The Sanders campaign is groping for a way to win the Democratic nomination. After last week’s pummeling in the super liberal Northeast, Bernie needs something to breathe new life into his race for the White House. Winning a primary in a red state like Indiana that never goes Democratic in the general election will not revive his chances.
As Governor Howard Dean, the Bernie Sanders pre-sequel. said on NRP this week, (and I paraphrase based on a highly plastic memory) “Bernie needs to transition from a traveling Grateful Dead or Fish concert to a broad coalition. That is really hard. I tried and failed.”.
I think Howard is dead right. Bernie seems to only appeal to the rural, gun-loving liberals in red states, a constituency that he honed in Vermont, and young rich college kids who are more prone to ‘rally” than to vote. He is not resonating with the sophisticated bi-coastals that run the Democratic Party, with the unions nor with urban minorities. Urban minorities tend to think that all white people are the problem, not just 1% of them – plus they are scared of rural white people, not matter how liberal, with guns. Bernie needs to broaden his coalition.
After scanning the American socio-economic landscape looking for large overlooked blocks of voters, I happened upon pet owners. There are 75 million dogs in the United States – most are legal – and perhaps as many as 80 million cats. 45% of all American households have a dog; 35% have a cat. Yet no one, on the right or on the left, is reaching out to pet owner. Not a single candidate has mentioned the centrality of pets in American family life in a single debate or speech.
Yet the issues facing pet owners are real and could serve to energize the electorate. Pets are an integral part of the family, just like kids and grand-folks. They are dependents that have to be feed, housed and provided with medical care. Many American families are struggling to make ends meet after spending money on kibbles, bully sticks, dental chews and Frontline tick and flea treatments. Plastic boober scooper bags aren’t free either.
Making pet ownership easier and more affordable is a powerful family friendly theme. Bernie could focus on lessening the economic hardships faced by dog and cat owners since Wall Street created the great recession. He could rail against the oligarchy dominating the pet food industry – the evil corporate price gougers at Mars Petcare and Nestle Purina – and of course their lobbyists and Super Pacs inside the Belt Way. Not to mention that all-powerful special interest group, The American Veterinarians Association.
American are sick and tired of people using their pets to rip them off.
If I were Bernie, I would propose tax relief to middle class dog lovers. He could sponsor a new Federal exemption for dependent pets living in families with incomes under $250,000 per year. A dog could be worth a half a dependent child or $2,000 and a cat 1/3 or $1,200. This kind of tax break would resonate in the Democratic, Republican and independent bases and build a broader coalition around his candidacy.
Though the pet angle might not work with minorities because many of them are scared of dogs, for good reason.