Beautiful women mustering for Bernie Sanders, Michael Bloomberg not knowing how to stroke a dog properly, Joe Biden joking about his own mortality and Andrew Yang wanting to change the NBA logo: a few of the offbeat highlights from a week on the US campaign trail. The hashtag #HotGirlsForBernie" was trending on Twitter Friday as attractive women posted selfies alongside explanations as to why they support the progressive presidential hopeful, whose followers have previously been better known as "Bernie Bros." "Hot girls need healthcare," said one, while another referred to his proposed taxes on the super-wealthy by tweeting, "Taking money from the rich is so hot." Electoral targeting is an art rather than an exact science, as the country was reminded this week when President Donald Trump's campaign manager said he had received text messages urging him to vote for... Bernie Sanders. "Almost feel bad for the DNC and Bernie Sanders for having such bad data," tweeted Brad Parscale. "If you think my phone number is a possible Bernie supporter you are wasting big bucks." Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg apparently thought he might score a cute moment on the campaign trail in Vermont when approached by a voter's shaggy dog at a meet and greet. The billionaire, no stranger to handshakes, went to shake the dog's paw. He instead ended up grabbing its upper jaw and shaking it awkwardly by the head, before letting the pet go and giving it a proper stroke. Just like the rest of the country, basketball fan and Democratic hopeful Andrew Yang was stunned by the death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash at the age of 41. Yang suggested changing the logo of the NBA, which features the outline of a player with a ball, to feature Bryant's own likeness to honor his memory. More than three million fans have signed on to support the change so far. If elected in November, 77-year-old former vice president Joe Biden would be 82 when he completed his first term in office. That prompted him to crack a joke about his age when asked about who he would pick as a running mate, who could potentially take his place if he died. "For me, it has to be demonstrated that whoever I pick is two things: One, is capable of [being] president, because I'm an old guy," Biden said, insisting that he was in good health despite the years. bur-leo/sdu/jh/to