There I was, just sifting through YouTube videos when I stumbled upon a video of a dog holding a press conference. I couldn’t resist clicking it. Here is what I saw:
I stuck around until the very end, and became intrigued by “Bark the Vote.” So, I went to the Web site. And had my mind blown away.
Bark the Vote seems to be akin to Rock the Vote, a group aimed at encouraging people to head out to the polls this November. Instead of using “in-your-faceness” and bad rock music, Bark the Vote relies on Schmitty (“The Real New Yorkie”) to get people voting. Here is the group’s mission statement, outlined in the page’s blog… which is written by Schmitty himself.
“So pooches — let’s unite and walk our human companions to the polls to exercise their right to vote in November. Maybe if all our pet loving friends vote — we will have a kinder, gentler country . . . and more treats!”
I’ve never heard better words blogged by a dog. The site also features “Schmitty’s Platform,” which outlines Bark the Vote’s takes on various issues. On the economy: “There’s nothing better than feeling good about a job well done, getting a well-deserved pat on the head and being rewarded with yummy stuff to eat.” On diversity: “Look at the long-standing feud between mailmen and dogs. What’s that all about? Take my mailman — please! Arf-Arf! After a few good sniffs, I now love my mailman and my mailman loves me.”
Get-out-and-vote programs rarely fill me with anything but contempt or fear for my life, so Bark the Vote wins for making me want to fill out my absentee ballot to make puppies across the country happy. Forget issues like abortion and social security, lets focus on building more dog houses for cute pups!
