Democrats don't bite on Booker vegan flap

[DonViejo]

‘If you’re voting for somebody based on what’s on their dinner table, then you’ve got bigger problems,’ said one Iowa official.

By NOLAN D. MCCASKILL 02/17/2019 07:00 AM EST

When an interview surfaced this week that brought Sen. Cory Booker’s vegan lifestyle to the forefront, it seemed like the New Jersey senator would be forced to do the first damage control of his nascent presidential campaign.

Iowa ranks as theNo. 1 pork-producing state in the nation, after all, and the state Farm Bureau reports that 95 percent of Iowans eat meat at least weekly.

But it turns out Democratic voters aren’t biting on the controversy. Despite Booker’s remarks about the unsustainability of “billions of people consuming industrially produced animal agriculture” and much mocking on the right about his out-of-the-mainstream diet — a Fox News panel discussed “Booker’s beef” with plates of burgers and ribs on set — Iowans seem to be greeting the revelation with a shrug.

“There have been vegans and vegetarians in Iowa for decades now,” said Sean Bagniewski, chairman of the Polk County Democrats, who host an annual steak fry event. “If you’re voting for somebody based on what’s on their dinner table, then you’ve got bigger problems.”

Chris Peterson, a part-time farmer in Cerro Gordo County who does advocacy work for rural America and family farms, said he pays no attention to what candidates consume. Peterson attended one of Booker’s campaign events in Iowa last weekend and asked the senator a question about agriculture policy.

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https://www.politico.com/story/2019/02/17/cory-booker-vegan-2020-1170729

[mr_lebowski]

1. I'll BITE! I think it's freaking AWESOME he's vegan!

I'm not but I respect those that can do it, esp.. when they do for the reason he stated there (which is 100% correct!)

[Boomerproud]

6. I admire vegetarians and vegans.

I wish I had their discipline.

[mr_lebowski]

7. I know right?!? I'm still working on not drinking a bunch of hard liquor every day ...

So far, not good ...

[milestogo]

29. Me too.

[OnDoutside]

2. But the issue ISN'T Dems (well not too much), it's rural voters concerned that a Vegan President

would attack their livelihood. That's what will be the attack point of the RWNJs against a vegan nominee. Keeping traditional Red voters onside, rather than going for blue voters.

[emulatorloo]

3. They grow lots of corn and soy in Iowa too

[Wounded Bear]

9. And most of that is used for animal feed...

Another non-issue for the RWers to blow out of proportion.

[OnDoutside]

17. Indeed they do, but the RW only need a kernel of truth to create the apocalypse. Or that campaign's

apocalypse.

[ginnyinWI]

4. I think Iowans are pretty much like Wisconsinites.

As a vegetarian for the last eight years, I know how scarce a breed we are in the general population. I'm concerned for the environment as well as my health. But meat isn't going away any time soon for most people, sadly.

What I mean is, nobody is going to feel that their livelihood is being threatened. Not when they see 99% of their friends and neighbors eating meat.

[OnDoutside]

18. That's a very rational argument, but people who only get their news from RW sources are susceptible

to the prospect of what those "pesky Dems" would do, if they got power.

[Voltaire2]

14. We should just run candidates indistinguishable from Republicans.

Plus if we just made our messaging a bunch of muted platitudes that won’t anger any right wing god besotted gun humping xenophobic misogynist homophobic fool, we might get some of them to vote by mistake for our team.

[OnDoutside]

19. I detect a note of sarcasm ! No, of course not, but at least be aware that they would go down this

road, so be prepared to counter it, if he wins the nomination.

[UniteFightBack]

5. If only more folks would just east LESS meat and dairy that would be a great start...I'm doing my

part. I am all for a Vegan President because there is one thing I know for certain....they care.

[eppur_se_muova]

8. "... then you've got bigger problems." LOL ! Preach it, dude ! nt

[berni_mccoy]

10. Veganism is becoming more mainstream by the day.

[Adrahil]

11. I'll never be a vegan...

But I do not care if he is one, so long as he isn’t sanctimonious about it.

[Voltaire2]

15. Lulzd.

Don’t ask don’t tell.

[Adrahil]

16. Nah... i'm Fine with him mentioning his own preferences...

I just don’t want the moralizing.

So far he hasn’t, su we’re good.

[Bettie]

21. I agree with that entirely

jeez...I don't vote based on the dietary choices of any candidate...though, cannibalism would probably be a deal breaker.

[happybird]

24. IDK...

Dotard vs a Cannibal?

I'm voting for the cannibal.

[Bettie]

27. That's why "cannibal" is only

probably a deal breaker! LOL.

In the primary, I'd take someone else over the cannibal though!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

28. Exactly.

It's the sanctimoniousness of many vegans and vegetarians that can set me off. Otherwise, eat what you want, don't eat what you choose not to eat, and we'll all be fine.

[NightWatcher]

12. Only in America is "I don't eat unhealthy garbage" seen as possibly off putting to some.

[Bettie]

22. How about not making judgements over

how others decide to eat?

The fact that I didn't even know Booker is a vegan is a point in his favor. I don't care what he eats, but I don't really enjoy picking apart the food choices of anyone.

I'm in charge of what I eat (and what I cook for my kids), others can be in charge of their own area of responsibility.

[madville]

13. Doesn't matter for the primary, but in the general election

he would lose Iowa anyway so it's not really an issue.

[TheBlackAdder]

20. You know what that means? No compromising photos of him eating a corn dog!

.






Almost like second nature with this one. . .



.

[jalan48]

23. As we said back in the 60's, "You are what you eat".

[DFW]

25. Booker never said he was forcing his diet on anyone else

Some people seem to make it out that he is like a smoker who is trying to get everyone else to smoke.

He has his own diet, and stands up for it. Period.

"Lighten up, Francis."

[Raine]

26. I've been a vegetarian practically my whole life

but being a vegan is something I can only hope to eventually become. I really admire him for going all the way, takes a lot of self-discipline.

[Codeine]

30. I thought that too,

but it was ridiculously easy. And I started back in ‘89, before the rise of so many easily-available vegan products at the grocery store.

[Raine]

34. Good for you

I'm going to keep trying, cheese has been my downfall.

[CrossingTheRubicon]

31. I'd like to see America's first vegan Vice President

It is interesting to this happy meat-eater that Cory Booker is by far the most athletic candidate in the race.

Cory Booker would be my favorite for 2020 if not for the fact that Joe Biden is by far our most electable Democrat.

So I'm for Biden/Booker 2020.

My dream team.

[Retrograde]

32. He's gonna take my cows!!!

Wait a minute - I don't have any cows. IMHO, Booker's veganism becomes an issue only if he drops by my place for dinner - and even then as long as I have advanced warning I can come up with something vegan.

A bigger question raised by the OP, as far as I'm concerned, is how did a count in Iowa in Iowa get a name like Cerro Gordo? Off to Wikipedia...

[betsuni]

33. "You'll have to pry this porkchop-on-a-stick from my cold, dead hands!"

[Bucky]

35. As long as he can still sample some foods at the Iowa State Fair, he'll be okay