Read an interesting New York Times article yesterday about what the presidential candidates are eating on the campaign trail. Every candidate and I mean EVERY is on some kind of diet, some self-imposed; others spouse-imposed (Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani). But of course, all bets (or diets) are off when it comes to several important states...like say Iowa or South Carolina. A few weeks ago Fred Thompson spoke/ate at one of Mt. Pleasant's local favorites, Alex's. And Senator Obama apparently hunkered down on a corn dog and some caramel corn at the Iowa State Fair. And, while visiting Tama, Iowa Hillary Clinton even had a loose meat sandwich. What does it all mean?In the Times article, Walter Scheib, former White House chef to the Clintons and the Bushes, says "There are few things more personal than eating...and if you reject someone’s food, you kind of reject them.” Are we really saying that if you eat the elephant ear you'll win the vote?
A few words of advice:
- If you really want the vote, forget the local dives and find the local farmer.
- Visit the local farmer's market, and buy what's in season.
- Make it your business to know what's grown locally, who's growing it and who's serving it. That's how you get to know a community and what makes it tick.
- Understand that what you put in your body matters. Can I trust the judgment of a President who's only nourishing herself or himself with diet drinks? Or say jelly beans?
- Understand that when you know where your food comes from, you are more likely to care about the environment in which it grows. You're more likely to preserve and protect it.
- Understand that eating is, itself, a political act.
Don't believe me on that last one? Earlier in November, flood waters ravaged the Tabasco region of Mexico affecting nearly a million people. The Tabasco region, as it happens, produces nearly 80 % of the world's cocoa crops, which will need to be revived. Mills will need to be rebuilt, etc. What do you think this might do to the cost of cocoa-based products? See where I'm going? It all matters. Maybe someone could bring this up during the next round of YouTube debates. In the meantime, I'll leave you with one more piece of advice: eat local.
1 comment:
Your expose on the feeding habits of presidential hopefuls illustrates the depths that candidates are willing to descend to in order to please local voters. Instead of taking a stand on healthy eating and promoting local food, they fill up on junk. If they won't take a stand on what goes in their own mouths, how can voters believe what comes out of their mouths?
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