Pet-icularly Suitable

By Amanda Bower, Val Castronovo, Steven Frank, Ling Minhua, Ellin Martens, Michele Orecklin, Julie Rawe, Sora Song and Josh Tyrangiel

FULLY VETTED Clearly, it's time to adopt a new method for choosing the leader of the free world. Our proposal: decide which candidate's dog best exemplifies those qualities coveted by voters

GORE

DOG: Daisy (formerly Inspector Turnip)

BACKGROUND: An American dream personified. A stray of mixed parentage, she was rescued by the Gores and has triumphed over her humble beginnings

NAME: Strong appeal to women voters. The dog was named after the flowers among which she was often found resting

CABINET: Daisy's colleague is the Labrador retriever Shiloh, named after the site of the Civil War battle. This highlights Daisy's interest in veterans' affairs

BUSH

DOG: Spot Fetcher

BACKGROUND: Inside the Beltway from birth. The son of George and Barbara Bush's pet Millie, Spot was born in the White House

NAME: Encompasses Americans' love for bluntness and baseball. Spot refers to a spot on the dog's coat. Fetcher honors Scott Fletcher, a former player on the Texas Rangers, the team Bush co-owned

CABINET: By sharing pet duties with cats Ernie and India, Spot shows commitment to equal opportunity and foreign relations