Major Biden: Changing The PR Game For Shelter Dogs And Presidential Campaigns, One ‘Woof’ At A Time
As President-Elect Joe Biden prepares to take office on Jan. 20, he and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, won’t be the only ones packing their bags and heading to the White House. President and Dr. Biden will be joined by their two furry companions, Champ, 12, and Major, 2. Major made headlines back when President-Elect Biden was announced the winner of the 2020 Presidential Election, and will serve the country as first dog.
Since then, he has continued to dominate news cycles, being featured in articles for outlets like CNN, NBC News, NPR and Mashable and became a phenomenon on social media with WeRateDogs giving both Champ and Major a 14/10. Major released his first press release, wishing his dad a speedy recovery from an ankle injury, which he made clear was not his fault and will be honored with a virtual “Indoguration Day” on January 17th hosted by his previous shelter, The Delaware Humane Society. This pupper even has a book deal, Champ and Major: First Dogs, which is available for pre-order now.
After purchasing their first dog, Champ, from a breeder in Pennsylvania in 2008, the Biden’s adopted Major from the Delaware Humane Society in 2018. This decision to adopt and not shop has been praised by dog owners across the country and gives hope to shelter dogs everywhere.
Major “shows the real possibilities for what could happen for all the great dogs who need homes out there,” said Patrick Carroll, the executive director of the Delaware Humane Association, according to the New York Times.
Overall, Major is seriously crushing this PR campaign. But he also had an impact on his dad’s Presidential campaign as well.
After four years of not having any pets in the oval ‘paw-ffice’ and President Trump facing criticism for it, President-Elect Biden made statements via Twitter while campaigning about bringing dogs back in the White House. While it’s not a huge platform to run on, it made a significant impact as a beacon of normalcy as President Trump was the first president in more than 100 years to not have any pets.
Dog-people are a breed of their own, but being a pet owner signifies patience, love, responsibility and relatability, which was needed throughout Joe Biden’s campaign. Having Major become the ambassador for shelter dogs across the U.S. gave the people not an understanding of what kind of President Joe Biden would be, but an insight to the person he is.
Major Biden does more than just look handsome in photos; he also humanized his dad. At a time where politics are volatile and dangerous and smear campaigns run rampant, at the end of the day, Joe Biden let the people know that he is a husband, father and dog-dad, just like other Americans. In addition to his policies and goals for the future of the country, especially in a time of such political controversy, having good boys like Major and Champ by his side have significantly impacted Joe Bidens political campaign and showed a human element, one that severely lacked in political power over the last four years. Major Biden is the perfect example of a Cinderella story but also, a great PR team.
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