Opinion: No nosh for Hizzoner this time
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Eating is usually a sometime thing on the presidential campaign trail. Campaign workers very quickly learn to grab a bite whenever the opportunity presents itself, hopefully a freebie, because the days are very long, the expense accounts are very slim and the complicated entourages that surround presidential candidates are not pulling over to some convenience store because a couple of folks are hungry.
The candidates themselves usually eat enroute to the next stop because they’re too busy speaking or gladhanding at the political event to actually eat.
Such was the case recently for Rudy Giuliani, a noted food lover whose waistline has sometimes showed it. During a quiet campaign foray into California the other day, Giuliani was mainly after money at private fundraisers. But most days campaigns plan some live event before noon to capture free media exposure for the rest of the day. So the former New York mayor stopped by a bagel shop in Irvine at breakfast time.
Giuliani loves bagels, at least the New York variety. He was always betting a supply of them against other mayors in friendly sports bets. He shook a lot of hands at the shop. He confided to some diners he hoped to take some time off over the July Fourth holiday, maybe play some golf. He planted one kiss on a supporter, responded to friendly applause, smiled for some photos and even autographed a paper cup.
He did sip some coffee, which he praised. But soon the Republican presidential candidate was out the door to his SUV caravan without even tasting a California bagel for the cameras.
‘I know he’s on a bit of a time crunch,’ said Scott Thompson, the shop manager. ‘I didn’t take it personally.’
An aide said later the mayor wasn’t snubbing the West Coast’s version of New York’s legendary nosh. ‘He ate earlier,’ the spokesman explained. Presumably sometime after too.
--Andrew Malcolm