HUFFINGTON
09.09.12
FOOD FIGHT!
local farms to sports bars—compared to Romney’s 18. Many of
the President’s stops have been
“off the records,” or unannounced
stops at local businesses that are
not open to the public. Named so
because they are not included in a
candidate’s official schedule, “off
the records” are less scripted than
rallies and speeches, though business owners that pose with candidates still are carefully selected
and rigorously screened by staffers and secret service.
CORN DOGS
AND FAUX PAS
But moments of unscripted interaction—and eating—are also risky,
said Greg Jenkins, former director of scheduling and advance for
George W. Bush. A candidate could
end up asking for silverware for a
slice of pizza or biting into a corn
dog from an unfortunate angle, as
Michele Bachmann did last year.
Today, it’s also easy for even the
smallest gaffe to be caught on camera and spread over the internet.
“When you do an off the record there’s a modicum of loss of
control,” said George Caudill, the
former visual communications
director for Clinton, of Romney’s
apparent aversion to the events.
“Nothing is more
basic to people’s
lives than food. It
has the power to
make people think
your candidate
understands them.”
“Anything can happen. If you
want to make sure that you don’t
leave anything to chance with
your candidate, you don’t want
to throw them out there and have
them say something silly.”
Caudill noted that both Romney
and Obama have tended to keep the
restaurant stops they do make efficient and camera-safe, unlike Clinton, whose passion for McDonald’s
fries became the stuff of legendary
“Saturday Night Live” skits.
At Homemades by Suzanne in
Ashland, Virginia, an announced
stop on Romney’s “Stronger Middle Class” bus tour, the candidate
spent just enough time to clutch
a few hands and kiss owner Suzanne Wolstenholme on the cheek
before rushing out to the next
rally. As Romney left, he held up
a stack of three plastic wr \ Y