Comparing politics during the election season to a dog race | Eastern NC Now

    I once went to a dog race and put my money down on the greyhound that I thought would win based on nothing more than just the name of the dog. This was before I learned how abusive the Greyhounds were treated in this sport. They sometimes shoot repeated losers.

    I have no expertise in selecting dogs based on training, past history or anything that has to do with reading the bet sheet. My dog came out of the chute stumbled immediately, and fell and the race was on without him. Here was my question: do I watch the rest of the race or wait to seee if a miracle occurs and then just tear up the bet sheet after the race is over? So far I have not placed a bet on the 2016 Presidential race so I don't have any money on the line (THAT IS NOT ENTIRELY TRUE SINCE WHOEVER WINS WILL WANT SOME OF MY MONEY, I JUST MAY NOT GET TO CHOSE HOW THEY GET IT).

    I still have time to go to the window and put money on the next race. I could bet on win, place and show for the dogs. The good thing is that next race will have a totally different field of dogs, none of which ran in the first race that points up one of the biggest problems with my dog racing bets and politics.

    Politics is an awful lot like dog racing, once your favorite is falling out of the play and is no longer in contention do you really want to watch the rest of the race. Probably not but on the other hand, politics involved more than just a dog crossing the finish line. You have to live with the winner regardless of your initial betting choice. But I finally found the best comparison between the two. Greyhound Bitterly Disappointed After Finally Catching Mechanical Rabbit

    Watch this race and pay close attention at the 25 second mark when two dogs start chasing a real rabbit. One recovers but the other is off to the wild blue yonder. They got distracted by reality while chasing the mechanical target. I didn't catch their name but perhaps it could be Ted and Marco.

    Keep your eye on the prize.