April 19, 2004
Bully for Beef
This weekend, I participated in perhaps the largest bakesale in the history of the world. MoveOn, a grassroots political organization, has been successfully orchestrating a great number of fundraising drives to help unseat the current Fuhrer of Pennsylvania Avenue and his cadre of puppeteering, freedom-sucking corporate-interest vampires. The “Carbs for Kerry” bakesale was by far, in my opinion, the most entertaining and energizing of all these efforts. With over 1000 sales throughout the US, two in Evanston, dessert enthusiasts across the nation netted over 750,000 dollars in a single weekend. There will surely be other similar fundraisers before November.
While paling in comparison to Bush’s 150-plus million dollar war chest, MoveOn’s effort has the effect of energizing Kerry’s base and bringing in new sugar-craving independents. I alone contributed over 2 dozen colossal cocoa crinkles, 3 dozen chocolate chip cookies and 40 dollars to the campaign. That’s a lot of dough.
My opponent has, on numerous occasions, ridiculed my spend-thrifty appreciation for cost-cutting meat purchasing schemes. This political fundraiser, and my financial contributions thereto, are likewise generating a self-satisfied smirk form my opponent as he reads this blog entry. After all, 40-plus dollars spent on Kerry’s campaign means 40-plus dollars not spent on beef which, in Guy’s mind, represents at least a 5 lb advantage, depending on current meat prices.
But I look at political contributions with a long view. What’s at stake in this election is no less than the guaranteed safety of the US food supply, the opportunity to implement tougher inspection standards, and higher quality control in beef production.
On the whole, while my donation represents a short-term setback in my quest for the crown, "Carbs for Kerry" is really, in the long run, "Bully for Beef." As the late great Theodore Roosevelt might say, if he were alive today: “Seek soft money and Kerry a big steak.” Or something like that.
Posted by eric at April 19, 2004 12:55 AM