Way I remember it, albatross was a ship’s good luck, ’til some idiot killed it.

Serenity, 2005

Mitt Romney took his dog along on a family vacation. They took a 12 hour trip, with the dog strapped to the roof of the car in a dog carrier.  Mitt Romney doesn’t deny this, in fact he claims it was great fun for the dog–the the dog loved it.

Whether the dog loved it or not can never be proven, since the dog is long gone. What does remain is the image of a man driving cross country with a dog strapped to the roof of his car.

Voter’s opinions of candidates often turn on the small, rather than than big issues.  It has rightly been pointed out that women have a negative view of Newt, because of his divorce history.  But, what will most voters view be of Mitt Romney after they learn of his dog history?

Americans don’t just like dogs, it’s fairer to say Americans have a love affair with dogs.   They certainly dislike people that abuse dogs. Erick Erickson at Red State continually points out that voters tend to vote for the candidate they like they most.  Where does this leave Mitt Romney?

Dogs Against Romney is growing into a respectable grass root presence. It may seem easy to dismiss. After all, with all the problems our nation faces, how could someone’s treatment of a dog really be important? Well, people vote for president not only based on issues, they also take a measure of the man. When voters measure Mitt Romney, what will they conclude?

Mitt Romney’s dog may be his albatross.