This adorable little dog helps the Clinton campaign relieve stress
Working on a presidential campaign is no easy task. For the past 18 months, hundreds of staff workers have spent hours each week in Hillary Clinton’s Brooklyn campaign headquarters doing everything in their power to ensure that the former Secretary of State is elected as our 45th president in November. Luckily, they have a secret weapon to relieve the stress — an adorable little dog named Winnie, who has become something of a celebrity within the campaign.
#tbt that time @hillaryclinton clinched the nomination and I was clinched by the
A photo posted by Winnie the Dog (@winnieforamerica) on Jun 23, 2016 at 4:56pm PDT
Although pets aren’t technically allowed in the Clinton campaign headquarters, senior staff have bent the rules due to the adorable Pomeranian-Schipperke pup’s calming presence during those long, stressful workdays. Winnie’s owner, tech team member Timothy Lu Hu Ball, initially brought her to work after his dog-sitting situation didn’t work out — but he had no idea that she’d quickly become the office celebrity.
Winnie has mingled with every member of the Clinton family, and she hasn’t become starstruck — even when she’s been introduced to the likes of iconic singer Carole King and Orange is the New Black stars Yael Stone and Lea DeLaria.
@hillaryclinton paying her respects #tbt
A photo posted by Winnie the Dog (@winnieforamerica) on Jul 7, 2016 at 8:21pm PDT
Rachel Cantor, a software engineer for the campaign who runs Winnie’s Instagram and Facebook accounts, admits there’s one scenario in which Winnie doesn’t always maintain her calm exterior — when someone shows up with chicken or pizza they’re willing to share.
Winnie is universally adored by the staff, and she’s sorely missed on the days when she’s out on the campaign trail with Ball. Upon her return, everyone in the office excitedly rushes to greet her with hugs and cheeseballs.
And, lest you think Winnie’s sole contribution to the campaign is emotional support, you should check out the Hillary 2016 mobile app.
A video posted by Winnie the Dog (@winnieforamerica) on Sep 25, 2016 at 9:15pm PDT
One feature of the app is a virtual campaign office. When designers needed an incentive for users to check the app every single day, the addition of Winnie provided the perfect Tamagotchi-esque solution. After all, she needs to be fed and petted every day or else she’ll run away — and that would be downright tragic for any app user.
A Clinton campaign aide says the strategy has worked — users have interacted with Winnie 350,000 times since the app’s July launch, according to Mic.com.
Seriously, is there anything Winnie can’t do? Given Hillary Clinton’s current poll numbers, I’d venture a guess that this honorary team member will be celebrating with lots of pizza and chicken when the final results come in on Election Night.
The post This adorable little dog helps the Clinton campaign relieve stress appeared first on HelloGiggles.
