COMMENTARY | The economy is struggling and government waste is running rampant, yet the presidential candidates are focusing on dogs, Bill Maher and Ted Nugent. The political sideshow decreases the integrity of both parties. The race for the White House should not mirror the tacky and contrived antics of reality television. The Twitter battle between the Barack Obama and Mitt Romney camps over canines will likely backfire on both men.
With the exception of animal rights zealots, the majority of Americans are more concerned with unemployment than they are with Obama's youthful dog tasting or Romney's pet transportation preferences. The New York Post reports that Obama's campaign adviser David Axelrod cast the first stone in the dog wars. Axelrod should have read his boss' memoir before launching the Pet Lovers for Obama group online. Obama joked about how tough dog meat was after his Indonesian stepfather introduced him to the exotic local cuisine, according to book excerpts published in the Post. The decision by Mitt Romney to allow his pet to ride on the top of the family vehicle in a pet cargo crate is a little less shocking, but neither man should expect an award from the Humane Society any time soon.
Campaign attack ads are tedious enough without the added drama created by celebrities. The tit-for-tat between liberal and conservative pundits over outrageous and angst-filled celebrity comments are unnecessary distractions from serious issues. Fox News reports that Maher's statements about stay-at-home moms and Ann Romney angered women from both ends of the political spectrum.
Singer Ted Nugent's thoughts do not carry any more importance than the Ann Romney-bashing statement by the far-left comedian. The Wall Street Journal reports that Nugent agreed to a sit down with the Secret Service to discuss the comments he made during a recent National Rifle Association convention. The Blaze reports that Nugent stated he respects the duty of the Secret Service and was not promoting violence against the president with statements.
While all the pet care bickering and celebrity antics provide interesting water cooler conversation, the Obama and Romney campaigns should shift focus back to legitimate ways to solve the nation's ills.
