Einstein The Dog Runs For Oakland Mayor

People are supporting a unique candidate for the position of mayor in the city of Oakland, California. Einstein, a Catahoula hound, announced his candidacy for mayor late in September. Einstein’s announcement was made through the dog’s handler, Michael Wilson. The canine is running on a liberal platform that supports a single payer health care system and major police reform. The dog supports a minimum wage to help the poor, and he supports the lesser known “maximum wage” meant to prohibit some people from earning too much.

Of course, Einstein has no real chance of becoming the mayor of Oakland. To meet the requirements of mayor, a candidate must be a resident of the city and a registered voter. Einstein doesn’t fulfill either of these requirements. However, Einstein’s campaign is encouraging people to write Einstein’s name down at the ballot box. “He provides a great voice for low-income and otherwise marginalized people who live in Oakland,” says Michael Wilson.

The dog has his own website. Visitors can find twenty-two different platforms Einstein supports ranging from requiring police officers to be residents of the locations they patrol to punishing people for crimes according to their wealth. Einstein’s website also lists four specific platforms pertinent to animals. These include assistance for citizens who decide to adopt animals from shelters and animals shelters becoming the only legal place to purchase a pet for ownership. Most radically, Einstein supports corporations not being recognized as people on the grounds that they are unable to act as suitable human companions for animals.

Einstein can be followed through social media as he barks up and down the campaign trail, bringing light to various progressive issues other candidates might be tempted to ignore. In that regard, Einstein is actually fulfilling an important purpose this campaign season. He is using humor to draw attention towards issues that are too often regulated to the fringes of politics.