“Political food fights”

By

Gerry Niskern

Have you heard the old saying, you are what you eat? Well, there’s a new slogan in today’s political climate which is, “What you eat is how you vote.” By tracking the foods you prefer the political campaign strategists are able to pursue your vote.

As crazy as it seems, all the candidates pay consulting firms big money to track your purchases and try to put you into a targeted group to ask for your vote.

According to a recent article in the New York Times by Kim Severson, ‘the political advisors to the presidential candidates are looking closely at how people eat as a way to scavenge more votes.’

By practicing microtargeting political strategists can study our food preferences and predict our politics. They can avoid “one size fits all” mailings, e-mails or phone calls if they can target small groups gleaned from their research.

For example, Dr. Pepper is largely a Republic drink. Pepsi and Sprite are Democratic. So are most clear Liquors, like white wine and Evian water. Republicans lean towards brown liquors like bourbon, red wine or Fiji water. Democrats tend to order earthier, down-home foods. However, here’s where the strategists get into trouble.

Many Democratic voters are trying to make ends meet. They are doing more cooking at home. They don’t eat out at expensive restaurants. However, the Republican affluent “stay-at-home” moms are now back into cooking comfort foods on stoves the size of Volkswagons. Confusing, isn’t it?

There is the one crowd of voters who still believe in old fashioned birthday parties with pizza, ice cream and cake. And then there’s the crowd who serve veggie burgers, papaya gelato and flourless cake. Guess which is which?

How about the voters who enjoy their iced tea year round? It’s syrupy sweet for the Southern Republicans. But wait a minute; the Western Democrats love their plain China Mist. How do the strategists sort them out?

My husband had a good friend who like himself was from West Texas. They grew up on pinto beans and cornbread. They met as adults, but agreed on the fact that the only way to eat cornbread was crumbled up into a glass of milk. And guess what, one was a “dyed in the wool” Republican and the other was a staunch Democrat!