Presidenial pets

[WiccanLiberal]

Mark and I were watching a history program on the White House staff. Pets are part of the duties of the staff. We looked up a list of pets for the presidents and discovered that the people who have called the White House home have kept everything from the common (cats, dogs and horses) to the rather odd or exotic (silkworms and a pygmy hippo). Presidents who had children with them in the residence generally had more pets. How much do pets influence the public opinion of a President. It's my personal opinion that Americans, roughly 60% of whom have some pet, feel more a connection with someone who does likewise. If we are a pet owner, do you think we are less likely to trust a person who does not have a pet?

[jimnyc]

Mark and I were watching a history program on the White House staff. Pets are part of the duties of the staff. We looked up a list of pets for the presidents and discovered that the people who have called the White House home have kept everything from the common (cats, dogs and horses) to the rather odd or exotic (silkworms and a pygmy hippo). Presidents who had children with them in the residence generally had more pets. How much do pets influence the public opinion of a President. It's my personal opinion that Americans, roughly 60% of whom have some pet, feel more a connection with someone who does likewise. If we are a pet owner, do you think we are less likely to trust a person who does not have a pet?

Wow, who owned a little hippo? Cute little buggers but must not be an easy pet to have!

I trust other animal lovers. Not to say I don't trust other folks, but animal lovers move to the top of the list faster. :)

[WiccanLiberal]

Calvin Coolidge was the one with the hippo. It was named Billy.

[jimnyc]

Calvin Coolidge was the one with the hippo. It was named Billy.

Damn, and I see Billy was an awfully busy little bugger, fathering 23 little ones! I don't know why, but I imagined someone with one of these suckers in their backyard! LOL The zoo sounds more reasonable now. :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_%28pygmy_hippo%29

[revelarts]

Romney was getting a Rhino

[WiccanLiberal]

Damn, and I see Billy was an awfully busy little bugger, fathering 23 little ones! I don't know why, but I imagined someone with one of these suckers in their backyard! LOL The zoo sounds more reasonable now. :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_%28pygmy_hippo%29

I rather think a lot of the more unusual pets were gifts which now would be housed in the National Zoo.

[revelarts]

...It's my personal opinion that Americans, roughly 60% of whom have some pet, feel more a connection with someone who does likewise. If we are a pet owner, do you think we are less likely to trust a person who does not have a pet?...
sorry to say i agree.
I used to like to think that things like this would not matter to a most of the voting public but i'm more aware now just how much JUNK like this "informs" some people's idea on who's more trustworthy and qualified to be president or congressman.

I've had dogs, cats, fish, birds, rabbits and Guinea pigs, btw. And hope to get some chickens and a sheep too. But I don't give a flip what kind of animal a candidate does or doesn't have. What does he or she vote like? do they truly align with the constitution?
It really bothers me that candidates really pander and get votes with issues like pets, dress, demeanor, looks, etc..

[aboutime]

No question where the Obama's keep their MAGGOT collection. He calls them his Czar's.

[Voted4Reagan]

Theodore Roosevelt had the most...



Admiral Dewey, Bishop Doane, Dr. Johnson, Father O'Grady, Fighting Bob Evans – guinea pigs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea_pig)[15] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-.22National_Park_Service.22-15)
Algonquin – Pony (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pony)[15] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-.22National_Park_Service.22-15)
Baron Spreckle – Hen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken)[15] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-.22National_Park_Service.22-15)
Bill – lizard[15] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-.22National_Park_Service.22-15)
Blackjack – Manchester Terrier (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_Terrier)
Eli Yale – Blue macaw (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaw)[15] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-.22National_Park_Service.22-15)
Emily Spinach – Garter snake (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garter_snake)[15] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-.22National_Park_Service.22-15)
Fedelity – Pony (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pony)
Gem and Susan – Dogs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog)
Jack[15] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-.22National_Park_Service.22-15) and Peter – Terriers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrier) [6] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-choron2-6)
Jonathan Edwards – small bear[15] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-.22National_Park_Service.22-15)
Jonathan – Piebald rat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat)
Josiah – Badger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badger)[15] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-.22National_Park_Service.22-15)
Manchu – Pekingese (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pekingese) [6] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-choron2-6)[15] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-.22National_Park_Service.22-15)
Maude – Pig (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig)[15] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-.22National_Park_Service.22-15)
Peter – Rabbit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit)[15] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-.22National_Park_Service.22-15)
Pete – Bull Terrier (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull_Terrier) [6] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-choron2-6)[15] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-.22National_Park_Service.22-15)[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-usnews-5)
Rollo – Saint Bernard (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Bernard_(dog))
Skip – Rat Terrier (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_Terrier) [6] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-choron2-6) (mongrel)[15] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-.22National_Park_Service.22-15)
Sailor Boy – Chesapeake Bay Retriever (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesapeake_Bay_Retriever) [6] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-choron2-6)[15] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-.22National_Park_Service.22-15)
Tom Quartz and Slippers – Cats (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat)
(Unknown) – Hyena (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyena); barn owl (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barn_owl); one-legged rooster (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rooster)[15] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pets#cite_note-.22National_Park_Service.22-15)