The Southern Male Democrat

Please pardon the more frequent blogging this week.  I was going to wait a few days and write about my trip to meat eaters heaven  - the Rio Churrascaria - on Friday night. However, Mrs. SMD just sent me a link to a story in the Wall Street Journal that got me all riled up.  In times like these, the only appropriate words were sung by the great Merle Haggard  - “You’re walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me.”

In an effort to be “lean and green”, this year’s Democratic National Convention is NOT SERVING FRIED FOOD AT THE CONVENTION HALL.  It has finally happened, the inmates are running the asylum.

Here’s a quote from the actual story in the WSJ -

But 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.) At least 70% of ingredients should be organic or grown locally, to minimize emissions from fuel burned during transportation. “One would think,” says Mr. Burns, “that the Democrats in Denver have bigger fish to bake — they have ruled out frying already — than mandating color-coordinated pretzel platters.” Democrats say the point is to build habits that will endure long after the convention. To that end, the city has staged “greening workshops” attended by hundreds of caterers, restaurant owners and hotel managers. “It’s the new patriotism,” Mayor Hickenlooper says.

Pardon my language, but politically-correct bullshit like this is EXACTLY why my beloved Democratic Party loses elections. The various factions that make up our party spend so much time trying to ensure that each one of their core principles is thrust upon Americans with little or no choice. After all “we” know better.

Don’t get me wrong - I am all for reducing waste, encouraging people to eat healthy and a government provided pair of birkenstocks for every driver of a Volvo station wagon.  But when these choices start to affect individual’s choices - IE - the choices I make to clog my arteries - then something is amiss.

While Joe Sixpack voter may not be a regular reader of the Wall Street Journal - this information does get out to our larger culture and only adds to the perception that Democrats care more about engineering society in a politically correct fashion, than we do about helping working families put food on the table.

I actually admire the Republicans’ ability to avoid crap like this. Don’t get me wrong - the GOP has got plenty of nutso factions of their own between the gun nuts, bible beaters, trickle-downers and neo-conservatives. But what they don’t do is let each faction dictate the party’s actions. Think about it - Democratic candidates for President have to kiss the ring of labor, the environmental movement, pro-choice, minorities - and the list goes on. Each one of those constituencies have to be satisfied and if they’re not - the whining and division will commence.

Republicans on the other hand tell all of their factions to shut up, sing from the same hymn book until after the election and you’ll all get what you want. And it works.

God help me when I put on my delegate credentials in Denver. Maybe I can sneak some McDonald’s in past the Gestapo.

When you mess with my fried food, you are indeed - “walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me.”