Pancakes and Politics
In honor of pancake week and with a minimal amount of research, what I know is this. As far back as I cared to look was 1445. So the story goes, in condensed form, a woman had saved some fat to make pancakes with for it was now Lent and fat was off the table (excuse the pun). She was in the middle of making pancakes when the Church bells rang to announce Shrive Day. It was time to confess. In her haste to get to Church on time she showed up with apron and pan in hand. Somehow Tuesday became Shrove Day. So it appears the timing makes some sense.
source: Southwest Daily Times (Liberal, Kansas: no, that’s the name of the city)
I like pancakes. I remember the days when IHOP was a big deal. I still like their crepes. In my part of the world we have a small restaurant simply named The Pancake Place. Oh ya, they make some great pancakes. The family favorite appears to be banana nut but I prefer buckwheat. And I’m insane for boysenberry syrup, rather boysenberry anything. BTW, their pancakes are the same diameter as the plate and 3/8 to 1/2 an inch thick. You can order one or more. Trust me, three is plenty. They have flavored half and half for the coffee. And it’s always crowded.
It was a tradition at the Boy Scout camp in my area to serve pigs in a blanket when I was a kid. It was served on the last day of camp, just before we packed up to return home. With so many people they had huge tub like containers to accommodate all the food for the guests. The first time I viewed this inspired awe. Huge containers near overflowing with pancakes filled with porkies and smothered in syrup, cinnamon and sugar. Slept all the way home.
A common practice for all manner of public functions is a pancake and porkie breakfast or some version of that. Pancakes of course are always included. The companion food varies. I have been known to fly a plane or two and a breakfast fly-in with pancakes and whatever is popular. That is my unplanned take on pancakes. Pass the coffee.
Now to the politics of pancakes.
Hillary Clinton Faces Challenge of Iowa’s `Retail’ Politics
By Kristin Jensen
Jan. 29 (Bloomberg) — For many presidential hopefuls, the first campaign trip to Iowa is about pancake breakfasts, church socials and quiet chats with voters. Not so for Hillary Clinton.
Oh, Iowa was just a buzz with the arrival of Hillary. According to the report above, retail politics is what will decide the nomination. Also they attribute Hillary’s current polling and popularity to her star appeal. Please, another report characterizes her as a bad version of Bill Clinton and I am still trying to figure out what that is supposed to mean. And the funny thing about Jensen’s piece is the follow with Edwards and Obama leading in Iowa. Go figure.
Then she says Iowa can make or break a candidate. In terms of states, any one of the heavy electoral vote states can doom a candidate who loses. A reference to Kerry winning Iowa in 2004 fails to mention that Kennedy and the party power brokers annointed Kerry then. I suppose when a campaign starts this early with so many candidates and additional potential candidates, the press doesn’t no where to go or what to say. It’s cheap fill for the daily fish wrap.
Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com
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