I’ve been listening a lot lately to all the talk radio chatter about the upcoming presidential election in 2024.

It seems that as soon as we elect an “I am not a politician politician” they are already talking about the next campaign. I think the next one is going to be tough because… well, you know. No clearly defined candidate yet for the Republicans, and the Democrats have their hands full to bursting.

As I was thinking about all this, I received a tap on the ankle. It’s the cats’ dinner bell, not to call them to the bowl, but to call me into the kitchen to fetch the bowls. “Boeheim” sits like a little lady where her supper dish is normally served, and she will wait silently and without complaining for hours until I notice her and turn off the dishes. “Greenberg”, on the other hand, is not so polite. In fact, he’s not polite at all. It begins with a tap on the ankle. If I don’t respond quickly, the tap gets louder, followed by a long series of high-decibel meows. If I’m always busy, the dinner request escalates into a well-placed bite. So while I watched the cats contentedly polishing the victuals, I took a good look at them. If they were allowed to vote, what would be their preference? Which party could they join and how would they vote?

Greenberg, I think, to be a die-hard Democrat. He wants what he wants when he wants it, and he will figure out later how to pay for it or better yet, let someone else pay for it. He thinks everyone should get what they want or need, whether they work for it or not or whether it’s within budget. After all, it’s an American cat, and therefore completely legal. He is for deregulation of everything, hates rules and wouldn’t pay taxes of any kind. But he also has a Republican bent. He is adamantly against immigration (bringing other animals into this house), likes the idea of ​​a border wall for privacy in his yard and surrounding area, and would be completely and utterly against any form of unionization. He is his own cat, walks at his own pace, sets his own rules, and has little respect for any authority other than his own.

Boeheim, on the other hand, is a bit more difficult to understand. She is rather laid back and affable and believes that possessions should be held in common, such as litter boxes in the basement. For Boeheim, there is no “you” in “yours” and “mine is mine” with this feline. Hey, that probably makes her a socialist. I have a furry little Bernie Sanders here, which isn’t too bad. Better than having a Bernie Madoff. Boeheim does not care that the property (this house and the litter boxes) are held in common and that the state (me) meets her basic needs and will also continue to care for her for life. But she hates “Big Brother” (the vet who comes to the house to check on her thyroid status and give her rabies shots) with a passion, voicing her opinion with a well-placed whistle or two.

I know for sure that I am not harboring two little communists because they do NOT believe their toys should be common property, and they are NOT for the elimination of private property. They love this house; they shredded it enough to prove their loyalty. They are also violently opposed to the ideology of the sharing of work by all. These two have never worked for anything a day in their lives; and while I vacuum, dust, scrub and clean, they yawn and watch. Share the wealth? Uh-uh. They think I’m the only one making money strictly for their comfort and belly, so why share?

I’ve had enough dogs and cats in my life to know that cats are inherently and fiercely independent, and that independents often lean towards one party or another but don’t necessarily want anyone to know which one. They tend to vote on issues rather than political ideology. These are free agents who are less engaged. Hmmm… looks like almost every cat I’ve ever known.

I wonder if my friends at the South County League of Women Voters would think cats deserve a mail-in ballot? After all, they claim everyone is right.

Rona Mann has been a freelance writer for The Sun for 20 years, including her “In Their Shoes” articles. She can be reached at six07co@att.net or 401-539-7762.