Recipegate does not bother me

The Trib gets after the post recipegate era with some putatively actual politicians' receipts. Sadly no sign of the Daley family's famous Hippie Fricasee. Especially with the Obama Family Chili, we return to the vexed question of originality.  Here it is, in all its glory:

Obama family chili

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 pound ground turkey or beef
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4  tsp. each: ground cumin, ground turmeric, dried basil leaves, dried oregano leaves
3 Tbsps. red wine vinegar
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 can (15 ounces) red kidney beans

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat; add onion. Cook, stirring, until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and green pepper; cook, stirring, 1 minute.

2. Add turkey; cook, stirring to break up meat, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder, salt, cumin, turmeric, basil and oregano; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Add tomatoes; cover.

3. Heat to a boil; reduce lower heat to a simmer. Cook 30 minutes. Add kidney beans; cover. Cook 20 minutes.

Obama's receipt is far from original, but it would be preposterous to accuse him of stealing something, as this is one version of a commonplace American vernacular dish. All this is to point out just how stupid and lazy you would have to be to appropriate a receipt in a way that clearly indicated it was cut and pasted.
I mention all of this to express my irritation with the idea of "electability." I'm not any happier than you are that the choices are the soft and inexperienced guy, the tainted and increasingly shrewish lady, and the coelacanth. But not to vote for one of them, cause you are not sure if America is ready for a black president, is bullshit. It is exactly the same bullshit as the "I got nothing against them personally, but if my neighbor sells his house to one, property values in my subdivision will go to hell." In a neighborhood, or a nation, allowing the lowest, most racist denomenator to set the agenda is bad policy.

Comments

[Rose's Lime]

I'm imagining a very depressing conversation at Obama HQ discussing the message sent by various recipes. "Turkey with pecan stuffing?" - too Southern. "Grilled salmon" - not blue collar enough. "Anything with pork in it to show he's not muslim?" - the racists won't get it and we'll affend the Muslims.

[Skeen]

I haven't been within arm's reach of Obama, so I can't comment on whether he's soft or not.

But "inexperienced"? Come on.

By what criteria? What counts as "experience"?

Don't mean to huff, but that adjective has been overused and misused lately. I'd be glad to hear that you come by it honestly.

And the chili recipe strikes me as very real in its banality. Sounds like the kind of chili my dad made when I was a kid.

[Fesser]

I am a big Obama fan, voted for him once, and hope to do so again. I worry that he is a little bit young for the job, and having spent relatively little time in elective office, and none as an executive, that the learning curve might be steep. But I feel as if the Clintons are becoming the specter that Coulter makes them out to be, almost. I am disheartened by the choices, and may end up writing in H.R.

But I agree on the banality of the chili.

[Kamagra]

Awesome !