The Hill News

From State Dinners to State Fairs, food is a critical aspect of American politics.  We are what we eat and what we eat reflects who we are. On the campaign trail, candidates triumphantly embrace local favorites to connect with voters - - or not - - as when John Kerry ordered Swiss cheese on a Philly cheese steak (instead of the traditional Cheez Whiz), leading a local food critic to describe the choice as, “an alternative lifestyle,” that would “doom” Kerry’s candidacy in Philadelphia. Like most things we hold important to us, food is personal.  That is one reason that the public discussion about food policy is carries political risks, real or perceived.

The 2012 election cycle kicked into high-gear last week in Iowa, and food was appropriately the star of the show. True to Iowa’s proud agrarian traditions, the Iowa State Fair is essentially a trade show about food.  The famous butter statues and giant vegetables present a lighter side of the ha! rd and often lonely work of farming.  And certainly  the annual parade of ever more delicious, and sometimes even outrageous sweet fried treats on sticks provide a welcome communal break for the people who grow food for the rest of us.

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