A Year of Blogging: September 23, 2011

September 23 was 'Checkers Day'. But before you reach for that old checkerboard and argue with your sibling over who will be red this time, perhaps you should also know that it is also 'Dogs in Politics' Day. Dogs in Politics? What? Although, I have to say, they'd make better candidates than the offerings we've been presented in the past few years. Dogs are loyal. They can sniff out trouble. The only lobbyists they would bend to are those offering belly rubs and treats. How could the country not feel that things are better with a cute fluffy puppy making the decisions? Well, the connection is actually that on this day in 1952, Richard Nixon gave the 'Checkers' speech. Nixon was running on the Eisenhower ticket for Vice President, and there were questions about an $18,000 campaign donation which people suspected he had used for his personal use. In the speech, Nixon defended himself, but said he would be keeping one gift. That gift was a black and white dog that was given to his children. The children named the dog Checkers. I had to study the 'Checkers' speech as a Communication major. We also had to study the Nixon- Kennedy debates from 1960. When I was in college, I knew them forward and backward. Even now, 13 years after I graduated from college, I know more than many other people my age about speeches that happened twenty some years before I was even born. In fact, I'd have to say the Checkers speech is more memorable than any speech I've heard our current President give. So maybe instead of playing checkers today, we should be playing with our dogs. Wait, the dogs want that every day. I sense the influence of the Dog Lobbyists!