POLITICIZE EVERYTHING!

I was watching Jay Leno and heard him tell a joke that the Democratic National Convention, in an effort to be "the greenest convention ever," will not have any fried food on the menu. His punchline was that after Al Gore heard this he switched to the Republic Party.

At first, I didn't really believe the premise of Jay's joke. I thought for sure that it was some mild scheme or plan exaggerated by Rush (or someone of his ilk) and then used by Leno for a comedic jab.

Then reality set it. I did a quick Google search and found in the Wall Street Journal Online that the Democratic National Convention has indeed excluded fried food from its menu:

Matt Burns, a spokesman for the Republican convention, looks on with undisguised glee at some of the Democrats' efforts -- such as the "lean 'n' green" catering guidelines.

Among them: No fried food. And, on the theory that nutritious food is more vibrant, each meal should include "at least three of the following colors: red, green, yellow, blue/purple, and white." (Garnishes don't count.)

Link

This election is the Democrat's to lose, but this food ban is a symbol of what could make the party weaken its sure grip. It is also symbolic of America's attempt to polarize and politicize each and every aspect of a person's life. In my relatively short political memory the distinctions between parties were based on political philosophies, economic principle and moral imperatives.
Food, the most culturally relative of all of life's element, should not be politicized. A Korean-American who likes to return to his home country and eat grilled dog should be just as welcome as the PETA vegetarian or the southern fried KFC lover.

As soon as your party starts alienating and excluding entire cultures on such absurd premises you will either lose the contest or marginally win and throw the whole country into a bunch of silly debates. I can see it now. A bunch of Democrats trying to take over a local school board, not so they can fix the drop out rate, but so they can change the school lunch menu. Local city council members arguing about increasing the taxes for businesses that serve fried food while accident causing pot holes remain in the street. I'm a-fried of the future.