The King wanted to go fishing, so he asked the royal weather forecaster about the forecast for the next few hours. The palace meteorologist assured him that there was no chance of rain. So the King and the Queen went fishing.
Along the way, they met a man with a fishing pole riding on a donkey; and the King asked the man if the fish were biting. The fisherman answered, “Your Majesty, you should return to the palace! In just a short time I expect a huge rain storm.”
The King replied, “I hold the palace meteorologist in high regard. He is an educated and experienced professional. Besides, I pay him very high wages. He gave me a very different forecast. I trust him.” So the King and the Queen continued on their way.
However, in a short while, a torrential rain fell from the sky. The King and the Queen were totally soaked. Furious, the King returned to the palace and gave the order to fire the meteorologist. He then summoned the fisherman and offered him the prestigious position of royal forecaster.
The fisherman said, “Your Majesty, I do not know anything about forecasting. I obtain my information from my donkey. If I see my donkey's ears drooping, it means with certainty that it will rain.”
So the King hired the donkey.
And, thus, began the practice of hiring dumb asses to work in influential positions of government; and the symbol of the democrat party was born.
The practice is unbroken to this day.