While hundreds of cultural conservatives cheered the likes of Ralph Reed and Newt Gingrich inside the Tampa Theatre on Sunday afternoon, just a few blocks south Tampa Lykes Gaslight Square Park was alive with a different kind of energy.
Tampa resident Kimberley Swygert was in attendance with the group Dogs Against Romney, accompanied by her Great Dane. "It’s a cause where we support keeping our dogs inside cars, treating them humanely, and not treating them like luggage," she said.
Swygert was referring to the anecdote made famous by Romney when he ran for president in 2007. He said he strapped his dog Seamus in a crate to the top of his car during a 12-hour family road trip, invoking the ire of animals rights groups and liberals.
This article appears in Aug 23-29, 2012.