Does Pet Ownership Influence Voting?
John McCain has two dogs, two turtles, a cat, a ferret, three parakeets and a tank full of fish. Barack Obama has no pets. According to a AP-Yahoo News poll, 42% of people who own pets think McCain is their man, compared to 37% who favor Obama. Among the petless, Obama is favored by a solid margin of 48 to 34%. Does pet ownership really influence voting?
“I think a person who owns a pet is a more compassionate person — caring, giving, trustworthy. I like pet owners,” Janet Taylor of Plymouth, Mass., explains.
The American Kennel Club’s spokeswoman, Christina Duffney, suggests: “You usually connect with things that you’re familiar with, so that could be a part of” as a reason for pet owners leaning toward McCain.
As for Obama, the article states:
Obama reportedly has promised his two daughters a dog once this campaign is over. If this poll is any indication of anything, the junior senator from Illinois may want to purchase that puppy before November.
Does pet ownership have any influence on YOUR vote?
July 30th, 2008 at 12:09 am
I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH JANET TAYLOR, PET OWNERS ARE COMPASSIONATE, & I WILL ALWAYS TRUST A PET OWNER OVER A NON PET OWNER ANY DAY. JEANNE 5L, CALIFORNIA,
August 6th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
I think the major reason for this is because Obama supporters tend to be younger, urban, more progressive, college-educated and forward-thinking. I happen to be a life-long pet owner, but I’m also college-educated, so I am a strong supporter of Obama. Pet owners should be the first to be open to interdependence of all life on earth, so you’d think that they’d support the policies of Obama much more than those of McCain.