The 2008 Presidential Candidates: You Are What You DON’T Eat???

I recall years ago chuckling when George Bush senior revealed an aversion to broccoli. It was slightly after that he vomited over the Japanese Prime Minister at a state dinner. Bill Clinton loved BBQ and Chicken Fried Steak with French fries. He was also prone to frequent pit stops at McDonald’s (note that was before his coronary bypass). Richard Nixon didn’t like much of anything. His idea of a good meal was smoked turkey with gravy, instant mashed potatoes and lima beans (I’m serious here). No wonder he was forced to resign.

But each of the above presidents was a known entity. We know less about the current crop of candidates. So can we learn anything useful about them by the foods they eat, or perhaps even more interestingly, by the foods they avoid? Recently the Associated Press, in what was apparently an attempt at a lighter moment, asked the 2008 presidential candidates to name their least favorite foods.

Hilary Clinton’s response: “I like nearly everything. Just don’t like things that are alive.”
Analysis: Well, she certainly didn’t offend the farmers. You have to shore up that middle-America base. But then she might have offended Steak tartar and Sushi lovers by the last part of her comment. Not that these foods are technically “alive” but they are pretty close. Since that “close to alive” constituency is rife with techies, young urban professionals, and Asian-Americans this could be a disastrous, campaign-ending gaffe for Clinton.

John Edwards said: “I can’t stand mushrooms. I don’t want them on anything I eat.”
Analysis: Bad move for Edwards. The mushroom loving crowd ranges from porcini to shitake to Portobello fans: those who eat them for pure joy. And then there are those who eat more, shall we say, intriguing mushrooms for personal or even sinister reasons. Nonetheless, this is a huge constituency that Edwards has offended.

Barack Obama said: “I hate beets. I always avoid eating them.”
Analysis: Probably the safest remark of the three major candidates but still problematic with voters who are inclined to more esoteric foods and anyone who has dined at the Russian Tea Room in New York. Worst of all, Borscht a classic Russian soup, is made from beets. This could also be seen as a back-handed slap at Vladimir Putin. And you don’t want to go around disparaging Time Magazine’s Person of the Year.

The republican candidates didn’t fare much better in their responses.

Rudy Giuliani said: “I hate liver.”
Analysis: This remark could endear him to the PITA activists, but probably not as much as if he had said “foie gras”. On the other hand he will most certainly upset most card-carrying members of the NRA. They like liver and onions and like shooting animals that have livers. Nor will the comment endear him to the food processing industry. This could doom Giuliani’s campaign before it even reaches Florida.

Mike Huckabee had this to say: “I don’t like carrots. I banned them from the Governor’s Mansion because I could.”
Analysis: This is really, really bad. A politician who bans a vegetable? The VEGAN constituency will boil him in oil over this. And cartoon lovers around the nation will shudder at the idea of Bugs Bunny trying too much on his favorite food while Mike Huckabee sprays it with DDT. This also goes to the potential for irresponsible use of executive authority. If he banned carrots as Governor, what might he do as President: ban carrot cake? Horrible gaffe for Huckabee.

Mitt Romney was very definitive: “Eggplant in any shape or form. And I’ve always been able to avoid it.”
Analysis: This may be the worst of all comments. There are over 30 million Italian Americans in the US and they all love eggplant. Eggplant is also huge with vegetarians and is used in Greek, Korean, and Chinese cooking. Eggplant has been cultivated for thousands of years by many cultures including the Egyptians. Mitt, what were you thinking? I can see Tim Russert leading with this on Meet the Press next week.

OK, tongue in cheek of course, but you get the idea. Politicians really can’t say much without offending someone, even when commenting on something as innocuous as food.