Animals and Politics: A Look at the 2008 Presidential Election from an Animal Welfare Advocate’s Perspective

By Melissa Donovan

Animal rights issues are entwined with politics and the law but rarely do they reach the national stage. In this election year, 2008, we’ve heard plenty about the economy, the war, and health care, but the candidates have yet to state their positions on animal welfare during their rallies, speeches, debates, and interviews that are shown on the Internet and on television. 

However, each candidate has clearly demonstrated where he or she stands on animal related issues and their positions can be determined by examining their voting records. 

A recent article published by Encyclopedia Britannica’s Advocacy for Animals, assessed the candidates’ positions on the environment and animal welfare. The article covers the presidential candidates as well as vice presidential running mates.  

John McCain

During the primaries, John McCain was the Republican candidate with the strongest support of animal rights. It’s doubtful that his friendly attitude toward animals won him the GOP ticket, but his voting record on animal protection is respectable and probably surprising to animal welfare advocates looking for a champion in the state capitol. His voting record tells us that:

• He was a co-sponsor of the Horse Slaughter Prevention Act in 2005, which would ban horse slaughter for human consumption.
• He has worked to ban interstate trafficking of birds in an effort to eliminate cockfighting.
• He co-sponsored bills to stop bear poaching by banning trade of bear viscera.
• He denied subsidies for the mink industry.
• He has opposed commercial whaling and supported protection of whale populations.

John McCain has a demonstrable respect and affection for animals. In fact, he’s got a whole menagerie of his own: four dogs, a cat, a parakeet, and numerous fish. 

He presents as a viable candidate for voters who care about animal welfare. Yet, he scored only 33 percent on the Animal Welfare Institute’s (AWI) Compassion Index. He also chose Sarah Palin as his running mate for vice president, and while John McCain might come across as a friend to the animals, Sarah Palin is anything but that. 

Sarah Palin

In a Good Morning America interview, four of Palin’s closest friends talk about the vice presidential candidate. A few of their statements include observations that “She’s killed, skinned, and eaten moose,” as well as “She doesn’t care for cats,“ and “Oh yeah, she’s afraid of my cat.” 

Sarah Palin champions aerial gunning of wolves and bears. This disturbing, unethical practice involves shooting animals from low-flying planes and helicopters as a means to eliminate predators that would otherwise compete with human hunters going after moose and caribou throughout the state of Alaska.

Governor Palin approved $400,000 in state-funded advertising to endorse the program in an effort to defeat a referendum that would have banned aerial hunting of wolves and bears. To encourage the killing, her administration offered a $150 bounty for the left foreleg of each killed wolf. 

The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund has produced a video campaign to inform the public about Palin’s support of brutal aerial hunting and is currently seeking support in educating the public on the issue. 

Sarah Palin’s stance on animal welfare shows a general insensitivity to the plight of animals and the people who are working to protect them:

• Palin opposes the proposed federal PAW Act, which would ban aerial hunting.
• Her administration sued the Interior Department in an effort to challenge the listing of polar bears as endangered – this listing would prevent exploration and development for oil companies in areas that polar bears inhabit.
• She is against listing Cook Inlet beluga whales as threatened and claims that doing so would have a negative impact on the local economy in the Cook Inlet area.

The Huffington Post recently reported that as mayor of Wasilla, Palin cut funding to animal control, stating that in a city where “bears come to feast on unsecured garbage, the fiscal year 2000 budget cut back Wasilla’s funding for the Mat-Su Borough Animal Control by 14 percent.”

Governor Palin has been highly criticized as an enemy to animals, conservation, and environmentalism as her policies and voting record demonstrate a greater value for the oil industry over wildlife protection. 

Barack Obama

Barack Obama’s AWI Compassion Index score was more than double John McCain’s. He earned 67 percent to McCain’s 33 percent. Obama has earned the official endorsement of several animal protection groups including HSUS and The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund. 

When asked where he stands on animal rights, Senator Obama stated, “I think how we treat our animals reflects how we treat each other, and it’s very important that we have a president who is mindful of the cruelty that is perpetrated on animals.”

Barack and his wife Michele have promised their daughters that they can bring home a puppy after the November 4th election (regardless of the results).  Throughout his career as a senator at both state and federal levels, Barack Obama has demonstrated a commitment to protecting animals.

• He co-sponsored the Horse Slaughter Prevention Act as well as an anti-horse slaughter bill.
• He has voted for stronger penalties for criminals convicted of animal cruelty.
• He has shown strong support for the Endangered Species Act (ACT) and expressed a need for the act to be updated with new initiatives.
• He voted to prohibit dog fighting, penalize spectators, and increase penalties for those engaged in dog fighting activities.
• He worked to obtain or increase funding for the Animal Welfare Act, Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, and a federal animal fighting law.
• He voted for legislation requiring the FDA to update standards for pet food labels and also voted for an early warning system for poisoned or otherwise dangerous or damaged pet foods.

In addition, Senator Obama has pledged support for nearly all of the animal protection bills that are currently pending in Congress. 

Joe Biden

While the two candidates on the GOP ticket couldn’t be more different in their animal welfare ideologies, the two candidates on the democratic ticket could not be more alike. 
Joe Biden has been recognized as a friend to the animals for many years, and he demonstrates a commitment to protecting wildlife in particular. He has said, ““I have stood firm to protect the habitat for threatened species and wildlife and have successfully fought efforts to roll back the Endangered Species Act.”

Biden’s friendship to animals and animal welfare advocates is supported by his voting record. 

• He was a co-sponsor for the Senate’s anti-whaling resolution.
• Along with both McCain and Obama, he has co-sponsored measures to ban horse slaughter.
• He has voted to increase penalties for individuals involved in animal fighting and has worked toward banning the possession of fighting dogs and penalizing dogfight attendees.
• He called on Canada to eliminate the annual harp seal hunt.
• He consistently supports and votes for increasing the funding for the Animal Welfare Act and the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act.
• He has been a champion and longtime supporter of the Endangered Species Act.

As a member of the 108th Congress, Joe Biden co-authored a bill with Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) to ban dolphin netting. In the 107th Congress, he authored a successfully passed bill that prohibited trophy hunting of captive mammals in fenced enclosures. 

Joe Biden’s track record shows that in addition to supporting measures that protect animals he has also led legislative efforts in various areas of animal welfare. 

No Kill

We must continue to work together to raise awareness of the No Kill movement locally and nationally. Until the people of this nation speak up to their leaders, it is unlikely that these or any other candidates for public office will support No Kill efforts in an official capacity. 

That’s why I encourage each and every one of you to write to your state senators and representatives to ask for their support in No Kill initiatives. Someday it will be illegal to kill healthy, treatable, and adoptable animals in our nation’s shelters. But that will only happen if we all band together and fight for it. 

Visit congress.org to get contact information so you can write to your state officials. 

Let the presidential and vice presidential candidates know that No Kill matters to you as a voter. You can contact them quickly and easily by using their web form links. 

Barack Obama

713 Hart Senate Office Building,

District of Columbia 20510-1305
Phone: (202) 224-2854

Fax: (202) 228-4260

Web Form: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/mail/?id=3181&lvl=C&chamber=S

Joe Biden

201 Russell Senate Office Building,

District of Columbia 20510-0802
Phone: (202) 224-5042

Fax: (202) 224-0139

Web Form: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/mail/?id=696&lvl=C&chamber=S

John McCain

241 Russell Senate Office Building,

District of Columbia 20510-0303
Phone: (202) 224-2235

Fax: (202) 228-2862

Web Form: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/mail/?id=192&lvl=C&chamber=S

Sarah Palin

Alaska State Capitol Building, Third Floor

P.O. Box 110001

Juneau, AK 99811-0001
Phone (907) 465-3500

Fax (907) 465-3532

Web Form: http://gov.state.ak.us/govmail.php.

Register and Vote
The upcoming election is historical and has been hailed as one of the most important elections in U.S. history, one that will decidedly steer the course of America’s future. 
Make sure you register so you can vote on November 4th. 
 
Sources:

http://petthevote.com

http://advocacy.britannica.com

http://www.defendersactionfund.org