THE POLITICS OF LEAFY GREEN VEGETABLES

Maureen Dowd today:

...Clintonologists know that Hillary is up to something, but they aren't sure what. Theory No. 1 is that it's the Cassandra "I told you so" gambit: She believes intensely that he's too black, too weak and too elitist -- with all his salmon and organic tea and steamed broccoli -- to beat her pal John McCain....

Broccoli? Now broccoli's a problem?

It was less than twenty years ago -- have we all forgotten that the anti-broccoli guy went on to lose?

...On [March 22, 1990], the President of the United States, George Herbert Walker Bush, declared in a news conference that: He did not like broccoli, he hasn't liked it since he was a little kid, and that he is "the President of the United States and ... [he's] "not going to eat any more broccoli."

In addition, the President also banned broccoli from the White House and Air Force One menus....

Have we forgotten that, in 1992, this was considered not a problem for Democrats but a political opportunity?

...Earlier in the day, Mr. Clinton toured a farmers' market....

Addressing an enthusiastic crowd outdoors afterward, Mr. Clinton suggested that they express their support by going inside to buy the President's least favorite vegetable.

"Go in there and buy some broccoli," he said, as the crowd laughed. "I like broccoli." ...

And then, once Bill Clinton had won:

..."We are trying to move toward healthy, fresh American food," Mrs. Clinton said. That includes broccoli, which was despised by George Bush. "We are big broccoli eaters," Mrs. Clinton said....

I'm not posting this as a knock on Hillary because, as far as I know, she hasn't actually focused on broccoli at all this year. I think this is strictly a Dowd thing.

Oh, and as an FYI for one of Dowd's Times op-ed partners, there may not be a salad bar at Applebee's, but Applebee's does serve steamed broccoli.