As campaign crumbles, 2016 presidential cookie contest commences
In efforts to sweeten a presidential election that has left a bad taste in nearly every voter鈥檚 mouth, Family Circle has announced the return of its Presidential Cookie Poll.
The premise is simple: , make a batch of Melania Trump鈥檚 Star Cookies and a batch of Clinton Family鈥檚 Chocolate Chip Cookies, taste, and cast your vote on the website.
Oh, if only electing the next president could be so clear-cut.
The Family Circle Presidential Cookie Poll has an illustrious history. Since 1992,聽Family Circle'蝉听聽has challenged candidates' spouses to put their best cookie forward and asked their readers to weigh in. The editors at Family Circle claim their contest has resulted in correctly calling the actual elections outcome in the past 24 years 鈥� except once.
In 2008,聽Cindy McCain's Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies beat out聽Michelle Obama's Shortbread Cookies, only to have聽John McCain聽lose to聽Barack Obama聽in the general election. Bill Clinton聽even got in the act that year with Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies to support Hillary Clinton鈥檚 first run for the White House. But, with a whiff of scandal, Bill鈥檚 recipe was actually Hillary鈥檚 recipe 鈥� recycled from when she participated in and won the first cookie contest against Barbara Bush鈥檚 more traditional Chocolate Chip Cookies.
In 2012, Michelle Obama鈥檚 White and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies won with the smallest of margins against Ann Romney鈥檚 M&M Cookies.
This time there鈥檚 no pretending that Bill, a vegan, is mixing up eggs and butter in the kitchen. The tried-and-true oatmeal chocolate chip recipe has been renamed for the entire Clinton family.
Hillary, in fact, is the reason the Presidential Cookie Poll even exists.
Back in 1992, when she was riding in the side-car for Bill's presidential bid, she got a bit direct when asked about her career in public service.
"You know, I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, but what I decided to do was to fulfill my profession, which I entered before my husband was in public life. And I tried very, very hard to be as careful as possible, and that's all that I can tell you," .
The backlash to her statement that appeared to elevate work outside the home over a more traditional homemaker path was fierce.
A quick-thinking publicist at Family Circle saw an opportunity to turn that political misstep into a fun cookie contest, .
Regina Ragone, now the food director at Family Circle, noted how the magazine was 'famous for recipes and cookies,' and that Hillary Clinton's remark seemed to be 'the perfect opportunity' to start a cookie competition. What started out as a gaffe, she says, became a fun contest, and that contest has become a tradition.
聽Let the fun continue. The Presidential Cookie Poll is open until Oct. 4.
