Iowa a Magnet for Caucus Characters

Jan. 3, 2008 — -- The Iowa caucuses have become a magnet for presidential wannabes, media and a bevy of, shall we say, some very interesting caucus characters.

Show up to any campaign rally and they quickly make themselves known, standing out in an Iowa crowd.

At a campaign rally for Republican Mitt Romney, in West Des Moines, Iowa, Wednesday night, one such character, Linda Riley, and her dog, George — who was dressed for the event in a doggie tuxedo — busily promoted Riley's Web site, MyPoliticalPet.com.

"Our Web site is a Web site that combines politics with pets," Riley explained. "If you have a pet, come to our Web site, upload your pet's photo and tell us if they would vote Democrat or Republican."

Riley said she's certain her dog, George, named after President Washington, is an independent.

"George's personality is a little stubborn, a little gun shy, somewhat protective," she said, "so we'll wait to see who the two candidates are and he'll vote just like everyone else."

Point out, gently, that pets can't actually vote, and Riley will quickly explain how you missed the point. She said her Web site helps people express their political leanings and think about the issues through the eyes of their pets.

"You can't really walk up and ask them how they're voting, or how they feel about a certain issue," she said, "but they can express, well my dog would never start a war. Or my dog would never have an abortion, or my cat would never do that to a bird. So it's just a way to get more people involved and hopefully brought together on a lot of issues."

Riley said her goal is to get pet owners more politically involved, and if the Web site takes off, she hopes the advertising revenue will pay for more animal shelters around the country.

Other characters show up in Iowa at caucus time not to promote a cause, but to support a candidate.

At a campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa, Tuesday night for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee that featured actor Chuck Norris, John Brewer of Louisville, Ky., pulled up in a 40-foot purple-and-gold bus he calls "The Huckabeast."