How Political Is Your Pooch?

Although Bostonist has been pretty oblivious to the 2006 Mass. gubernatorial race thus far, a story in the Globe couldn’t help but reel us in. Apparently independent candidate Christy Mihos didn’t realize that when someone said a life in politics was for the dogs, they weren’t exactly advising him to get his favorite pooch involved in his campaign. Mihos isn’t just using his best pal, Reagan, as a photo-op but actually giving him a commanding role in the race by dubbing him a “canine coordinator.” The logic behind this is to get other dog-lovers on board with the campaign by giving their pets an opportunity to serve as canine coordinators in their own towns.

Now, Bostonist must admit that Reagan and the other dogs on the site (even one named Fenway!) are adorable, but it also makes us wonder how a man who writes something in his dog’s point of view isn’t just a wee bit crazy. Reagan is quoted as saying barking that he hates places with “No Dogs” signs and wants “all dogs to have equal rights.” While this is meant to remind us that animals, like humans, deserve to be equal, Bostonist can’t help but shudder at the thought of an overly dog-friendly commonwealth (people dressing up their rat-like dogs in designer outfits and carrying them around in shoulder bags should only be reserved for the likes of Paris Hilton.) So while we are a big fan of Mihos’s mission to eliminate Pike tolls, the dog angle just seems to be somewhat exploiting an innocent, doe-eyed terrier. Then again, as long as Reagan steers clear of incidents such as this, his life in the headlines probably won’t be so bad.

Contributed by Anna Staniszewski / image courtesy of flickr user abcrumley