"What's troubling is the gap between the magnitude of our challenges and the smallness of our politics-the ease with which we are distracted by the petty and trivial.”
The petty and trivial distraction in question was his choice of cheeseburger condiment during a trip through Illinois. Apparently, after ordering Dijon for his burger at a T.G.I. Friday’s, a panicked political aide assured the waitress that Obama was mistaken and wanted good ol’ American yellow mustard instead.
Amazingly, Obama’s love of Dijon and America’s love of the petty and trivial has reared its ugly head again – this time with the added bonus of a media cover-up. At a well-publicized stop at a burger joint in Arlington, Virginia, earlier this week, Obama once again eschewed ketchup and yellow mustard in favour of the obviously unpatriotic and un-American Dijon.
To help the President maintain his street cred with Middle America, MSNBC apparently edited out Obama’s condiment faux pas. Not surprisingly, the team at Fox News has taken to the story like a rabid dog to a mailman, accusing Obama of being “fancy” and MSNBC of hiding it from the public.
Three things:
1. Fox News calling any other network to task for being biased is absolutely absurd. “Fox News” is an oxymoron. “Fox Propaganda”, “Fox Fear Mongering”, “Fox Conservative Opinion” or perhaps “Fox Comedy” would all be apt, but not Fox News.
2. All the power to you, Obama. If you want guacamole or Dijon or wasabi or whatever spice or condiment makes you happy, like Bobby Brown, that’s your prerogative. You’ve got enough on your plate without having to eat over-refined, bland food too. (Might I suggest horseradish Dijon next time… truly, a condiment worthy of a President.)
3. To those that are truly offended by Obama’s choice of condiment or are simply feigning offense to create a news story or satisfy a bloodthirsty, defeated, ultra-conservative fan base: look around you and grow the fuck up. The U.S. is fighting wars on multiple fronts, the economy is in shambles, the populace is scared to death of pigs and birds and terrorists and God knows what else by next week… try to show a little fucking restraint and make even a feeble effort to help make things better, not worse.
Obviously, this blog is dedicated almost entirely to things that are petty and trivial, so I’m in no real position to judge. That being said, even writing 2,500 words about Batman or Chewbacca seems perfectly sane and well-reasoned compared to the outpouring of small-minded craziness concerning Obama’s choice of condiment.
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