BREAKING NEWS: The Elizabeth Warren for U.S. Senate campaign today launched a new website, which offers supporters the ability to join interest groups, including one for Dog Lovers.
With just four months to Election Day, Warren easily could have fallen into “the busy trap” and hired a dog walker, yet I’m pleased to report that the candidate and her dog, Otis, remain regulars at Fresh Pond.
She walks briskly, wears a baseball cap, and appears to be deep in conversation with her husband. In fact, I probably wouldn’t have noticed her at all if Otis hadn’t blown her cover.
One morning, stepping aside to avoid being taken out at the knees by an oncoming golden retriever toting a small tree trunk, I paused to admire the dog’s stick-carrying prowess and realized that one of his owners was the Senate candidate whose bumper sticker is on my car. (It’s right next to the one that reads, “Still hearing crazy voices? Turn off Fox News.”)
Clearly trying to keep a low profile, Warren seemed slightly embarrassed that her dog was cutting such a wide swath across the path. I smiled, she shrugged, and we continued on our separate ways. She wasn’t out campaigning, just exercising and enjoying the pond’s natural beauty. She’s had my vote all along, but I like her even more for not being a candidate 24/7.
By contrast, her opponent is a natural-born political animal. Scott Brown probably would have made sure I knew who he was and how much he loves dogs — almost as much he loves his beautiful wife and his two beautiful daughters, one of whom was on American Idol (in case you didn’t know). He probably wouldn’t have missed the chance to tell me that his other daughter is so good with animals that her nickname is “Dr. Doolittle,” or that several members of his staff bring their rescue dogs to work at campaign headquarters in Southie. If Brown’s dog carried a stick, I bet there’d be a “Scott Brown. He’s for us.” campaign pennant attached.
Brown’s latest ad (“Husband”) features his wife gushing about what a fabulous husband and father he is for encouraging the women in his family to have their own lives and identities. Never mind that lately all three Brown women seem to have found their true calling by serving as campaign cheerleaders and political props. Watching that ad makes me want to swing a really big stick at the television — maybe Otis will share one of his.
