I hope everyone -- Democrats, Republicans and independents -- had an enjoyable, relaxing summer! I certainly did. Whether it was enjoying fried clams and watching my distant relatives, the seals, on Cape Cod, or just chasing squirrels on the North Cambridge bike path, the summer was sweet, as always.
Now it's back to the campaign trail for the fall, and the Senate race in my home state of Massachusetts heated up like a mug of apple cider last Thursday, as Republican Sen. Scott Brown and Democratic Harvard Law School professor Elizabeth Warren exchanged views in the first of four campaign debates.
From a canine perspective, I would say that this debate revealed two distinct campaign personalities: the Dog Walker (Brown) versus the Dog Whisperer (Warren).
In the debate, Brown came across as the regular guy who knows how to give a good dog-walk. He'll rub you behind the ears, he'll let you roll around on the grass, maybe he'll even take you off the leash so you can go after the squirrels. (Oh, wait, he probably wouldn't ... he's one of those law-and-order Republicans.) And when you're done walking, perhaps he'll roll down the passenger-side window of his pickup and let you feel the breeze.
Well, Brown certainly cozied up to his regular-guy supporters. He used a Bill Clinton-esque "I feel your pain" with cash-strapped motorists, griping that it cost four dollars per gallon at the pump to fill up his truck. He empathized with consumers of energy, given that another cold Massachusetts winter lies ahead. And for "all you union guys out there," he warned that "Professor Warren" opposed labor-friendly projects.
Warren, by contrast, focused on showing herself as more of a Cesar Millan-esque "Dog Whisperer," someone with a holistic approach to reviving the economy and environment of not only Massachusetts, but the country. For instance, she knows that Massachusetts voters cannot stomach the Alpo business-friendly policies of Republicans, and promotes more organic fare instead.
She used this big-picture approach Thursday, pointing out that Brown's reelection would have a ripple effect in the Senate, possibly landing Oklahoma Republican Jim Inhofe -- who doesn't believe in global warming -- in charge of overseeing the Environmental Protection Agency.
Overall, I support the Whisperer over the Walker. Whisperer Warren has the expertise of creating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a watchdog for consumers. (You all know how much I like watchdogs.) Yet she needs to make the step from pointing out the flaws in Brown's record to telling us how she, if elected, would reverse his policies and calm down our misbehaving economy. We need someone to talk some sense into pit-bull big banks, Doberman credit-card companies, and Rottweiler housing lenders.
It is also possible that all Warren needs to do is let Brown's strategy do him in. We all know the mean kind of dog walker who lets his big dog mix it up with smaller ones, or who gets into arguments with other owners. Well, Brown showed that mean streak, attacking Warren for her claims of a Native American background and saying "clearly she is not." This might turn off voters who don't like such dismissive remarks.
It's time for my midday doze in the sunbeam now, with daydreams of squirrels to chase. If Warren wants her chase of a Senate seat to end successfully, she would do well to heed my "whispered" words of advice.
Daisy is a West Highland white terrier living in Cambridge, Mass. Her column appears regularly.
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