That is, a PETA friendly liberal...
Posted on 07/02/2007 4:50:24 AM PDT by theothercheek
By now you’ve heard about – or read – The Boston Globe profile of Mitt Romney that highlighted his crisis management acumen by recounting a 1983 car trip from Boston to Ontario, during which the quick-thinking future presidential candidate pulled into a gas station to hose off his station wagon and the family dog (riding in a kennel fitted with a makeshift windscreen that was strapped to the roof of the vehicle) after the poor pooch had an attack of the runs.
Of course, PETA howled in protest at Romney’s "animal cruelty." And some columnists had fun at Romney’s expense. In a piece titled, "Romney's in the doghouse with some voters," Boston Globe columnist Scot Lehigh writes:
I'm not a dog owner, so I can't say with certainty what the right answer would have been here, but somehow I suspect that if the question of what to do with Seamus was presented as a Harvard Business School case study, the remedy Mitt arrived at would not be widely seized upon as the most intelligent choice.
Several alternatives present themselves. I have heard that it's possible to pay to board one's dog at bed-and-breakfast-like establishments generically referred to as "the kennel." Or even, if one has the means, to engage what is known as a "dog sitter."
If the rooftop ride really was such a smart solution, at the very least Mitt could have taken a turn up there himself. Certainly he's proved resolute in the face of risk, at least in the business world, and I have it on good report that the hair product he uses is guaranteed to hold fast in gusts of up to 70 miles an hour.
This Wonkette post is also a hoot – not the piece itself, which is as funny as a PETA press release – but some of the reader comments, which made The Stiletto ROTFL. Here are the choicest bits (spelling and grammar left intact; cusswords redacted):
† phildeaux: My dad made me ride in one of those carriers on a family vacation. I never stole again.
† plutoboy: Vote Romney. He knows how to clean sh** off a dog.
† T.H.H.E._Cat: The dog then preceeded to point at a picture of Fred Thompson for president. [Editorial Note: This is an inside baseball reference to one of John Edwards’ kids pointing to a photo of Hillary when asked who she liked for president.]
† ElRonHubbard: proof positive he isn't afraid to use enhanced interrogation techniques. WHAT DO YOU KNOW SEAMUS!!! WHAT DO YOU KNOW!!!!
† dumbdumbbullet: Nobody knows you're a dog on the Interstate!
As a counterpoint to all this mirth and merriment, ABC News did an in-depth investigation to determine "what exactly would be the dangers of strapping the family pet to the roof of a speeding vehicle for 12 hours?"
Dr. Russell Cumming, professor of aerospace engineering at California Polytechnic State University, weighs in on the g-forces Seamus was subjected to: "At that speed, assuming sea level conditions … He would constantly feel a little less than 3 pounds pressing on his head for the entire trip. The windshield would help, but boy that would get tired." Cummings also added, "My wife's a vet, and she would be more worried by the dehydration of the dog's eyes under those conditions."
Douglas Osheroff, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist at Stanford University was concerned about how air flow turbulence on the roof would whip at the dog: "Beyond a certain velocity, the air flow becomes turbulent. The airflow … won't have a uniform distribution. Chances are the windshield would only protect the front of the dog, but the air flowing around the windshield would buffet the side of the dog -- that would be tiring."
ABC News sums up what the trip was like for the Irish Setter:
"In addition to dehydration, fatigue and fright, Seamus was strapped on top of a car for 12 hours with limited or no bathroom breaks."
The Boston Globe sums up what the trip was like for Romney:
"Romney coolly pulled off the highway and into a service station. There, he borrowed a hose, washed down Seamus and the car, then hopped back onto the highway. It was a tiny preview of a trait he would grow famous for in business: emotion-free crisis management."
No doubt, it was at that very moment Romney decided he has what it takes to be president.
[Editorial Note: Is it just The Stiletto, or does anyone else think Romney should have named his son "Seamus" and his dog "Tagg?" (Dog Tagg, get it?)]
Not very bright. And to publicize it: even more not-very-bright.
When you think about it, the Boston Globe article was a wee bit over the top, too. I mean, hosing down a dog is hardly my idea of crisis management. Now if the dog had fallen off the roof and got run over by another vehicle and Romney somehow saved its life, THAT would be crisis management.
It’s only a shade sillier than trying to pump up Romney’s credentials because he “saved the olympics”. Pardon me while I yawn.
It was big... originally made for a pair of German Shepards with a cement floor, shelter and a 6', chain-link fence/gait surrounding it. But as far as I know... it never traveled on a highway doing 60.
I’m not a huge Romney fan, nor have I followed the dog story, but didn’t Clinton’s dog get hit by a car because it got into traffic. That’s not being a responsible dog owner either, and I never heard the press say a word. Also, didn’t the Clinton’s give away their cat...the one that was supposed to be so “close to the family.” I have dogs, they’re part of the family, but I don’t think I’ll pick a Presidential candidate based on how he treats his dog.
Carolyn
... and you never stole again.
With all the other reasons not to vote for Romney, this is the least of them. One thing’s for sure: this dog won’t hunt - neither did his owner!
Carolyn
I may tie a stuffed dog to the top of the car on the way to the Iowa Straw poll.
Gotta have a little fun....
At least the dog wasn’t tied to the bumper......
Take pictures and post them on this thread - and ping me!!!!
Yup, coulda been worse.
LOL!
This whole dog story is just stupid. Funny. But stupid.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, so there was a little issue with a dog in 1983,,,,,,,and the BIG DEAL is what????? At least the man didn’t MURDER SOMEONE. Let’s get our priorities in order class, hosing down a dog is now a big deal and yet here in MA the idiots continue to elect a bleepin’ MURDERER.
It’s summer - the season for funnay but stupid. It’s something like 115 in PHX - too hot to think!
The only big deal is that if this is an example of Romney’s leadership and crisis management, we’re all in deep doo-doo if he’s elected because the WOT requires more steeliness and coolness under pressure than cleaning crap off your dog. The fact that this was highlighted by his campaign is pathetic, IMHO. If he can’t come up with something more relevant to the dangers we are facing today from porous borders and most of the “moderate” Muslims in this country believing that killing civilians in the defense of Islam is justified in some circumstances then why don’t we all just put burkas on now - the men too - and be done with it?
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