The saying, “you are what you eat” takes a new form during America’s search for its
next leader. It seems voters judge a candidate by what they stuff their faces with. The cliché shot of kissing babies implies to voters that a candidate is kind-hearted. But what do their food choices signify?
Eating is a personal moment, and watching someone eat gives a sense of vulnerability. It also goes back to the old act of breaking bread with someone: when a candidate eats a regional food publicly, in a way, they’re breaking bread with the locals. Candidates on the trail steer away from being photographed at gourmet restaurants, choosing simple food, that gives them an allure of being “one of the people.” It does make you wonder, however, if America will ever be ready for a (gasp!) vegetarian president.
Madina Papadopoulos is a New York-based freelance writer,
author, and regular contributor to Paste. You can follow her food adventures on
Instagram and Twitter.
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Donald Trump and a pork chop share an intimate moment at the Iowa State Fair.
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HRC orders at Dunkin Donuts in New Hampshire,
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Ted Cruz, also enjoying a pork chop.
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Something every candidate can agree on: The pork chop on a stick at the Iowa State Fair.
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Bernie Sanders cools "the bern" with a soda.
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John Kasich at Portillo's Restaurant in Chicago