
The real problem with Romney and the reasons this dog shit sticks to him (pun intended) is he has not been able to get out there with a positive message. I mean just saying you would torture people like Jack Bauer and saying you really believe in being offensive in the War on Terror doesn't cut it anymore. That Sounds Like G. Bush!
Maybe you should say "I will Go On The Offense in the War on Terror -- But I Have a Genius Idea -- Instead Of Attacking A Country That Did Not Attack Us And Did Not Harbor Those Who Did, I Will Actually Attack the Terrorists or Those Who Harbored Them!"
Now that would make going on offense an effective policy and be a refreshing policy change for the R's!
Posted by: Seattle Democcrat on July 1, 2007 05:25 PMSo is it a crime to "scare" a dog?
What would be scarier to a given dog, riding in a jet plane baggage compartment, which happens every day, or riding on top of a car? Wouldn't it depend on the individual dog?
How do we even know the dog was scared at all? Many wouldn't be.
Posted by: pudge on July 2, 2007 10:44 AM3) Changing the topic is a bad argument technique, since it seems to indicate that you can't face the argument at hand and want to retreat to your cozy little anti-war echo chamber.
To get back on topic--I remember riding in the back of our family pick-up truck with a few of my siblings, at highway speeds, back in the mid-70s. I shudder to think about it now. The Romney dog story pales in comparison.
Judging by the number of dogs I see with their heads hanging out car windows, I think being strapped to the roof might be something like sending me through a mile long car wash staffed exclusively by women in bikinis.