Obama Eats Arugula

There was a flood of comments to my first post, all the way from, "Uneducated voters respond well to pandering," to "[The working class] needs be respected and their views listened to. But too often their views are not in their best interest.... How do you get them to leave the security of the pain they know?"

Already we have started a conversation about the hidden injuries of class (second quote) and flushed out the disrespect that turns those injuries into a corrosive force that alienates the white working class from the Democratic Party (first quote).

This is the key to American politics since 1970. No kidding: the Dems won the presidency 7 out of 10 times between 1932 and 1968, when the white working class formed a core of the New Deal Coalition. Only two Democrats have won since then -- good ol' boys Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. You may have noticed that, in this election, the Democrats have eschewed the good ol' boy option.

So now it's time to face up to how the Dems lost their cultural dominance: the white working class abandoned them. More on that later. For now, the basic point: most of the comments assume that the key to winning working class votes lies in changing what the Dems say about economics. This may be partly right, but the threshold problem is cultural.

Remember arugula-gate, when Obama asked Iowa, "Anybody gone into Whole Foods lately? See what they charge for arugula?" This was only one of a long series of Democratic food gaffes. Howard Dean was decried as a "latte-drinking" elitist, Dukakis got into trouble with Belgian endive.

That's just the tip of the iceberg lettuce. The professional elite is singularly clueless about how food and other taken-for-granted aspects of their lifestyle serve as "class acts." Think of the class structure of coffee, from the lowly 8 oz. cup of joe at Dunkin' Donuts to the $4 venti caramel macciato. Starbucks has made it all too obvious that food is a central way we enact class status.

Sociologist Marjorie DeVault documents two distinctive food cultures in Feeding the Family. The working class respects and expects food that is plentiful and familiar (think: Red Lobster). The upper middle class treats food as a field of knowledge and values novelty (think: Alice Waters).

That's why salad greens are divisive. Obama's campaign is to recognize the ways Obama is sending out alienating signals of class privilege in an entirely unselfconscious way (rather than denying that there's a problem, see this.)

Obama is vulnerable here because he is a high-human capital intellectual who is upper middle class through and through. It's great when Michelle talks about being brought up in a family with only four spoons, but Barack -- who has spent most of his life bridging the racial divide as only the son of an anthropologist could -- now needs to spend more time studying the natives of his own country.

I'm not talking about the white working class. I'm talking about us -- the elite. We'll begin that process in my next post.

Comments

[JakeEasy]

See, this is where the arrogance comes in.

I'm not talking about Obama; I referencing the replies here. Too many don't get it. They have been to Europe and they have stayed at a Marriott and they have ordered a sixteen dollar pasta dish. Then they don't see themselves as different from the majority of Americans. It's not that you have the money and the leisure and the education to do these things; it's that you don't think that it makes you a part of the privileged class. It's that you look down on those who lack the money and opportunity. It's that you think having the money and opportunity is not the luck of the womb. It's that you think everyone has the same chance. Some recognize the reasons for class difference and try to change things. Others relax in their privilege and want others to change.

[FogCityJohn]

It's great to see that Huffingtonpost is interested in providing a diversity of viewpoints on this site. Here, Ms. Williams adopts the language of the nativist, xenophobic wing of the Republican Party by saying that Obama needs to study "the *natives* of his own country." Ms. Williams appears to have forgotten that Barack Obama is himself a native of this country.

Further, the post's apparent assumption that Obama's father somehow influenced his life and class status ("son of a college professor" and "son of an anthropologist") is simply ridiculous, given that Obama's father abandoned his family when Obama was 2. Do you discuss anthropology with 2-year-olds, Ms. Williams?

And exactly why do you think that a guy who was raised by a single mother who was on food stamps for a while can't understand the problems of the working class? No one seemed to think that this was a problem for Hillary Clinton, who grew up for more privileged and who is now vastly richer than Obama.

Finally, while I'd be the last person to diminish the vital importance of salad greens to this country's future, this election may, in fact, be decided on trivial issues like the thousands of Americans who have died in Iraq or the impending recession. It's sad, I know, but sometimes the public just can't grasp that war and the economy are unimportant. Ms. Williams' slogan should be, "It's the arugula, stupid!"

[IslandGyal]

I want to know why the rest of us should be held hostage to ignorance. Isn’t it the American way to get a quality education? I know not everyone will get a BA, but the lack of commonsense and just pure D ignorance of some people, is too much for me to bear at times. I don't care what ethnicity they come from. We should not be held hostage to ignorance.

[StephenDedalus82]

Couldn't he just remind everyone of John McCain's trillionaire wife? Does anyone think they eat microwave meals?

[antaeus]

It's not checkbook balances, but rather perceived cultural affiliation. See the current president for an example.

[texanna]

Your post has made an excellent point that, unfortunately, Sen. Obama's supporters didn't seem to get. Too many of them are bogged down in defending Arugula while ignoring that there are a whole lot of people that just think it's lettuce and to call it anything else is just showing off. Sen. Obama's supporters seem to think that the general election is going to be a replay of the primary and that is what concerns me. The general election is a completely ballgame, and anyone who doesn't get that is destined to the same fate as Kerry, Gore, Dukakis, et al. You may be right, but you'll still be history.

[DustyRebel]

So we should call all "greens" lettuce....?

Why do you feel that the "working class" is too dumb to know different names for vegetation?

[Repub4Obama]

No steelworker in the world would use a 3-syllable word to describe his salad. Most of them don't even eat salad. Salad isn't food, it's what FOOD EATS.

As a corollary, if Obama starts to talk meat and potatos, it should not include filet mignon, or any other fancy cut of meat, or camembert cheese, or, really, anything that sounds French, expensive, or that "homasexals" would eat. Even if a Teamster actually likes endive, he's not going to admit it to anybody, and not going to identify with someone who mentions it in public. Liking fancy foods, if they are to be liked at all, is something of a guilty pleasure for someone that is working-class, and certainly not something you mention.

The operating principle for the General should be KISS (keep it simple & stupid).

[texanna]

Darlin', I didn't say anyone was dumb and I specifically did not refer to any particular "class" of people, working or otherwise. I have some very highly educated relatives who were in my mind when I wrote my comment. The problem isn't whether they're dumb or not, the problem is that if you get people sidetracked wondering if he's too sophisticated to understand they're simple lives, then they're thinking about the wrong thing and missing his message. Wrap your head around this fact -- anyone who was going to be totally enthralled and consumed with Obama love has already done so, and the rest of the people you're gonna have to convince.

[AxelDC]

What's wrong with arugula? It's just a salad green, found in nearly every major grocery store in the US. It's very popular with Italians, and you can find it in one of those "Italian blend" premade salad bags. It's not even very expensive as greens go.

Since when do vegetables symbolize elitism? I consider them a sign of a healthy diet!

[GnitenGoodLk]

Arugula is neocon code for "bitter" amongst other uses they've employed (see above, it now means "elitist" )

Immature tactics used by the marginalized to stay relevant.

[tbone99]

It is NOT found in EVERLY NEARLY grocery store in America, believe it or not..
First of all way too many neighborhoods don't even have grocery stories with much produce besides iceberg , bananas , tomatoes, apples and onions, both urban and rural.You're making the mistake way to many people make when they decide to prove their moral superiority by telling others how to "just " eat healthy..

[Koa]

Gee, a guy who grew up for some years on food stamps, lived in decidely lower class surroundings overseas, and then grew up with his Kansas native grandparents doesn't understand economically challenged families? Maybe you should listen to him more or do a little research before you espouse your erroneous projections. For pities sakes, there were two very popular candidates; one had huge name recognition and the other was introducing himself. Now that the focus is on one, I would think that folks would give him a listen and decide for themselves.

[SethBLiNK]

Yeah he really alienated them in Iowa. That's why he beat, by an enormous margin the wife of a popular ex-president and another popular pol who had put his entire campaign budget into the state.

Republicans? They spread their vote over five candidates who combined, didn't get as many votes as Obama.

Obama does quite well with working class people. Of course when you take the portion of the working class that happens to be black and eliminate them from the equation, numbers don't look as good, but since when did "white working class" become an economic sector? You're either working class or your not. If you discount Obama's popularity with black working class people and attribute it to identity politics, don't you have to do the same with white folks too?

Against Hillary Clinton, Obama was at a decided disadvantage. White working class voters in the Democratic contests, had the choice of two candidates, both of whom back policies that are good for them, and one of whom was white, was married to a good-ole-boy ex-president, and was not beneath pandering to their fears. His opponent in the general election will be white too, but he'll be a supporter of sending their children off to fight a war and denying them health insurance.

I think you'll see a lot of working folks trying the arugula this time around.

[Ides]

Arugula is a stable crop in Iowa. Obama won Iowa.

Obama: 1, Joan: 0

[robXdion]

All that's happened is Democratic politicians have gotten more educated while their base hasn't. Liberals have broadened their horizons and experiences which contributed to opening their minds. Meanwhile their usual base has never left the country and few have college educations. It's not academic. There's a life experience gap.

[marla219]

First: arugula is basically a weed. If you've ever tried growing it, you know it grows anywhere. So it has a reputation as an "elitist" food, but it's like many foods that were once peasant foods and have become boutique items.

Second: Obama's point was the price on arugula. It's obscene what it costs at the grocery store, especially considering its weediness. He could have made a similar point about dandelion greens, which are delicious, nutritious and grow everywhere, yet command an impressive price at upscale markets. Who reaps the benefits of these prices? Not the producers.

Too much is made over the arugula "gaffe" if you ask me. If farmers growing corn don't realize that arugula is beating the pants off corn prices, they need someone to tell them.

[egal]

I was going to say that. Arugula practically grows on the roadside; it's hardy, inexpensive to produce, it's found almost everywhere in this country and actualy not easy to get rid of, and most of the people who eat it where I'm from are subsistence farming, living off of their produce. there's nothing elitist about that. Perhaps the PR people spinning the "elitist!" accusations are so out of touch with our society that they can't even recognize valid upper class symbols.

[starboymikey]

If I were Obama I'd spend the first debate chowing down on iceberg lettuce with 1000 dressing. He'll pick up at least a million votes on that one.

[TakeSake]

He could grill it up with bratwurst and taters. Kind of like what I did this weekend, except with watercress.

[tbone99]

wearing a flag pin and wearing some pants that show his crack!

[anon004]

Showing his crack! Is this to get the unionized plumbers demographic! LOL!!!

[indc]

If people can get sidetracked by the names of vegetables and vote against their economic and social well being when gas is over 4 buck, food costs are up considerably, and the country is headed to even more severe economic times thanks to the illusions of the regular guy - Bush, Cheney, McCain, et al... then marketing has capture these voters minds and disconnected reason and self interest from behavior to an even greater extent than in 2000 and 2004 which were close elections won by Gore and Kerry, but ultimately stolen by the "regular" guys...

I understand the point of this article, and I think it has value, but the bigger question is why has reason and rational self-interest become so vulnerable to defeat by marketing illusions and lies?

[nleath]

Senator Obama eats a healthy diet and that's to his credit. No fast food ala bill clinton, who wound up with clogged arteries and a triple heart bypass as a result.

[ThirdSection]

I remember the big spinach recall of '06, and that's what turned me on to arugula. Now I find spinach to be quite dull.