With discussions of President Obama ordering Dijon mustard on his hamburger the other day continuing unabated, David Frum points out this practice is common in Texas and among Republican Congressmen. Moreover, the restaurant credited with introducing the hamburger doesn’t allow ketchup! (Of course, they ban mustard, too.)
While I personally despite mustard, I tend not to draw judgments about a man based on how he likes his burgers. Then again, I voted against John Kerry despite sharing his belief that Provolone is far superior on a cheesesteak than Cheez Whiz.
Oddly, the thing that most bothered me about the Obama-Biden trip to Ray’s Hell Burgers but that has gone unremarked elsewhere is the visit itself. While it’s great that they waited in line just like everybody else, the required motorcade and Secret Service scrub created havok for miles around. It’s one thing to do that for official state business and quite another to grab a burger and do a quick photo-op.
This isn’t either personal or partisan. All presidents do it. And I understand their desire to get outside their bubble every once in awhile. The problem is that they bring their bubble with them and create a massive inconvenience for everybody that gets caught up in the wake.
