It’s here! The 2012 presidential campaign has begun. The big battle is shaping up (developing) – Democrats versus (against) Republicans, liberals* versus conservatives*, President Obama versus … who knows?
For the next 14 months – from now until November 2012 – we’re going to be flooded with (receive a lot) more political advertisements, political speeches, political debates, and political news stories than you can imagine! And dinner or coffee with friends will usually be served with (include) talk about politics.
To be honest (tell the truth), I get tired of all the political noise – the advertisements, the speeches, the debates, the news stories, and endless conversations. But what can I do about it?
I found an answer to my question at hunch.com. According to Hunch, liberals and conservatives eat differently. Or, as they put (wrote; said) it: “You vote what you eat.” If that’s true, we don’t need to discuss politics. We can find out what we want to know about someone’s political beliefs by checking out (looking at) what they eat!
The people at Hunch asked about 2,000 readers how they described themselves politically – whether they were liberal or conservative or somewhere in the middle. And then they asked them about their food preferences (what kind of food they would choose) and attitudes toward different foods.
Here are a few things you’ll learn about liberal and conservative eating habits (something you do regularly) and attitudes if you look at the Hunch study:
- Liberals are more likely to (will probably) order a meal of curry chicken from India with vegetable biryani (a rice dish), orange wedge (slice), and glass of Pinot Noir wine; conservatives will order meatloaf with green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy (thick brown sauce), and a can of soda.
- Liberals are more likely to prefer (choose) fresh vegetables; conservatives like their vegetables cooked.
- Liberals are more likely to eat seafood than conservatives.
- Liberals are more likely to prefer crunchy (hard and make a noise when you bite it) tacos (a Mexican food); conservatives like soft tacos.
- Liberals prefer thin-crust (the baked outer part of a pie or pizza) pizza; conservatives prefer deep dish or thicker crust pizza.
- Liberals prefer strawberry jam on their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches; conservatives prefer grape jelly.
- Liberals are more likely to drink wine with dinner at home; conservatives are more likely to drink milk, soda, or fruit juice.
- Liberals are more likely to never or rarely eat fast food (like McDonalds); conservatives are likely to eat fast food a few times per week.
There you have it (there it is): if you know someone’s food preferences and attitudes, you can tell a lot about their political beliefs. You don’t even have to ask, if you don’t want to. Just watch them eat. That has to (must) be better than all that political noise!
I hope you realize that much of this has been tongue-in-cheek (meant to be humorous; not serious). Responsible citizens – including me – will listen and think about and discuss politics, even if it seems noisy at times (occasionally).
_____
*Note: it’s difficult to explain the differences between liberals and conservatives in a few words. Here are two very simple descriptions from what Wikipedia says about them:
- Liberals, mostly Democrats, like the federal (U.S.) government to be larger and more involved (active) in American life, even if it means paying higher taxes. Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy were liberal presidents.
- Conservatives, mostly Republicans, want less government involvement and lower taxes. They emphasize personal and local responsibility. Ronald Reagan was a conservative president.
A study done last month reveals (shows) that 41% of Americans call themselves conservative, 36% moderate (in the middle), and 21% liberal. For more on political parties in the U.S., listen to English Cafe 26.
_____
~ Warren Ediger, creator of Successful English, where you’ll find clear explanations and practical suggestions for better English.
Photo of lamb biryani used under Creative Commons license.
Such a coincidence !
I m undergoing a bariatric surgery next week and today’s post is about food 🙂
Perfect timing Warren:)
Hi Dr. Jeff & ESL team;
Again a new subject and a new discussion; You know I am a new one in your site. But I love your way to teach English. It is very good and you made it up very regularly.
This topic about politic is that one I hate form. I think politician never say true things. They deceive people with brilliant future and when voting is over, they forgot what were say.
Hamid R (Iran)
If I lived in the US, I would likely be … liberal! But I live in Italy and that word hasn’t a good sound.
So, I’m for progress, definitely, not for conservative – here it sounds like “preservative”…
The second thermodynamics law against the first! That is… I prefer strawberry jam on my peanut butter.
We have over here another difference: if you like the “left” (sinistra, communist), you love cats;
vice versa, if you like the “right” (destra, fascist), then you love dogs! Some stupid!
A really great Italian bishop – and Emiliano knows how much I’m not religious – said:
“The only difference I know is between clever people and not…” I think so.
Hi, Warren. Thank you and please, don’t get tired of all the political noise: “resist resist resist”!
I consider myself as moderately conservative guy. But according to Hunch.com, it seems like I am more of liberal. Yeah.. Obviously no correlation between food preference and political belief. Yet the article sounds very interesting. Thank you for the post Warren!
Man,
You got me first.
For a second or two,I really thought you believed all the humour.
But ,the statement at the end cleared up my confusion and misperception ,another words,set me straight 🙂
There Is no logic behind it.
Food preferences have nothing to do with people’s political stance.
Dear Warren,
It is par for the course. In every country ,the pre-election and post-election perid is all hectic and all you hear is heated conversation about political leaders and the party they represent. From where I stand, all the debate,argument ,and in some cases altercations about political parties and politician figures is absurd.
Just tell me why I have to waste my time and energy talking about sb I don’t even know. Political leaders to me are a bunch of mug shots and a paid commercials and advertisements.
I never met them in person ,never hung out with them,another words,I never met them in person. So, tell why I should kill over for them.
I m not familiar with any of them. I just heard about them,some negative talk ,some positive talk.
I know just their name and a bunch of good and bad bed time stories about them.need less to say that there is always a lot of propeganda around them,and their agenda.
Basically,They alll talk about paradise and somehow we all end up in hell. It never fails!:)
We see the world through rose-colored glasses with them at the time of election ,but post-election world always come as scary.
All the political noise is about nothing . Just tune it out Warren.
In nutshell,It is all abut talking the talk and no walking the walk.
Never live up the hype.
At the end, always there are some who get to live up.
But, Warren ,my man
They are not definitely us.
I have never casted vote for anybody and I never will.
I vote for sb that I am intimately familiar with.
Peace out
Dear Warren,
I like your posts. They are always studed with new expressions. Very educational ,brainy posts like Jeff’s and Lucy’s.
I admit it
You guys have a higher class of brain than me:)))
But,
Please note that I never set the bar so high:))))
Got you Warren!
Tit for tat
Some fun about political affairs it could be healthy in this so complicate future.
We are going through hard years and every one of the politicians could promise
the moon and the sun.
The real matter is that none of them have the solution at hand so it could
be funny to the press to make a fuss about nearly everything, food
preferences, sex affairs, family sins, and so forth just because a real solution
to the big problems is far away, just out of the hands of this selfish society.
It doen´t matter the results, the poor will remain poor and the rich get richer, that
is how it goes once and again.
——–
Next November 20 Th., here in Spain there will be General Elections but we
are through the mean time of that from long, too long time.
Our president and government are the invisible one for more than a year
and we are through the electoral campaign from moths.
….
Everything is going so bad and all what we are listening is so silly
that people are fed up about the campaign before it started.
Too much lies, incredible promises, insults, and so much rubbish.
All of this is like an affront to our patience and intelligence either.
We use to be silly but even for this there is a measure.
So just a little of fun is welcome, thank you very much Warren
for me it is always nice and instructive to read your posts.
This week I liked to have in mind your post about Yosemite National
Park while my daughter Fátima was visiting the Yosemite Park
and I could have previous references of it thanks to your post in the
Blog that I liked so much.
May be she also read your post Warren and she have an idea of
visiting the Yosemite National Park once she projected to go to
California by her holidays.
Thank you indeed dear teacher, all my best.
emiliano
Warren in all honesty ,
I have to say I really enjoyed your piece
You know what ,
Sometimes I think that is it . I have done everything in my life. Nothing left to do.
But ,this blog ,and Eslpod at large gives me this new lease on life.
You see what I m saying Warren
You see what I m getting at
Nice having a heart to heart with you
Well, Warren,
First of all, I do want to say this is the first time I have come to realize that we can assess one’s politics according to one’s eating habits! 🙂
(Maybe I,too, have to be more careful with my eating style!:)
Our bloggers here are always bringing the subjects on from other aspects that no one can think of.
” will usually be served with (include) talk about politics.” — is the sentence form, I think, I need to pay more attention to due to its weird grammar structure!
Hi my fellow classmates,
The 10th anniversary of September 11 is approaching.
Let’s share our thoughts ,and pay tribute to inocent people who lost their lives 10 years ago tomorrow.
May God bless their souls
Even adulation fall short in praising Eslpod.
I was reviewing the blog for two hours .indeed,the blog is a useful guid for adopting a proper writing style!!
Thank you so much, Warren, for this tasty political article. Yummy!
I have a look at the food vs political preferences, but I cannot decide whether I am liberal or conservative because I eat and drink anything.
It is good that you have told us that:
“much of this has been tongue-in-cheek (meant to be humorous; not serious). Responsible citizens – including me – will listen and think about and discuss politics, even if it seems noisy at times (occasionally)”.
The worst is, I probably am not a responsible citizen because I will not listen and think about and discuss politics.
When those politician or their representatives come and knock at my door, I never open my door for them. I just pretend I am not at home. They never want to know you during other time, but they will come to ask you to vote for them, why??
I will go to the voting station when I want to vote, but not to be canvassed.
Politics is something I would avoid talking, because every time people will challenge my view and I cannot stand those aggressive talks. So my best strategy is to keep quiet.
Thanks again, Warren, I am grateful for your effort to teach us something serious everyday. I have looked at hunch.com and the hunch study, plus listened to Jeff’s English Cafe 26 and English Café 118.
I have enjoyed them all. It is much nicer to listen to Jeff talking about politics than those politicians talking about politics. I have learned a lot by listening to the two English Cafes, “tailgating party” is something new that I have learned this time.
**************************
Peter, I hope your bariatric surgery next week goes well.
I would like to thank you for your kind words. I will try to work harder on improving my written English. I have registered to take my English exam next February.
I have given up hope of achieving good marks, just a pass is all I aim at.
Best Regards
Betty
Hi!
Thank you Warren, it’s an interesting topic I’m surprised that the presidential campaign has begun too soon. So it’s possible you get tired of it till it finishes.
To tell the truth, I don’t like to talk about politics but I enjoy knowing the characteristic of people. Here politicians don’t usually show themselves in public places so you can’t see what they like to eat or play.
I have a look at my food I usually eat and I know that I’m neither a liberal nor conservative.
What do you think if a president is half liberal and half congestive OR if a president is neither liberal nor conservative? (tongue-in-cheek)
Ziba
Iran
Hi! Dear Emiliano, I am sure that Fatima will take a lot of photos in Yosemite National Park.
Please, send them to me to admire the park again.
I understand you why you are so happy for your daughter. Congratulations!
Tania
Hi Warren,
We really don’t have such campaigns here, in Iran. Maybe because a president is selected in advance of election and so there is no need for such things!!!!!!!
As a matter of fact, I’m not political and I don’t like it either. But it seems that liberal’s eating habits are healthier than conservative’s. And I more likely to like liberal’s.
Interesting topic,
Thanks!
Dear Tania, as always you are really nice and you give me lot of good vibrations.
Fátima is in Madrid already working, but happy.
We have not seen her already but it is sure she is coming home next sunday.
It is a pity but Fátima do not use to take so many photos, now I have not any
idea of what she has could done.
Laura, my other daughter who is now working in Copenhagen take a lot of photos instead
and they are really very good.
All of Laura´s photos are in Flick with the name of “laurha”
she is one of “el gatufo” friends…..(I am el gatufo of course) and laurha is my daughter.
Tania, If there are photos from Yosemite be sure you´ll have them some how.
—–
By the way,
Cuca is little more ill by these days, so now for me it is a little more difficult
to be in the blog as usual while she needs me even more as usual.
I am really sorry but such is life, we need to live our days one by one
knowing what is our site and responsibilities.
My best Tania and again I´ll see the form of sending you
the photos if there is some, I hope so too.
If you could, see laurha photos or mines ….remember: el gatufo
emiliano