At Mashpee's Hot Diggity, A New Kind Of Smear Campaign For Political Partisans

By: Geoff Spillane
Published: 09/28/12

With little more than six weeks remaining until election day, voters are being inundated on a daily basis with polling results. Depending upon the candidate or party you support, the poll could be cause for celebration, or, well, it could just downright stink.

A survey of voter preference in the presidential election being taken at the Hot Diggity pet boutique at Mashpee Commons is likely to fall into the latter category, regardless of whether you are a fan of President Barack H. Obama or former governor W. Mitt Romney.

Hot Diggity, which also has a shop in Dennisport, is participating in the “2012 Poopy Packs Smear Campaign,” selling packages of pet waste pick-up bags in blue and red that bear the image of either President Obama or Mr. Romney.

Nicole D. Merriman, owner of the boutiques, reports that Mr. Romney is currently leading the “presidential poop poll” by a three-to-one margin, with “several dozen” of the bags sold within the last week. “I don’t know if that means he is winning or not” she said, referring to what is actually done with the bags bearing his mug when they are put to use.

Ms. Merriman also cited brisk sales of dog treats shaped like donkeys and elephants, with the democratic mascot currently outpacing its rival.

“This is our way of adding a fun twist to the election, but we also want to get the message across that people need to get out to vote on November 6,” Ms. Merriman added.