In April 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson was photographed holding up his two beagles (he had two, named Him and Her) by their ears. The photo was published in Life magazine and caused widespread public backlash. Johnson apologized and released an EP called “Dogs Have Always Been My Friends” after leaving the White House. However, this episode became part of his legend and legacy.
However, the immediate political impact was minimal. Johnson won his 1964 presidential election by a landslide. There's no indication that dog handling helped bring down Barry Goldwater, but it doesn't seem to have done any harm.
Kristi Noem is no LBJ The South Dakota governor, who is frequently mentioned as a running mate for President Donald J. He writes about shooting and killing Cricket, a 14-month-old German wirehaired dog. pointer. Noem has faced criticism from within her own party. Trump, who is well documented not to love dogs, has expressed his distaste, as did Mitt Romney, who dealt with his own dog abuse scandal during the 2012 campaign. ing.
Noem appeared unapologetic during her appearance on “Face the Nation” on Sunday. She claimed she understood what was coming for Cricket, whom she described in her book as an “untrainable” chicken killer. More than that, she sought to regain her political advantage by giving the issue a partisan, culture-war element.
What about Joe Biden? It's not like he's a puppy killer. Quite the opposite. Noem criticized the president for not euthanizing or simply blowing up a German shepherd and serial biter who, according to Noem, attacked “24 people in the Secret Service.” . “How many people are attacked enough to be dangerously injured before deciding whether to get a dog?” she said. She hints in her book that if she were a member of the executive branch, she would take Biden's dog out herself. “Commander, please say hello to Cricket for me.”
All of this has been portrayed as a career-exploding political blunder, a monumental failure to read the atmosphere in a room littered with dismembered chew toys in mid-2020s America. . We may not like each other all that much these days, but we certainly love dogs, red or blue, MAGA or woke.
(Maybe not all of us, but it seems unlikely that Noem is sending a signal to anti-dog voters. I don't think you can call it a dog whistle. Cat supporters influenced the election.) when?)
In Hollywood movies, harming dogs is often a symbol of irredeemable depravity. No wonder Almira Gulch transforms into the Wicked Witch of the East as she rides her bicycle to take Toto “to the sheriff and make sure he's disposed of.” The most over-the-top Disney villain is undoubtedly Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians. Her name literally has “devil” in it.
The never-ending slaughter of humans in the movie John Wick begins as the hero's righteous revenge after some bad guys kill a beagle. In Stephen King's The Dead Zone, Greg Stillson appears to most people around the world as a charismatic and popular politician. Readers know this is not the case because in the book's prologue he appears to mercilessly kick a dog to death.
This is clearly not a company that an ambitious politician would want to keep. Dogs have long been friends of presidents, with President Trump being a notable exception these days. After Richard Nixon joined Dwight Eisenhower's presidential candidacy in 1952, a speech about a cocker spaniel named Checkers, at least that dog, saved him from embarrassment. LBJ actually sings a duet on the record with Yuki, a mongrel rescue worker who occasionally accompanied him to White House press conferences.
Americans like their president to be a dog lover. Or maybe the president just assumes that's what the people want. Noem admits that she “hated” cricket, but she is a certain type of emotionless, law-and-order, and decidedly alpha type, in line with her “no going back” governing style. A type of dog who insists on being seen as a human being. We will promote this.
Mr Johnson claimed it was common in rural areas to grab beagles by the ears. Texas, where he grew up. Noem uses crickets to embroider her own version of the gritty, small-town, Central American authenticity.
In that world, sometimes you have to shoot a dog. In books and movies, not everyone who kills dogs is a monster. What about Atticus Finch, who took to the streets to go on a wild rant? What about “Old Yeller,” in which a dog known as one of the most magnificent dogs ever to grace the screen is infected with rabies and a bullet? In a world defined by the fallibility of humans and the innocence of dogs, these deaths are gruesome, even tragic, and sad and inevitable.
What resonates most about Cricket's story is that Noem works in the genre, uncovering harsh, homely truths while also honing her leadership credentials. Not against cricket, of course. Reactions may have more to do with the way the story is told than its content. The hero may have to shoot the dog. Villains brag about it.
