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Posted by Mia Carter Jul 19, 2008 |
A recent series of polls conducted by the Associated Press and Yahoo revealed that pet owners say they're more likely to vote for Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain over Democratic Illinois Sen. Barack Obama in the November 2008 Presidential Election.
Now, I find this quite interesting. My own voting habits aside (I've been known to vote Republican due to my fiscal conservativeness), when I think Republican, I think conservative right-wingers; those no-nonsense church-goers who are fiscally and socially conservative. My impression of the average Republican is not a person who totes their pet around in their purse, or who spends hundreds or even thousands of dollars on veterinary care over the life of the pet, nor is it someone who lets their pet sleep in their bed - under the covers, of course. Republican conservativeness does not typically jive with the liberal left tendencies of many pet owners today.
So this recent poll surprises me. I, myself, vote Republican and I'm a pet enthusiast, to say the least - I view my animals as part of the family. But I've always thought of myself as part of the minority in this regard. Most people are surprised when they find out I vote Republican, because in most ways, I appear just like your average Generation X left-winger. But that just goes to prove how wrong those superficial first impressions really are.