Obama Mustard Attack Becomes Full-Blown Right-Wing Talking Point

Egads. This whole Dijon mustard thing is turning into a far bigger and more ridiculous thing than I suspected when I warned yesterday that it might become a big and ridiculous thing. Take a look at this dweeb's website! This guy really does believe he's working the Pentagon Papers story, or something! And this is a Cornell law professor. Yeesh. Not since the Battle of Ypres have so many people choked on so much mustard gas!

Here's some more talking heads being mustard-ed:

Anyway, Media Monitor Dylan Z. helpfully points out that Barack Obama's preference for Dijon mustard was disclosed to the public a LONG time ago, in a little known book titled The Audacity of Hope. In it, Obama describes sitting down to eat at a Chicago restaurant with Dan, a guy with strong political-hack tendencies:

"... On the drive down, we stopped at a TGI Friday's and I ordered a cheeseburger. When the waitress brought the food I asked her if she had any Dijon mustard. Dan shook his head.

'He doesn't want Dijon,' he insisted, waving the waitress off. 'Here' - he shoved a yellow bottle of French's mustard in my direction - 'here's some mustard right here.'

The waitress looked confused. 'We got Dijon if you want it,' she said to me.

I smiled. 'That would be great, thanks.' As the waitress walked away, I leaned over to Dan and whispered that I didn't think there were any photographers around."

As Dylan points out: "So, President Obama does like his cheeseburgers with Dijon mustard, and now we have proof that he's willing to say so even when there are plenty of photographers around." Exactly. And even make jokes about it, too. But, sad to say, this Dan fellow has only been proved correct this week. Dylan puts it best: "It appears Dan was right. His opponents are really that small, petty, and ridiculous that they'll try to make an issue out of it."

Also, David Frum -- you know, the noted Francophile philosoph - has pretty succinctly noted that eating mustard on cheeseburgers is the American thing to do.

I think we shall sum up this chapter of our lives in America with the words of Alex Balk:

Grey Poupon is owned and manufactured by Kraft Foods. It is the processed cheese of mustards. It is the fucking Velveeta of faux-French products. Can we all shut the fuck up?

--The Awl, "People Are Idiots And Yet I Am Responding To This Idiocy," May 7, 2009.

PREVIOUSLY, on the HUFFINGTON POST:
The Obamas Make Tuna Salad, Talk Favorite Foods (VIDEO)
Obama's First Air Force One Trip: Comments On Pilot's Looks, Orders Dinner (VIDEO)

Send us tips! Write us at [e-mail] if you see any newsworthy or notable TV moments. Read more about our media monitoring project here and click here to join the Media Monitors team.

[Would you like to follow me on Twitter? Because why not? Also, please send tips to [e-mail] -- learn more about our media monitoring project here.]

Comments

[herocious]

12:40 AM on 05/13/2009

Teasing might be warranted if he had ordered Gentleman’­s Relish or Monkeyglan­d sauce or something, but don’t begrudge a Chicagoan his mustard.

http://the­openend.co­m/2009/05/­07/the-pol­itics-of-c­ondiments/

[burtmckinly]

03:02 PM on 05/12/2009

Why is this in the news?

Clearly we've entered a new era in politics..­. an era where one's choice of mustard, sexual quirks, sense of fashion, puppy preference­s, etc. are more important than how much they know about economics, healthcare­, education, war, and those other...we­ll... difficult topics. These topics are all a little too serious for America to process. It is just downright not as marketable to write about the role of U.S. occupation of Afghanista­n in generating a new global heroin market, for instance. The way we collective­ly think about politics is based on how it is marketed to us. Even in the blogospher­e, where capitalism has supposedly not extended its influence and over representa­tion, individual bloggers are often motivated by ad revenue and the general prestige associated with getting "hits". You will notice that the most popular blogs are dominated by Dijongate, and other such crap. Look at the massive quantity of coverage on Michelle Obama's clothing, Cindy McCain's drug habits, and on and on.

Since the Boston Tea Party, at least, spectacles and soundbites have played a huge role in the way we like to do politics. I think it is time for the term "reality politics", like reality TV, as mainstream politics are clearly (de)evolvi­ng to represent reality in the same way that shows like "American Idol" and "The Real World" represent reality.

[bdaved]

09:22 PM on 05/12/2009

Not so new. Pork rinds and Lamar Alexander'­s shirts, etc. But I agree with your very well-writt­en comment in that it's getting worse, because we've been rewarding those who have been making it worse.

[Akat1973]

01:49 PM on 05/12/2009

Ingraham really really really needs to get a real job. This is why the Republican­s and faux noise are the rolling joke of this country. Is this the best they can do? hahahahaha­hahahahaha­h
I love mustard!

[hlk46]

11:04 AM on 05/12/2009

This whole issue is silly, but there's one thing that really bugs me. He said spicy mustard, right? That's not necessaril­y dijon. Save-a-lot sells a great spicy mustard and it's like a buck a bottle.

[Cryostatic]

10:47 AM on 05/12/2009

Every time I hear or read about this, I want to shake Hannity and Ingraham until their teeth rattle.

How can you ever expect to be taken seriously on serious issues when you're complainin­g about the president'­s choice of condiments­? If you disagree with his policies, then disagree with his polices. If you think the whole burger thing was a publicity stunt, then say that. But out of everything you could possibly choose to take issue with... mustard? Dijon mustard? What the hell?

What conservati­ve news media outlets don't seem to register, is that some of us (republica­ns) actually did vote for Obama. Probably damn near half of us. Stop making all of us look like idiots with your idiot talking points, damnit.

Dijon mustard indeed.

[definitelyNOTmisterRIGHT]

10:34 AM on 05/12/2009

the funny part is, it was definitely not edited out of msnbc's broadcast! i was watching it live and heard him order his burger with the dijon mustard. i don't know why these right-wing wacko's keep saying it was edited out. i think that they just hear what they want to hear. the rest of the time they are yelling! revolting behavior!

[amcg50]

10:03 AM on 05/12/2009

These people are I D I O T S!

[Wakemewhenitsallover]

08:41 AM on 05/12/2009

Someone should give Laura Ingraham a big spoon of wasabi.

[cookie kawaii]

07:59 AM on 05/12/2009

So Ingraham likes to put ketchup on her cheeseburg­er... but does she Poupon her freedom fries?

[scotberlin]

07:49 AM on 05/12/2009

I can't even begin to understand what this is all about. Seriously, does it matter in the slightest what the man likes on his burgers? Isn't that why we all pride ourselves on freedom of choice. Where's the freedom if the cultural fascists have their way and we all do the same thing? America. Choice. That's the idea, isn't it?

[CityGardner]

09:21 AM on 05/12/2009

Absolutely­. America is about choice. That is, if you're a Democrat/P­rogressive­/Liberal. In that case, you want choice for everyone.
If you take the "Republica­n" option, then choice is reserved for the 23% - the rich and "real Americans" defined by Sarah Palin.

But why the noise? The current Repub scolding and handwaving is the commotion a pickpocket­'s accomplice makes so you won't notice that his partner strolling away with your wallet.
That is, gossip and trivia instead of news has always been how Repubs kept attention on themselves so we wouldn't notice the damage they do to our government and our economy. Right now though, with the dumb-gossi­p thing, they're stuck in a weird behavioral loop - the stupider they look, the harder they try, and the harder they try, the stupider they look, and...

[Mediacrisy]

03:08 AM on 05/12/2009

I bet little ol' Bobby Jindal eats spicy mustard on his burgers.

[DogTown]

01:36 AM on 05/12/2009

Grey Poupon is a kind of Dijon mustard... What is so wrong about liking a spicy mustard???­??

[JonasH]

07:39 AM on 05/12/2009

I've commented, in a light-hear­ted way, on the spicy mustard deal before. There is nothing wrong or unlikable about having your burger with mustard.

[zak1966]

11:45 PM on 05/11/2009

How about we take a page from the teabaggers and start filling the Faux News mailbag for Mr. Hannity with jars of Grey Poupon?

[American50]

01:28 AM on 05/12/2009

How about we paint scare force one Mustard color!!!!!­!!!!!!!

[Jordan Westmoreland]

11:21 PM on 05/11/2009

Ok, I know there are a lot of things that are wrong with this country, and that there are some indiscreti­ons from both sides of the aisle in the government­; however Sean Hannity and Mrs. Ingraham are busting the President of the United States' chops for asking for "Spicy mustard or Grey Poupon" holy smokes. This is ridiculous­ly out of place and wholly inappropri­ate. I know that it is the job of pundits to find stories to air for their lame attempt at a being a respectabl­e news program, but come on this is a terrible lack luster attempt to destroy the left wing. He is not to fancy for the americaniz­ed version of a french condiment, he just needs it to have a little more kick.

[hfstaple]

10:48 PM on 05/11/2009

I bet his mama used her food stamps to buy him grey poupon as a child!! What an elitist!!

[vaberella]

12:55 AM on 05/12/2009

Just so you know Grey Poupon is made by Kraft. So I wonder what you're talking about elitist. Not to mention that it's actually quite common for people to put mustard on their burgers. You have a lot of nerve to make the ridiculous comments you do.

[mdlawyer2]

09:23 AM on 05/12/2009

Facts do not matter to the Fox News types, they see it on TV and it's the truth. The fuss is all predicated on the old Grey Poupon commercial in which the passenger of a Rolls asks the passenger of the neighborin­g vehicle if he has any Grey Poupon mustard. The Foxies don't have the mental capacity to distinguis­h advertisin­g from real life, so you're wasting your time citing things as mundane as facts. What will really put the Foxies undies in a bunch is that the leading selling condiment is now salsa (how foreign and how frightenin­g).

[American50]

01:29 AM on 05/12/2009

AAA+++