Yesterday the world met Hank the Cat, a feline prospect for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Virginia Democrat Jim Webb, who is retiring after one term. Hank, who lives in Springfield, caused something of a media stir yesterday. Besides DCist, WTOP, NBC4 Washington and even The Hill, among others, wanted a piece of the furry politician.
But it was Fox 5 that nabbed the first live interview with Hank and his owners. In a report last night, Beth Parker visited Hank and his owner-cum-campaign manager Matthew O’Leary at home in Springfield. And while O’Leary is a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat whose living room is festooned with Barack Obama-related ephemera, Hank, as we suspected yesterday from his populist, “self-made-cat” campaign biography, is not so keen on the Democratic Party.
“I would read left-leaning political books at night, and in the morning when he’d wake me up for breakfast, he would tear up the political books, just the political books, to get my attention,” O’Leary told Fox 5.
Of course, true to our suspicions of Hank’s Tea Party-like ways, the cat’s campaign is dismissive of both Democrats and Republicans, hence the independent bid. Still, despite his bucking of traditional parties, there’s still a lot Virginia voters need to learn about Hank.
One thing we’ve found out, though, is that this campaign against Tim Kaine and George Allen is not Hank’s first rodeo. O’Leary also told Fox 5 that he once garnered nine write-in votes for his cat in a Virginia State Senate election a few years ago. Makes one wonder if this is Hank’s year, or if true to feline stubbornness, he just doesn’t know when to quit.
Still, as a free-market populist in a swing state, we guess Hank might have a shot. Cats might not support a broad social safety net, but they are easily distracted by laser pointers. Kind of like Newt Gingrich.
Here’s Fox 5’s meeting with Hank and O’Leary:
