The Cat in the Hat — the iconic character of Ted Geisel, or Dr. Seuss — is running for president. The campaign parody kicks off Tuesday in Springfield.
The campaign begins with a stump speech on the steps of Geisel’s boyhood home in Springfield. The Cat has running mates, Thing 1 and Thing 2, and a remarkably serious platform.
“Kindness to others, saving the planet, feeding the hungry, ocean conservation,” listed Kay Simpson, president of the Springfield Museums, which is building a new Seuss museum.
This campaign has at least one similarity to other presidential parodies — like comedian Gracie Allen’s 1940 run:
"Gracie, why are you running for president?” George Burns asked her. “Well, because that’s the only way you can get to the White House,” Allen said. “You can’t just walk in and sit down.”
And those Hotels.com ads:
"Hi. I’m Captain Obvious. When I heard there was a race for president, I decided to run.”
Like those “campaigns,” Cat in the Hat 2016 is at least in part about money: raise awareness of fundraising for that new museum and sell a Seuss-like book, titled “One Vote, Two Votes, I Vote, You Vote.”
This post was originally published on New England Public Radio.
