26 June 2009
The Obama Hell Burger and Why John Kerry Lost
A few years ago in 2006 Charmaine and Your Business Blogger(R) did some original on-site reporting on a John Kerry campaign misstep.
The post Why John Kerry Lost the Big One & The Big Question For Political Scientists might address the same politician-populist questions that president Obama raises when he chows down with the common man.
Obama recently schlepped to Arlington across the Potomac River to eat a common burger at an uncommon eatery. Barack ate like a normal person except for maybe that Dijon mustard request…
The Dijon slip was not as bad as John Kerry’s Swiss goof.
Barack and Biden even waited in (a short) line and left a five dollar tip.
Charmaine took an hour from evaluating office space for her growing law firm and joined The Dude and me for a dining experience on par with the president of the US of A where Obama got his burger.
The line was some thirty strong when we arrived at Rays during the lunch hour. We order three Hell’s burger specials — the counter guy says business “was going up and up” since the Obama visit. The counter guy — wisely — would not talk politics. His job is to sell burgers.
Or did we look like conservatives?
Are Democrat politicians elitists? Looking for answers a while ago, Your Business Blogger(R) packed up kith and kin and headed to Philly.
To sit at the feet of John DiIulio, Ph.D., Harvard. Teaching now at the University of Pennsylvania, a former aide to President Bush.
John began by positing the central question for any political scientist visiting the home city of Ben Franklin:
Who has the best Philadelphia cheese steak?
John was addressing a packed ball room at the American Political Science Association annual weekend meeting (Labor Day, every year).
The Dude & Diva
at APSA
The question got a laugh, but I think Professor DiIulio was on to a smaller truth.
After the conference, Charmaine and I loaded up the Monster Suburban and decided to load up with Philly cheese steaks. And to teach a basic political lesson and business lesson to the Penta Posse. We drove to South Philly to the famous eatery where John Kerry lost the election.
Pat’s King of Steaks open 24 hours. Where we joined the queue snaking around the old joint built in 1930 and not upgraded since. And no one cares.
We avoided the 3 errors John Kerry committed at Pat’s: Parking, Table, Cheese.
The Dude at Pat’s
Error #1) Parking. Pat’s is located on a busy intersection with some five odd parking spaces. We did not find a space. No one does. But when John Kerry came to get greasy, his able advance staff staked out a spot for his limo to glid into. The Very Important Presidential candidate got a parking spot.
John Kerry ties on
the feed bag
Error #2) Table. There are about 5 tables for the dozens and dozens of customers. We couldn’t get a table. And no one cares. But the Kerry Advance Team, on that fateful day, nailed down a table. Even the reporters were beginning to wonder. There was no standing around for the Elite. No slopping steak droppings in the car, no sitting on the low brick wall next to the basketball courts across the street. Nosiree. The sitting Senator had a seat saved. And didn’t have to wait on no man.
The Whiz
Error #3) Cheese. The Philadelphia Cheese Steak from Pat’s is ordered, as everyone knows, Wiz Wit. Every one knows but Kerry, that is, who is not Everyman. Translated, this means Chees Whiz With onions, if you please. John Kerry ordered his steak sandwich with Swiss cheese. Swiss. I didn’t know Pat’s would inventory Swiss: Why bother with slow moving sku’s? Even the lapdog liberal reporters snorted. Ordering is simple and fast — making my offer of queue management consulting moot. A business process needing nothing more than processed cheese.
Just like politics.
Even the Penta Posse understood this.
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Thank you (foot)notes:
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Charmaine and I talked with John D. after his presentation. He tells us that the best cheese steak in Philly is from Tony Luke’s. Most Democrats, like John, know cheese steaks and politics.
This is an unpaid endorsement.
I cite has more on the APSA experience.
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