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Obesity vs. Political Apathy: Obesity Wins!
Americans may be too lazy (or too rational) to vote. But as a great man once said, "You gotta eat!" So, while half of America may not be voting in the booth, they're happy to vote with their stomachs.
At Baskin Robbins, the results are in, and Whirl of Change ("Peanut-nougat ice cream whirled with chunks of chocolate-covered peanut brittle and a caramel ribbon") beat Straight Talk Crunch ("Caramel ribbon, chocolate pieces, candy red states and crunchy mixed nuts swirled into White Chocolate ice cream") with 51 percent of the vote. Half a million votes were cast.
At
7-11, coffee drinkers can choose between an Obama cup and a McCain
cup. Obama is crushing
McCain with 60 percent of the popular vote in the great cup
buy-up. He is also winning in every state where 7-11 exists, except
New Hampshire.
This measure actually has a pretty decent record. The Gore cup lost to the Bush cup by a single percentage point, and the 2004 results were identical to national polls: 51 percent Bush, 49 percent Kerry. I guess the sample size is pretty decent at 1 million cups of coffee sold each day at 7-11 stores.
Looks like indicators from the gluttonous public predict a win for Obama. Ah, America. How I love you.
See the 7-11 cups in action at the reason offices earlier this month.
|10.23.08 @ 12:51PM|#
Yeah, but you just know those Acorn folks are bringin' in unregistered homeless coffee drinkers...
EJM|10.23.08 @ 12:52PM|#
Right now, at
California Tortilla, it's Obama with 1,904 (48%), to McCain's
2,063 (52%).
The McCain-Chilada: Mexican rice, mesquite chicken, tortilla
strips, velvety queso, fresh salsa, and shredded lettuce, rolled in
a warm flour tortilla, smothered with green enchilada sauce and
garnished with sour cream and cilantro.
The O-Chili-bama Burrito: Mexican rice, turkey chili, tortilla
strips, jalapeño peppers, sour cream, and shredded lettuce, rolled
in a warm flour tortilla, smothered with velvety queso and
garnished with fresh salsa and green onions.
|10.23.08 @ 12:55PM|#
The problem (or should I say one of the many problems) with his kind of measure is the intensity bias. It probably wasn't a factor in Bush vs Gore because it seemed like the amount of wildly pro-Bush people equaled that of the rabidly pro-Gore people. But this election, I sense a very different dynamic. McCain doesn't have any intense supporters. The intensity is all either pro-Obama or anti-Obama. McCain is at best a proxy, I'm not sure a proxy is going to have the same kind of purchasing power as an actual symbol. A better test might have been Obama cups, and cups that clearly mocked Obama or portrayed him in a negative light ( "Change We Can Believe In" vs "Curious George Obama" would probably make for a better measure). The intensity bias is probably going to impact the exit polls in a major way too. As a Charles Jay voter, I just blew by the exit pollster that tried to talk to me when I walked by early voting. But the Obama folks wanted the entire world to know who they voted for and were practically drooling to talk to the exit pollsters.
|10.23.08 @ 12:59PM|#
C'mon - the nougat is gonna cream "candy" red states. A fair test would be chocolate (McCain) versus vanilla (O'bama - he's Irish - right???)
BDB|10.23.08 @ 12:59PM|#
Exit polls are the shit of shit. Anyone who puts any stock in them on election day in terms of predicting the results is an idiot.
dhex|10.23.08 @ 1:03PM|#
whoaaaaaaa that 7-11 cup thing was real?
i thought that was an onion thing my friends were riffing on.
damn you, hyperreality!
|10.23.08 @ 1:03PM|#
I get my morning coffee at 7-11 (except on Fridays when I go upscale at Starbucks - just to see how the fancy people buy coffee) and you can't get a blue (O'bama) cup to save your life - just red cups.
projecthappy|10.23.08 @ 1:04PM|#
Looks like you could make a good case for the Bradley Effect
here - the 7-11 cups are carried around and visible in public.
However the ice cream choice is an online poll in private...a good
case of public support versus real intentions?
Or maybe people just like the color blue better...
Oh and there was a recent Nickelodeon kids poll, Obama was ahead by
a mere percentage point (Kerry had a 7 point lead). Possible that
kids are reflecting their parents, but unaffected by social stigma
and giving a more honest answer?
Lefiti|10.23.08 @ 1:07PM|#
I'd love to see how Libertarian cotton candy would do against Welfare State brownies.
|10.23.08 @ 1:07PM|#
BDB - Exit polls are the shit of shit. Anyone who puts any
stock in them on election day in terms of predicting the results is
an idiot.
If McCain wins despite what the exit polls seem to indicate, will
you remember that you wrote that?
I have to agree with FDS: The problem (or should I say one of
the many problems) with his kind of measure is the intensity
bias.
I knew that I would vote Republican before I knew who the canidates
were (assuming Hucklbee was choosen). I also do not answer
telephone polls and doubt that I would respond to an exit pollster.
Despite what I just wrote, who I vote for is my business and not
some pollsters.
|10.23.08 @ 1:08PM|#
Shouldn't it be more like Chai Tea Latte (left/Obama) vs straight black coffee (right/McCain)? or maybe Fair Trade Organic vs Maxwell House?
Elemenope|10.23.08 @ 1:10PM|#
damn you, hyperreality!
You will know Baudrillard was right when you reload a page like
this and see a Google Ad which says...
From Amazon.com: You too may own a "damn you, hyperreality!"
for the low price of $9.99 + s/h
Looking for a "damn you, hyperreality!"? We have the best.
www.damnyou.com/hyperreality
Hyperreality getting you down? Join thousands of others who
damn hyperreality right from the comfort of their own living rooms!
Guaranteed $300/month income.
BDB|10.23.08 @ 1:10PM|#
"If McCain wins despite what the exit polls seem to indicate,
will you remember that you wrote that?"
Yes. I don't trust exit polls. I predict, right now, that the exit
polls will show silly stuff like Obama winning Virginia by +20
where in real life he will eek out a four point victory.
I do trust real, actual polls though. But exit polls are bull
shit.
Elemenope|10.23.08 @ 1:11PM|#
I knew that I would vote Republican before I knew who the
candidates were...
You, sir, are a cancer on the body politic.
Not that that in any way makes you not a nice guy!
Elemenope|10.23.08 @ 1:13PM|#
Maybe the socialist ice cream flavor just
tastes better.
Yep. That makes sense.
Also, for those who use "socialist" as a word of constant abuse,
you do realize that the number of people who were actually alive
when socialism was actually scary and/or a real possibility in
America are nearly all dead, right?
Just checking.
|10.23.08 @ 1:14PM|#
Politics be damned. I will never vote for turkey chili over
mesquite chicken. On this I am absolutely partisan (unless it turns
out that the turkey chili is especially good).
I would have ordered the whirl of change, but only because it
sounds like it has less chocolate in it. I don't like
chocolate.
|10.23.08 @ 1:15PM|#
Amen SIV, who would buy a flavor they don't like just because of the impression holding the cup gives?... A bit like pining for a Gov full of social programs and then grousing about your taxes.. Hey, wait a minute...
Guy Montag|10.23.08 @ 1:23PM|#
Made mention of the 7-11 thing about a week or 2 ago on a
different thread, as an off-topic comment:
At 7-11, coffee drinkers can choose between an Obama cup and a
McCain cup. Obama is crushing McCain with 60 percent of the popular
vote in the great cup buy-up. He is also winning in every state
where 7-11 exists, except New Hampshire.
Odd thing was, that in the 7-11 I was going to, on Boggy Creek road
in Orlando, FL, the McCain cups were not being stocked equally with
the Obama cups. I attributed it to sloppy stock ordering
habits.
Granted, that is just one store of many (7-11 around Orlando is
like Starbucks in DC or NYC it seems), but if it is hard to find a
McCain cup and the Obama cups are blue, like some of the other cups
in the store, perhaps this method should be taken with a grain of
salt.
Lefiti,
I'd love to see how Libertarian cotton candy would do against
Welfare State brownies.
How about Welfare State Liberty Lemons vs. Libertarian Hash
Brownies? ;)
Abdul|10.23.08 @ 1:24PM|#
Reason should start selling Bob Barr, McCain and Obama covers for the same issue.
|10.23.08 @ 1:26PM|#
I also get my morning coffee from 7-11. One day I was filling up
my cup when I noticed the words "John McCain" on the side. This
struck me as outrageously weird - 7 freaking 11 is campaigning for
the GOP? In *2008*? Are they out of their minds? They'll never sell
another Slurpee again!
I must've had a really confused look on my face, because the stooge
behind the counter suddenly piped up: "We've got an Obama cup, too,
if you'd prefer!" I didn't have a preference, and strolled out of
there with my solid red Republican cup of coffee.
Handsome Dan|10.23.08 @ 1:28PM|#
Point is, I doubt most 7-11 coffee drinkers give a toss one way or another.
The Wine Commonsewer|10.23.08 @ 1:28PM|#
The O-Chili-bama Burrito: Mexican rice, turkey chili,
tortilla strips, jalapeño peppers, sour cream, and shredded
lettuce, rolled in a warm flour tortilla, smothered with velvety
queso and garnished with fresh salsa and green onions.
This is exactly what is wrong with America!
Turkey fargin' chili? And it's winning?
No Mexican or Texan worth his frijoles would touch turkey
chili.
Guy Montag|10.23.08 @ 1:28PM|#
In related news: Raw Acorns are consumed more than 5,000x as
much, by unit, by Americans than all of the Republican and
Libertarian foodstuffs mentioned above.
ACORN certifies that no trickery was involved in this metric and,
if there was, they are sorry and will be giving the tricksters a
good talking to before the next election. Unless the trixters miss
their quotas and get fired.
|10.23.08 @ 1:29PM|#
You, sir, are a cancer on the body politic.
Why? I can pretty much guarantee I'll never vote for a Democrat in
a national election (let's pull a number out of nether regions and
say 99.9%). Some one who has risen to national stature in the
Democratic party is in all likely hood not somebody who holds any
views I could stomach. So does stating that make me a "cancer" on
the body politic? Of course one has to factor in the fact that one
could replace Democrat with Republican and get almost the same
answer if you modify the percentage down to say 92% - I'd vote for
Ron Paul, Jeff Flake, and that guy Radley was talking about the
other day (Georgia?). And you have to factor in the fact that I
normally don't vote for anybody (or default to the libertarian if
I'd rather go to the voting booth than go home and take the dogs
for a walk and have a beer).
Point being, I can state with near certainty that I won't/will vote
for somebody based on their party affiliation. Does that really
make me a cancer? A 'fat little lump' perhaps?
-K
|10.23.08 @ 1:29PM|#
Politics be damned. I will never vote for turkey chili over
mesquite chicken.
QFMFT.
For similar reasons, I'm inclined to believe that the ice cream
poll was pure politics. There's no way in hell peanut ice cream
could win over chocolate ice cream, even if white chocolate isn't
really chocolate (it's not). Not only are these obese people fat,
they're also underhanded and dishonest.
EJM|10.23.08 @ 1:30PM|#
Obama has just taken over the lead at CalTort...
Obama - 2,347 (51%) * McCain - 2,280 (49%)
Guy Montag|10.23.08 @ 1:31PM|#
TWC,
Turkey fargin' chili? And it's winning?
I sometimes like chicken chilli, but I am with you on turkey
chilli. NFW!
The Wine Commonsewer|10.23.08 @ 1:32PM|#
Reason should start selling Bob Barr, McCain and Obama
covers for the same issue.
Obama covers at 78%
Elemenope|10.23.08 @ 1:34PM|#
Karl --
I scorn people who make up their minds before even cursory
observation.
I am an empirical shill, if it makes you feel any better. My
reaction would have been the same if your sentence had read:
I knew that I would vote Democrat before I knew who the
candidates were...
Guy Montag|10.23.08 @ 1:34PM|#
It cost me $3.12 to vote for Mr. Barr the other day. Letter was
delivered to the Knox County election authorities yesterday, mailed
Monday.
And I didn't even get a pepperoni slice!
Franklin Harris|10.23.08 @ 1:36PM|#
Obama is also beating McCain in the traditional Halloween mask
sales race.
Of course, that may just mean more people prefer Obama's
Frankenstein looks to McCain's Igor.
Elemenope|10.23.08 @ 1:37PM|#
methinks you have confused socialism with
communism.
That would be a type-token confusion, since communism is a sort of
socialism.
But, no, I meant socialism. Regulation of different contractual or
social relations is not socialism, whatever else it may be, unless
that regulation boils down to actual public ownership of most/all
assets and property.
The Wine Commonsewer|10.23.08 @ 1:37PM|#
Point being, I can state with near certainty that I
won't/will vote for somebody based on their party affiliation. Does
that really make me a cancer? A 'fat little lump'
perhaps?
As another lump of cancer, I can assure you that I knew four years
ago I was voting for Bob Barr and he was still a got dam has been
Republican.
As for voting Dem? Once somebody produces an actual specimen of a
libertarian Democrat, I'll consider it. Then again, I'm still
waiting to see a living Jackalope.
robc|10.23.08 @ 1:40PM|#
lmnop,
Socialism is state control of means of production, whether an
extreme level by state ownership (like, say, with, oh, BANKS) or to
a lesser level via extensive regulation (I will let minor
regulation pass).
Universal health care would fall into one of the other, depending
on how it is done. Either way, it is still socialism.
As is Amtrak.
The Wine Commonsewer|10.23.08 @ 1:47PM|#
I scorn people who make up their minds before even cursory
observation.
Please don't hate me. ;-)
It isn't a case of cursory observation. It is a case of behavioral
observation. Any way you slice it (politically) things will be
worse in 15 years regardless of who is elected. That doesn't mean
our lives will be worse because we Americans are capable of great
things when it comes to avoiding The Man. Except the Catchies among
us.
Second, and more important, I will always vote for the person whose
philosophies of governance most closely match my own. That isn't
going to be John McCain or Barry Obama.
Third, a cursory examination of the GOP and DEM party platform at
any given time will reveal they are a bunch of schmucks whose
intent is to do things to you that you won't like.
Guy Montag|10.23.08 @ 1:48PM|#
robc,
As is Amtrak.
[Socialist voice]
But Amtrak is for the good of all of the people! The only reason it
does not stop in little towns is because of the evil railroad
barons and their desire to haul freight instead of people. Quite
simply, they hate people so they don't want to pick people up. They
even kill hobos! They are hobophobic Capitalist pigs they
are.
However, thanks to the Progressive members of Congress, Amtrak
still services the tolerant and reasonable people of gun-free
cities who understand what social justice is all about.
[/Socialist voice]*
*My Socialist voice sounds like that guy with the big afro who used
to have the painting classes on PBS.
Guy Montag|10.23.08 @ 1:51PM|#
I voted for Bob Barr in Orlando by ordering Krystal Combo #1
with cheese.
Here in Northern VA I do it by having sushi at least once per
day.
Lefiti|10.23.08 @ 1:51PM|#
It cost me $3.12 to vote for Mr. Barr the other day. Letter was
delivered to the Knox County election authorities yesterday, mailed
Monday.
And I didn't even get a pepperoni slice!
When you vote for Barr, you get a cheese sandwich with cheese made
from mother's milk.
The Wine Commonsewer|10.23.08 @ 1:53PM|#
Guy, I'll give you Amtrak/Socialism but I'll never acquiesce to
chicken chili.
My philosophy is simple. If it isn't good for you there is no point
in dressing food up in whore's, er, chicken's clothing to feel
better about eating it. ;-)
If you must put something on your bread, it may as well be butter.
At least it tastes good.
The key to that is to eat moderately. But if you're going to eat
artery clogging goodies, you should make it well worth your
while.
Guy Montag|10.23.08 @ 1:53PM|#
Lefiti,
Mother's makes some decent car wax, but I would not want a sandwich
made of it.
The Wine Commonsewer|10.23.08 @ 1:56PM|#
you get a cheese sandwich with cheese made from mother's
milk.
I think in order to appreciate that one should have actually tasted
mother's milk.
It comes in a great container and the product is fab for kiddos but
there is a reason we get our milk from cows.
Guy Montag\'s Withered Anima|10.23.08 @ 1:57PM|#
*My Socialist voice sounds like that guy with the big afro who
used to have the painting classes on PBS.
I also do a mean Julia Child!
But I don't want to leave the country. But I'm so small, and Guy
Montag's Overdeveloped Masculinity won't let me choose!
The Wine Commonsewer|10.23.08 @ 1:57PM|#
Mother's makes some decent car wax, but I would not want a
sandwich made of it.
That is approaching a thread winner. ;-)
Guy Montag|10.23.08 @ 1:57PM|#
Okay, caramel is written all over this page, so why don't we
have ads for hottie 'mixed-race' chicks who want to date?
Who is with me for starting a Caramel-Cuties dating site!
Guy Montag|10.23.08 @ 2:01PM|#
Not sure which silly troll wrote that, but I am only in touch with my femenine side when I am brandishing a firearm.
[Redacted just in case Guy is |10.23.08 @ 2:03PM|#
How do you touch your feminine side with a gun?
Does it tickle? Is it a thrill?
We wait with bated breath.
TallDave|10.23.08 @ 2:05PM|#
Whirl of Change ("Peanut-nougat ice cream whirled with
chunks of chocolate-covered peanut brittle and a caramel
ribbon")
Also, instead of paying for it, you find the richest person in the
store and take his wallet at gunpoint while telling him paying for
your ice cream is patriotic.
Oh, and you have give Bill Ayers a lick.
Bob Ross|10.23.08 @ 2:06PM|#
My Socialist voice sounds like that guy with the big afro
who used to have the painting classes on PBS.
I and my happy tree friends trancend politics.
Guy Montag|10.23.08 @ 2:10PM|#
TallDave,
Oh, and you have give Bill Ayers a lick.
[Socialist voice]
We should support our domestic freedom fighters in every way
possible. Just pretend it is a big fluffy cloud if you are so
homophobic as to refuse to share intimacy with another man.
[/Socialist voice]
Elemenope|10.23.08 @ 2:12PM|#
I and my happy tree friends transcend politics.
"That there happy little tree will be our little secret.
And if you tell anyone else about it I will come to your house and
I WILL CUT YOU!"
|10.23.08 @ 2:14PM|#
Of course Obesity is going to win, it ALWAYS wins! the American
Sheeples appetite is unstoppable.
JIff
www.online-privacy.cz.tc
|10.23.08 @ 2:29PM|#
Sir Alphabet:
I am an empirical shill, if it makes you feel any better. My
reaction would have been the same if your sentence had
read:
Twas not my sentence. I was simply observing that I can, with near
certainty, guarantee that I will not/will vote for somebody based
on their party affiliation, to the degree that I do vote. I do not
need to make more than a cursory observation to realize that, in
all cases I have observed carefully, no Democrat running for
national office will get my vote. It can be said with almost the
same level of certainty that no Republican will. I do not think
that makes one a cancer on the body politic. If every time I touch
open flame I get burned, I think it's perfectly valid to say with
near certainty that I will no longer touch open flames. Deriving
specific knowledge from generalizations is a powerful tool in
humans ability to make decisions based on limited knowledge and
avoid investing valuable time and effort to gather redundant
information.
If you had asked me before the Dem nomination was secured, I would
have said there is no way I'll vote for the eventual Democratic
nominee. I was right, and would have been right regardless of the
outcome. Not a cancer, simply a wise investment of time and
effort.
-K
|10.23.08 @ 2:35PM|#
Not only are these obese people fat, they're also
underhanded and dishonest
Finally, Smacky comes out strong against the Obese and their
delicious filling agenda.
DannyK|10.23.08 @ 2:44PM|#
My local 7-11 has a Ron Paul cup... it holds up to 2 liters of your favorite beverage and is MADE OF SOLID GOLD. They let me look at it.
|10.23.08 @ 4:32PM|#
You, sir, are a cancer on the body politic.
Nope, I live in Maryland. If a Dem wins the Prez, then I'll live
under a:
- Democrat prez
- Democrat VP
- Democrat Senate
- Democrat House of Reps
- Have two Maryland Democrat senators
- Live in a district gerrymandered (MD3) to be a permanent Democrat
Representative District
- Have 5 out of 7 Democrat Representatives (maybe 6 out of 7 come
the New Year)
- Democrat Governor (and a particular John Edwards empty suited
clone douche bag he is)
- Democrat Lt. Governor
- Democrat State Senate majority (maybe a super majority, I can't
remember offhand)
- Democrat House of Delegates majority (maybe a super majority, I
can't remember offhand)
- Live in a State senate district represent by a Democrat and
gerrymandered to remain that way
- Live in a State Delegate district resented by a Democrat and
gerrymandered to remain that way
- Democrat State Attorney General
- Democrat State Treasurer
- Democrat State Controller (Only light in the heaven because he
wants the Governor's job)
- All other statewide posts are Democrats
- Democrat County Executive (I voted for him, the Republican was an
real dipshit)
- Four out of five County Council Members are Democrats
Is this a recipe for inefficiency, rent seeking and corruption or
what?
|10.23.08 @ 4:38PM|#
I was in Florida for business earlier this week. I bought a two
coffee's while I was there. Both times I had a regular 7-11 coffee
cup. Did that mean I voted for Barr twice?
As an aside, I walked into the 7-11 at Rt 520 & the beach in
Cocoa Beach on Monday morning about 7am-ish. There was blood all
over the place. Appearently, a woman that was a regular customer
was coming to get her morning coffee. Two guys jumped out of a car,
beat the shit out of her and stole her purse. Come Nov 5th after an
Obama win that kind of stuff won;t happen again.
Elemenope|10.23.08 @ 4:40PM|#
Twas not my sentence.
My apologies for the misattribution.
However, my scorn still mostly remains. How do people who *know
before looking* and *don't ever look* handle realignments like the
dos-à-dos that the Donkeys and the GOP pulled in reaction to the
Civil Rights Act and sundry other pieces during the early 70s?
Ombudsman|10.23.08 @ 4:52PM|#
TWC @ 1:28
The O-Chili-bama Burrito: Mexican rice, turkey chili, ...
This is exactly what is wrong with America!
Turkey fargin' chili? And it's winning?
via EJM @12:52:
"it's Obama with 1,904 (48%), to McCain's 2,063
(52%)."
|10.23.08 @ 5:57PM|#
Whichever party has chorizo in their burrito wins.
This is the kind of thing that The Bilderbergers don't want the
people to know.
EJM|10.23.08 @ 6:21PM|#
Ombudsman, you may have missed my update at 1:30 p.m.; TWC likely saw (but didn't specifically mention) the updated stats before I did.
|10.23.08 @ 7:12PM|#
I tried Whirl of Change. The nougat sold me. It wasn't my idea to go to Baskin Robbins though. I went along to be polite, and on the assumption that even mediocre ice cream is good to eat.
|10.23.08 @ 7:20PM|#
Elemenope @ 4:40pm:
I tell you what. When in the course of the evolution of politics,
the national Democratic party runs a pro gun, pro SS privatizing,
pro end the WOD, pro free trade, pro free market, pro lower taxes,
pro school choice, non interventionist candidate who doesn't resort
to populist class warfare rhetoric, I'll stop making blanket
statements like "I'll never vote for a Dem on the national stage".
Hell, I'll reconsider for someone who can claim 3 or 4 of those.
The fact is that the current Democratic party will not, in fact
likely can not, field a candidate for national office that can lay
claim to even a few of those positions. So I save myself time and
effort better spent elsewhere.
-K
|10.24.08 @ 4:07PM|#
Jesus fucking Christ you have to be fucking kidding me...Obama is hard to make fun of? My asshole.
PicassoIII|10.25.08 @ 4:44PM|#
MayorOmalleySuxs wrote:
- Democrat prez
- Democrat VP
- Democrat Senate
- Democrat House of Reps
- Have two Maryland Democrat senators
- Live in a district gerrymandered (MD3) to be a permanent Democrat
Representative District
- Have 5 out of 7 Democrat Representatives (maybe 6 out of 7 come
the New Year)
- Democrat Governor (and a particular John Edwards empty suited
clone douche bag he is)
I'll trade your Edwards clone for Blago. No?
Uh, didn't think so.....
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