"The first time I liked something about Biden, as a person, was seeing a picture of him and his dog." -- Margaret Gray, 11th Grade
Gen-Z's online relationship with Joe Biden is complicated. The first videos I saw about Joe Biden were back before Bernie Sanders had dropped out of the race, hoping that Joe Biden wouldn’t be the democratic nominee. Then came the hundreds of people who would rather vote independently or for a third party instead of for Biden. Videos of Biden sniffing the tops of girls’ heads, talking about how poor kids are just as smart as white kids, along with his identity as a white, old man in a world that desperately needs anything but that in a position of power flooded my social media feed.
Before the election, there was a surge of people reminding us that, despite his flaws, he was better than Trump. And after the election, it was a reminder that he is still not a good person and is not a perfect leader, and still deserves criticism. Throughout the entire process of his run for office and the election, the only good things that were said about Biden--and I mean really good things, not just comparatively good things--had to do with his dogs, specifically Major, a giant rescue German shepherd. Briefly after his win in the US election, a picture of him and his dog went viral, along with the information that Trump was the first US president to not have a dog in office.
It’s rare a president doesn’t have a pet at all- only three of them never had any animals in the White House. One of those three was Donald Trump. This could have certainly been seen as a red flag about one of the most disliked people in the US. We trust people with animals. We like them. The history of keeping pets in the White House is an interesting and unique one. All sorts of strange animals have lived there, from parrots, to cows, tigers, and even an alligator. Some presidents had too many pets to count, and an impressive array of species as well. Others preferred just one or two dogs, or perhaps a pair of birds. However, a history that is even longer, and more disturbing, is the history of animals-specifically dogs--being used as pawns in presidential politics.
It’s undeniable that humans have a soft spot for animals, a love for them that has gone back all throughout our history. In particular, we love dogs, with their playfulness, soft fur, and general positive attitude towards life. Seeing dogs makes us happy, and seeing people with dogs leads us to unconsciously assume that they must be good in some way. For presidents who want the approval of the public, dogs are symbols of humanity, a message that they are just like everyone else, and a reminder that they are good people. Presidential pets are not only popular because the presidents want companions, or because their wealth can afford them any kind of strange pet they could think of. They are also publicity tools that presidents can use to remind the public, either subtly or less so, that if a dog could love them, the people could too.
Sometimes this tool backfires. For example, according to the White House website and the Encyclopedia Britannica, Lyndon B Johnson lifted his beagle by the ears for a photo taken by the press, leading dog lovers and many Americans alike to become outraged at his treatment of his pets. Johnson insisted that the dog was yelping in joy, not pain, and that he hadn’t hurt his beagle. In another example, a rumor about Franklin D Roosevelt’s dog, Fala, was spread widely, claiming that he left him on an island by accident and had to drive his boat back to get him. The rumor became so serious that FDR had to give a speech denying everything.
Most of the time, however, this tool is used efficiently and successfully by presidents. According to the White House website, Warren G. Harding’s dog was used as a photogenic symbol of his campaign slogan, “Return to Normalcy”. FDR’s dog Scottie became a marketing tool, with his own movies and toys produced. President Johnson’s rescue dog showed an endearing, loving side of him. The Fords had an enormously popular golden retriever, and they donated her puppies to become service dogs, gaining them respect and admiration. George W. Bush’s dog became a media sensation when it gave birth to puppies, and they were featured in magazines and a book. Herbert Hoover’s image problem was solved by his PR team distributing thousands of prints of a photo of him and his dog. The Clinton’s dog ,Buddy, was also a media sensation--so was George W. Bush’s dog Barney. Over and over, the American public couldn’t get enough of the dogs that their presidents owned, and it reflected well on the men making decisions about America.
Is Joe Biden doing the same thing when he publishes pictures of his dogs? Yes, of course he is. Is it working? Also yes. The first time I liked something about Biden, as a person, was seeing a picture of him and his dog. The first positive news that was shared about him after the election was centered around the dogs. Just as presidents have done in the past, Biden is using our fondness towards animals to win us over.
Before the election, there was a surge of people reminding us that, despite his flaws, he was better than Trump. And after the election, it was a reminder that he is still not a good person and is not a perfect leader, and still deserves criticism. Throughout the entire process of his run for office and the election, the only good things that were said about Biden--and I mean really good things, not just comparatively good things--had to do with his dogs, specifically Major, a giant rescue German shepherd. Briefly after his win in the US election, a picture of him and his dog went viral, along with the information that Trump was the first US president to not have a dog in office.
It’s rare a president doesn’t have a pet at all- only three of them never had any animals in the White House. One of those three was Donald Trump. This could have certainly been seen as a red flag about one of the most disliked people in the US. We trust people with animals. We like them. The history of keeping pets in the White House is an interesting and unique one. All sorts of strange animals have lived there, from parrots, to cows, tigers, and even an alligator. Some presidents had too many pets to count, and an impressive array of species as well. Others preferred just one or two dogs, or perhaps a pair of birds. However, a history that is even longer, and more disturbing, is the history of animals-specifically dogs--being used as pawns in presidential politics.
It’s undeniable that humans have a soft spot for animals, a love for them that has gone back all throughout our history. In particular, we love dogs, with their playfulness, soft fur, and general positive attitude towards life. Seeing dogs makes us happy, and seeing people with dogs leads us to unconsciously assume that they must be good in some way. For presidents who want the approval of the public, dogs are symbols of humanity, a message that they are just like everyone else, and a reminder that they are good people. Presidential pets are not only popular because the presidents want companions, or because their wealth can afford them any kind of strange pet they could think of. They are also publicity tools that presidents can use to remind the public, either subtly or less so, that if a dog could love them, the people could too.
Sometimes this tool backfires. For example, according to the White House website and the Encyclopedia Britannica, Lyndon B Johnson lifted his beagle by the ears for a photo taken by the press, leading dog lovers and many Americans alike to become outraged at his treatment of his pets. Johnson insisted that the dog was yelping in joy, not pain, and that he hadn’t hurt his beagle. In another example, a rumor about Franklin D Roosevelt’s dog, Fala, was spread widely, claiming that he left him on an island by accident and had to drive his boat back to get him. The rumor became so serious that FDR had to give a speech denying everything.
Most of the time, however, this tool is used efficiently and successfully by presidents. According to the White House website, Warren G. Harding’s dog was used as a photogenic symbol of his campaign slogan, “Return to Normalcy”. FDR’s dog Scottie became a marketing tool, with his own movies and toys produced. President Johnson’s rescue dog showed an endearing, loving side of him. The Fords had an enormously popular golden retriever, and they donated her puppies to become service dogs, gaining them respect and admiration. George W. Bush’s dog became a media sensation when it gave birth to puppies, and they were featured in magazines and a book. Herbert Hoover’s image problem was solved by his PR team distributing thousands of prints of a photo of him and his dog. The Clinton’s dog ,Buddy, was also a media sensation--so was George W. Bush’s dog Barney. Over and over, the American public couldn’t get enough of the dogs that their presidents owned, and it reflected well on the men making decisions about America.
Is Joe Biden doing the same thing when he publishes pictures of his dogs? Yes, of course he is. Is it working? Also yes. The first time I liked something about Biden, as a person, was seeing a picture of him and his dog. The first positive news that was shared about him after the election was centered around the dogs. Just as presidents have done in the past, Biden is using our fondness towards animals to win us over.
