Gigabiting

Remember the defining moment in the 2008 election? In the still wide field of Democratic presidential candidates, the senator from Illinois strode into a Rural Issues Forum on a farm outside of Des Moines, Iowa and asked this question:
Anybody gone into Whole Foods lately and see what they charge for arugula?
That’s when we knew that Barack Obama was a foodie like us.

It turns out that Democrats do like arugula. And Thai food. And brie.

So says Hunch, the collective intelligence decision-making website. As part of its profile-building methodology, Hunch takes every user through a series of both general and topic-specific questions. Sifting through 25 million responses revealed distinct eating patterns and preferences that correlate with political ideologies.

What’s for lunch?

Conservatives: peanut butter sandwich, macaroni and cheese, pizza
Liberals: Thai or Indian food

Fast food lunch?

Conservatives: McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, Subway
Liberals: Cosi, In-N-Out Burger, Pret a Manger

What’s for dinner?

Conservatives: 3% vegetarian or vegan
eating in: meatloaf, chicken, steak
going out: Italian
Liberals: 11% vegetarian or vegan
eating in: curry, veggie burger
going out: Chinese/Japanese/Thai

Favorite Girl Scout Cookie:

Conservatives: Trefoil Shortbread
Liberals: Somoa/Caramel deLite

There was also significant common ground found between the two groups. Conservatives and liberals both agree that a bacon double cheeseburger is a beautiful thing, and Romaine is the universal favorite salad green. Cilantro is a popular herb on both sides of the aisle. Everyone likes a good hot dog, sandwiches cut on the diagonal, a salted margarita glass, and can take a pass on sprinkles on their ice cream.

Perhaps if we could get Congress to sit down to a meal together (maybe some of those bacon double cheeseburgers) we’d finally do something about that Washington gridlock.