Newt's lasting imprint! Plus, a charity appeal

By: Daisy

It looks like former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich will end his presidential campaign on Tuesday, according to media reports.
Some of my human readers will ask whether Gingrich achieved anything by staying in the race so long. He wasn't even Mitt Romney's biggest challenger -- that was former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who dropped out two weeks ago. All Newt got out of overstaying his welcome was a second-place finish in Delaware yesterday -- one of five primaries in play, all of which Mitt swept.
Well, I would point out (not literally -- my paws aren't made for pointing) that Gingrich's campaign was significant for two reasons, both of which could be used by President Obama as promising venues to battle Romney in the general election.

First, it was Gingrich who cleverly chose to attack Romney on one of his most vulnerable weak points: Mitt's cross-country drive with his dog Seamus atop the family station wagon back in 1983. When Gingrich unveiled an attack ad using clips of Mitt verbal missteps -- including defending the doggie decision -- he ended up winning the South Carolina primary. Take note, Barack.
Second, Newt also tapped into a hitherto-ignored bloc of voters: Pet owners. (Or, as I prefer to call them, "human companions.") He created a pet-lovers-for-Newt website, although in doing so he revealed he doesn't seem to be that animal-savvy himself, talking more about his love of zoos (including the Bronx Zoo) than pets. Obama has followed suit, creating his own pet-friendly website and tweeting photos of himself with First Dog Bo.
This Newt has left a valuable trail ... and while I disagree with his politics, I hope President Obama can study and benefit from his pet-friendly tactics this fall.
Running for lions
My human friend/running buddy Rich got down on all fours and begged for me to give him a bark-out ... er, shout-out on this. Usually I'm the one begging for table scraps or to go outside, so I thought I would help here.
On Saturday, Rich will run a 5-kilometer race at the aforementioned Bronx Zoo in the Wildlife Conservation Society's "Run for the Wild" to benefit endangered species, including lions, who have seen their population shrink 30 to 40 percent.
Definitely a cause worth supporting ... and you can make a tax-deductible donation here.

Daisy is a 9-year-old West Highland white terrier living in Cambridge, Mass. Her column runs regularly.