Barack Obama Taste Test
My 4-year-old son, Devon, loves Presidential candidate Barack Obama. He displays the type of admiration for the Democratic Senator that his pre-kindergarten peers reserve for more age appropriate heroes (such as Dan Zanes, the Jonas Brothers or Hannah Montana). Devon likes the way Senator Obama looks, he likes the way Senator Obama talks, but he especially likes the way Senator Obama tastes… Yes, "tastes."
You see recently, while engaging in a bit of wanderlust on Manhattan’s Lower West Side, we visited a small bakery inside Chelsea Market called Eleni’s. Known for its delectable confections, such as Red Velvet nonpareils and Chocolate Chunk Walnut brownies, my wife, Liza, was surprised to discover candidate cookies and cupcakes for sale behind the invisible glass of the display case.
Drawn in by the whizbang of decorative toppings, most patrons were blind to the subtle nuances of Eleni’s candidate offerings. Reflecting the general sentiment the rival nominees hold for each other, Eleni’s only offered Obama cupcakes (light, sugary, and full of fluff) and McCain cookies (flat, rough around the edges and a little hard to swallow) on the day we visited.
With Devon in mind, Liza bought a cupcake. And on inspecting the treat, Devon let out a laugh and declared, "Obama!"
Outside the shop the novelty of the cupcake quickly wore off and Devon got down to the business of figuring out whether or not Eleni’s version of Obama was a substantial choice for him. Disregarding Obama’s visage, Devon munched away wholeheartedly.
Nearing the end of his treat, with a schmear of Democratic blue frosting on his nose, Devon found himself wanting more.
"Please may I have another Obama cupcake?" he asked.
“There aren’t any more cupcakes," Liza responded.
"What about cookies?" Devon asked with a hint of desperation in his voice.
"The McCain cookies?" questioned Liza.
"Yeah, McCain cookies," Devon reasoned. "I’ll bet they taste good too."
We returned to Eleni’s to satisfy Devon’s hunger and curiosity. He took a few labored bites out of a smiling McCain and decided that he could only tolerate so much of the candied outer coating. Handing back the mostly uneaten cookie, Devon again inquired about the Obama cupcakes. But none were available.
"What? They’re all sold out?" questioned a disappointed Devon.
Like the steadily growing majority of Americans supporting Barack Obama, there is one four-year-old who, after getting a personal taste of both nominees, is now resolute in his political choice. "I'm cheering for Obama," Devon likes to say, "because he's gonna be the winner."
- FILED UNDER: Guest Blogger, Barack Obama
- October 15, 2008
Get ready to bend over.
Wurzelbacher said he planned to become the owner of a small plumbing business that will take in more than the $250,000 amount at which Obama plans to begin raising tax rates.
"Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn't it?" the blue-collar worker asked.
After Obama responded that it would, Wurzelbacher continued: "I've worked hard . . . I work 10 to 12 hours a day and I'm buying this company and I'm going to continue working that way. I'm getting taxed more and more while fulfilling the American Dream."
It's not that I want to punish your success," Obama told him. "I want to make sure that everybody who is behind you, that they've got a chance for success, too.
Then, Obama explained his trickle-up theory of economics.
"My attitude is that if the economy's good for folks from the bottom up, it's gonna be good for everybody. I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody."
Critics said Obama let the cat out of the bag.
"It's clear that his main goal is redistribution of wealth, not growth," said Andy Roth with the anti-tax group Club for Growth. "He's perfectly happy to destroy wealth as long as he can redistribute it."
Obama has been meticulous, Roth said, to conceal the "socialistic" nature of his tax plans. "But every once in a while, he lets it slip," he said.
Republican candidate John McCain yesterday charged that Obama's comment was telling.
"This explains how Senator Obama can promise an income-tax cut for millions who aren't even paying income taxes right now," he said in Pennsylvania.
"My plan isn't intended to force small businesses to cut jobs to pay higher taxes so we can 'spread the wealth around.' My plan is intended to create jobs and increase the wealth of all Americans."
- parent
By Jim2244October 15, 2008 - 11:22am