Presidential pets prove powerful
5:59 p.m. Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Manhattan — Barney and Miss Beazley are two of the current White House first pets, but nearly 400 animals before them lived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. K-State Vet School Associate Dean Ron Elmore believes they have a lot of clout.
"I'm absolutely convinced there are examples of where presidential animals have actually influenced history or elections," Elmore said.
Elmore is considered a presidential pet expert and has a vast collection of memorabilia. He moved to Kansas 17 years ago. After visiting the Eisenhower Museum, he became fascinated with presidential pets. Elmore now travels the country giving talks on the topic.
So they may be cute and cuddly, but can they truly impact the nations highest office? Elmore says yes.
"They are very influential, I think, in making the President look a lot softer, to make him seem more human."
He explains that is exactly why Herbert Hoover got his German Shepard King Tut.
"In 1929, President Hoover when he was running for the Presidency, he was told to get a dog by his advisors, get his picture taken and get that flooding the U.S."
Learn More
Additional information on "first" pets is available from the Presidential Pet Museum and the White House Historical Association.
Elmore also offers Richard Nixon and his black and white cocker spaniel Checkers. Democrats accused Nixon of having a secret slush fund. Nixon gave a nationally televised speech about his assets. Elmore says Nixon added he would never give back his dog Checkers.
"It literally warmed the hearts of people across the country. The next morning at Republican headquarters, hundreds of thousands of telegrams saying keep Richard Nixon on the ticket," Elmore said.
Elmore also recalls Franklin Roosevelt's famous Fala speech. FDR was ridiculed by Republicans for spending money to go back and get Fala in 1944 when the dog was left on the Aleutian Islands. Elmore recounted the story.
"So when Franklin Roosevelt discovered his dog wasn't with him, he sent a destroyer back to get the dog. And so Republican's said this cost thousands if not millions of dollars."
Roosevelt was not well at the time, but was advised to give a speech to show he was physically able to the handle the Presidency again. He joked about going back to get Fala, and Elmore says that was a hit.
"So the Teamsters just roared, and that was really the speech that turned that election around."
Elmore says man's best friend can really come in handy in times of scandal.
"The most recent, of course, we think about Bill Clinton. When he was in trouble with Monica Lewinsky and what did he do? He went out and bought a chocolate lab and named him Buddy."
But photos with pets don't always prove to be a good thing.
"When I think about Lyndon Johnson in the 60's, when things were going bad with the Vietnam war and he was becoming very unpopular. Then on top of that he picked his two beagles up by their ears," Elmore said.
So LBJ didn't get a boost from his pooch. But good or bad, Elmore is convinced presidential pets leave behind a legacy, right along with their masters.
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