Bentley the Dog, December 6, 2011 (Arkansas) -
VP candidate for DemoCATic Party/RePUPlican Party (2016)
Running mate with nominee: Melville the Cat (b. 2011)
Popular vote: 0 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
Melville, a mascot cat for a bookstore in Gettysburg, Pa. and apparently also known as Herman "Melville" DeCat Atkins, launched his Presidential campaign via Facebook on Apr. 16, 2015 as a member of the DemoCATic party. Not to be confused with the Alf Shumway/Carrie Fisher ticket who were also running in 2016 using the DemoCATic Party as their banner.
Melville's was a split party ticket, as shown in the announcement of the running-mate, also on Apr. 16, 2015--
My running mate is Bentley the Dog. He resides in Connecticut and is an active member of the RePUPlican Party. As my running mate, he is an expert on running after sticks and balls.
Some other posts during the early days of the electioneering set the tone--
Apr. 16, 2015
Future President Melville will pass legislation that will keep the Senate and House in their seats until a decision is made
on each issue brought before them.......Maybe they get a bag of peanuts and water until they "get er done"........
Bentley
Future VP
Apr. 17, 2015
If I am President: Nap time would be mandated by law. Every cat and every human being would be able to take at least one nap every day.
Apr. 17, 2015
Everything I know I learned from my big sister, Annie. When you're hungry, eat. When you're tired, nap in a sunbeam. When you puke, make sure it is where a bare foot will find it. Any questions?
Bentley is a rescue dog born in Arkansas. He is the mascot for Bentley's "Luv a rescue page."
It goes without saying that if the Melville/Bentley team had emerged victorious on Election Day, there would have been significant Constitutional hurdles for them to jump before being allowed to attain office.
Melville the Cat also ran in 2020 and is slated to run in 2024 but I could not verify a running-mate in either case.
Election history: none
Other occupations: dog
Notes:
Another Melville reference. I once had a rescue cat in the 1980s named Ahab, so named because as a kitten he batted at a mobile with whales bringing to mind Capt. Ahab in Melville's novel Moby Dick. I currently have 3 rescue cats.
