Political Pets: Nominate Your Dog or Cat for Office

Super Tuesday is upon us. With no Republican candidate close to securing the presidential nomination and talk of a white knight candidate or a brokered convention growing louder each day, perhaps it is time to broaden the field of prospective candidates.

That is exactly what is happening in Virginia. Senatorial candidate Hank the cat is campaigning on a platform of personal responsibility. According to a statement posted on the Hank for Senate website, "If you improve the living condition of a single home, it has a ripple effect throughout the street. Improve the street, it ripples to the neighborhood. Improve the neighborhood, it ripples to the county. Improve the county, it ripples through the state. Improve the state, it ripples to the entire nation."

On his Facebook page, Hank is described as tough and resilient: "From the very first day, Hank has been a fighter. Born to a single mother living on the streets, Hank, his mother, and his siblings were taken to an animal shelter and sat on death row. Shortly before their execution, Hank and the rest of his family were saved by an animal rescue group."

In an International Business Times report, Matthew O'Leary, Hank's "campaign manager" and owner, is quoted as saying, "Everyone seems to really agree with us that even a cat can do better than what we currently have." 

O'Leary added that Hank is a Republican at heart even though he is running as an independent. O'Leary determined this because Hank routinely rips up his liberal books, and liberal books only, to awake him.

Those Republican-leaning tendencies have already placed Hank under fire from the Canines for a Feline Free Tomorrow Super PAC. In a recent attack ad (see video), the Super PAC accused Hank of not releasing his birth certificate and questioned whether or not he would require ultrasounds before allowing females to be spayed. The ad also questions why Hank has not released his tax returns or responded to allegations of catnip use.

So far, the campaign has not addressed the accusations.

In addition to his more than 10,900 Facebook fans, Hank also has more than 900 followers of his @Hank4Senate Twitter account. He even has a Hank for Senate campaign commercial on YouTube that has already received more than 140,000 views (see video above).

If Hank wins, he would not be the first pet to wage a successful political campaign. NBC Bay Area News reports that Bosco, a black Labrador and Rottweiler mix, served as mayor of Sunol, Calif. from 1981 to 1994.

Would your pet be a good politician? Upload a photo or video of your pet and tell us for what office you believe your pet would be best suited.