Transcript
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem revealed in her new book that she had shot her puppy for bad behavior. She may have united the country, however, inadvertently. New York Times critic A.O. Scott wrote, we may not like one another all that much these days but red or blue, MAGA or woke, we sure do love dogs. So I asked A.O. Scott, what is it about politicians and dogs?
A.O. SCOTT: Since the 1890s, only two presidents - only William McKinley and Donald Trump - have not been dog owners, which is kind of extraordinary.
MARTIN: Why do you think we want our politicians to be dog people?
SCOTT: I think it humanizes them. I mean, I think that if you're out in the world and you see someone who's walking a dog, you have a good feeling about that person whatever else may be true of that person and whether or not you agree with that person's politics.
MARTIN: Well, you know, it's funny because when former President Obama was elected, like, one of the first things he said on election night...
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
BARACK OBAMA: Sasha and Malia, I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House.
(CHEERING)
MARTIN: What are some of the notable presidential dogs?
SCOTT: There was Bill Clinton's dog. Bill Clinton had a cat first and then added the Labrador retriever.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
BILL CLINTON: I finally decided to name the dog after my beloved uncle who died earlier this year. I'm going to call the dog Buddy.
SCOTT: In presidential history, probably the most dog-identified in presidents is Lyndon Johnson, who is remembered for when he picked up one of his two beagles by the ears. But he was such a dog lover, he released a record called "Dogs Have Always Been My Friends."
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
LYNDON B JOHNSON: I remember my first dog was named Rover. And he and I would take strolls along the river and through the old fields and down the road together.
SCOTT: In a way, like, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon may be the most vividly dog-identified presidents. Nixon because of the Checkers speech. That was before he was president, and he was chosen to be Eisenhower's running mate. And then sort of a scandal popped up where it was alleged that he'd been taking money and gifts from some supporters. And one gift that he'd gotten, it was a cocker spaniel named Checkers.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
RICHARD NIXON: The kids, like all kids, love the dog. And I just want to say this right now that regardless of what they say about it, we're going to keep him.
MARTIN: Let's go back to Kristi Noem before we let you go. I've read a number of pieces about that. Frankly, for me, some of the most critical have been from outdoorsmen, people who work with animals, who live with animals, who just say, look, this is just not how we do things.
SCOTT: That's been my impression, too. I mean, I think that she was trying to present herself as tough, decisive, unsentimental, you know, that - right, all of these sort of liberals on the coast or in the cities, they love their dogs, they coddle their dogs, they send their dogs to psychiatrists. And in a way, I think she was trying to present herself as a real dog person. The thing that to me was kind of startling about it was the sort of relish with which she told the story, the sort of glee. You know, when Atticus Finch goes out to shoot the rabid dog in the street in "To Kill A Mockingbird," he's not happy about it.
MARTIN: That's A.O. Scott. He's a critic for The New York Times. Mr. Scott, thanks so much for joining us.
SCOTT: It was a pleasure. It was great talking with you, Michel.
(SOUNDBITE OF ELMER BERNSTEIN'S "MAIN TITLE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
300x250 Ad
300x250 Ad