Popping in to a local hamburger joint — Ray’s Hell Burger in Arlington, Va. — with veep Joe Biden in tow must have seemed like a feel-good, meet the people exercise with no downside.
Think again: the President’s request for spicy mustard or Dijon mustard has divided the country, or at the very least media commentators who surely have something better to do.
Here’s the clip that set off the furore:
“Obama: I’m going to have a — just your basic Cheddar cheeseburger, medium well. I just want mustard, no ketchup.
If you’ve got like a spicy mustard or something like that, or a Dijon mustard, something like that.”
According to the right-wing pundits chanelling manners’ maven Emily Post, a cheeseburger must be accompanied by ketchup. Preferring anything else makes you an elitist, according to Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Mark Steyn, whose comments are carried on the Media Matters Web site under the headline, “Dijon Derangement Syndrome”
Here’s Mark Steyn on the Rush Limbaugh show:
“It was wonderful watching the coverage of the hamburger visit. He’s amazing, Obama. This coverage — he’s a regular guy. He eats a hamburger with Dijon mustard — Dijon mustard. John Kerry couldn’t get away with that stuff, but he makes it seem like just like a regular thing to do. Now there’s — I see that some of the left-wing commentators are saying, ‘Why are people making a fuss about the Dijon mustard?’ but that’s just an example of the way Obama is able to enlighten us.”
In a leaden attempt at humour, Steyn goes on: “And I have to say, speaking as a foreigner, that I deeply resent Barack Obama crashing in as the Grey Poupon spokesperson, because that has been the lifesaver for non-American voiceover artists in this country for years — getting the gig doing the Grey Poupon voiceover.
You know, you do the, ‘Try the new Grey Poupon squeeze, one of life’s simpler pleasures.’ And the idea that Barack Obama now is going to be collaring — it’s in-sourcing, in effect.”
Several reasoned answers to the question, “What kind of man eats ketchup on a burger?” come from another source: David Frum blogging at NewMajority.com, the site that is “building conservatism so it can win again.”
“First answer: Texans.
Texans traditionally eat hamburgers with mustard or with mayonnaise (or with both), but without ketchup. This is simply called a ‘hamburger’ in Texas, but is sometimes called a ‘Cowboy Burger’ or a ‘Texas Burger’ outside of Texas.
A hamburger with ketchup is sometimes called a ‘Yankee Burger.’ A hamburger with mayonnaise is sometimes called a ‘Sissy Burger’ …
Second answer: Republicans. A 2000 survey of members of Congress by the National Hot Dog Council found that 73% of Republican lawmakers preferred mustard to ketchup, as opposed to 47% of Democratic lawmakers.
Final answer: traditionalists. Louis’ Lunch in New Haven, Conn., the restaurant widely believed to have served the first hamburgers ever made in the United States, absolutely forbids ketchup.”
The fact Republican commentators are spending all this time on Obama's choice of condiment only feeds suggestions they are short of ideas to reinvigorate their party. As John Amato notes on Crooks & Liars, “If the Republican Party wants to go on a listening tour to figure out what they need to do, they may start turning off their radios and televisions too. Every day we post about the absurdity that is the Republican Party and every day a completely new mind-numbing smear comes out.
I understand what they are doing. They feel if they keep chipping away at President Obama with nonsensical complaints, it will slowly erode his popularity. The problem they face is that they look like loons doing it, and all the polls point to the same conclusion. It’s good for ratings on Fox, because those uber-loons are watching the little horde of Republican lunatics in action with a fervent glee, but mainstream America is laughing at them.”
For the record, Mr. Biden ordered a Swiss cheese burger with jalapeño peppers, but was allowed to lunch in peace.
