Okay, so a dog cannot actually run for or be the mayor of Oakland, but it hasn’t stopped the Occupy folks from throwing a mutt named Einstein into the circus that is the Oakland mayoral race.
As SFGate reports, the medium-sized shepherd mix was a regular at Occupy protests and rallies. Einstein’s fans have launched a website and Facebook page to explain his campaign, which pokes fun at some very real problems in the city of Oakland.
They write on his website that the dog is “the first serious candidate to air his or her platform” and that he will put his "paw down and stop the Domain Awareness Center,” which is Oakland's controversial, citywide surveillance system. Other jabs include: “My staff will not accept the current big fat salaries so many Oakland Police are making”; “Police will be prosecuted for beating and killing innocent beautiful creatures”; and “I will fire many sitting municipal bureaucrats.”
While Einstein won’t appear on the November 4 ballot, there are 20 official candidates running for mayor including a city contractor named Ken Houston, who is known to paint over graffiti, drink tequila, and ride motorcycles, electronic technician Patrick McCullough, who made headlines when he shot a 16-year-old in the arm outside his home in 2005, pro-gun and pro-police businessman Peter Yuan Liu, and Occupy Oakland and First Friday organizer Jason Anderson.
Meanwhile, incumbent Oakland Mayor Jean Quan has been making headlines for allegedly texting and driving, which the Oakland Police Department said was not true in the case of a fender bender she had on June 8. No doubt, this race is going to be a bumpy road for Quan and a weird one to watch in general.
