Have any republicans stopped buying Heinz ketchup?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around whether Republicans have boycotted Heinz ketchup due to its association with Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of Democratic candidate John Kerry. Participants explore the implications of political affiliations on consumer choices, particularly in the context of food products.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express that they do not let political affiliations influence their purchasing decisions, citing examples like buying Ben & Jerry's ice cream.
  • One participant humorously questions if keeping ketchup on the right side of the fridge changes its political implications.
  • Another participant suggests that the idea of boycotting Heinz is foolish, referencing the "Freedom Fries" movement as an example of misguided political actions.
  • There is a mention that Heinz Corporation has donated more to Republicans than Democrats, which raises questions about the perceived political ties of the company.
  • Some participants speculate about the personal preferences of the Kerry family regarding condiments, particularly in relation to their political image.
  • A participant notes that Heinz faced protests, indicating that the issue may have had some traction outside of the forum's discussions.
  • Several comments delve into the cultural significance of cheesesteaks and how they relate to the discussion, with varying opinions on what constitutes a proper cheesesteak.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether boycotting Heinz is justified or if it is a trivial matter. Multiple competing views remain regarding the influence of political affiliations on consumer behavior and the cultural significance of food choices.

Contextual Notes

Some claims about political donations and consumer behavior are based on anecdotal evidence and personal opinions, and there are unresolved assumptions about the impact of political affiliations on purchasing decisions.

wasteofo2
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I just made a sandwich and put ketchup on it (Heinz), and thought to myself, "Wow, all these years of buying Heinz, my family's bassically been supporting the Kerry campaign even before it started." Which led me to wonder, have any of you republicans boycotted Heinz?
 
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No. I don't take politics to the personal level. I buy Ben & Jerry's ice cream too. And most of the music I listen to is to the Left.
 
Does it still count if you keep the ketchup on the right side of the fridge?

- Warren
 
Is this the same as sleeping with your textbook under your pillow?
 
wasteofo2 said:
I just made a sandwich and put ketchup on it (Heinz), and thought to myself, "Wow, all these years of buying Heinz, my family's bassically been supporting the Kerry campaign even before it started." Which led me to wonder, have any of you republicans boycotted Heinz?
No, I consider such actions to be pretty idiotic ("Freedom Fries?" gimme a break) - and I like B&J's iced cream too.
 
Who cares how companies send their money, its theirs after all.

B&J's ice cream is the best!
 
I'm just waiting for Kerry to pocket the campaign money, go on television and announce:

"I am no longer campaigning, in the usual sense. From now on ,I will be ordering you all to vote for me. If you do not, ketchup production will stop, and you will have to go 4 years with off-brand ketchup. My wife is a billionare, and because of this, so am I. We do not need anymore profit, we've been supplying the ketchup out of the goodness of our hearts. Please do not force my hand. "

At that point, I would vote for Kerry - I made the mistake of buying something other than heinz one time...worst ketchup ever!
 
It would be a very amusing political tactic.

Theresa Heinz owns only 2-2.5 % of Heinz. She has kept her money separate from Kerry's, other than one house that they own jointly. Heinz corporation, though donating to both political parties, has donated significantly more to Republicans than Democrats.

Njorl
 
Njorl said:
Theresa Heinz owns only 2-2.5 % of Heinz. She has kept her money separate from Kerry's, other than one house that they own jointly. Heinz corporation, though donating to both political parties, has donated significantly more to Republicans than Democrats.

Really. Seems rather odd considering that she is married to the Democratic candidate :biggrin:. http://www.johnkerry.com/about_teresa/

BTW, I heard her speak during the Democratic rally last week at NC State University, she has a fairly strong accent and slower in speech compared to the other speakers.
 
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  • #10
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette regarding conservative criticism of Kerry for imagined ties to Heinz Corporation:

Although it is a sad commentary on the political culture that Heinz officials have to fend off suggestions that could lead to an ignorant boycott of its products, it may be that some on the left are piling the ketchup on their tofu burgers under the same mistaken impression of a link to the Kerry campaign. Those on the far right aren't the only stupid ones. Extreme partisanship drives everyone crazy.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04091/293824.stm
 
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  • #11
loseyourname said:
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette regarding conservative criticism of Kerry for imagined ties to Heinz Corporation:



http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04091/293824.stm

I really dont' thnk anyone here thought that Kerry, or his wife, have any real influence on Heinz as a whole.
 
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  • #12
Perhaps not on PF, but Heinz was getting protests. Maybe it hasn't been much of an issue outside of Pittsburgh.
 
  • #13
When John and Ter-ay-sah Kerry have one of their late night snacks of pate de foie gras on crackers, do they reach for the Heinz ketchup or their cache of Grey Poupon Dijon mustard?
 
  • #14
Since John was educated in Europe, he probabably has his own little off-brand Dijon mustard. The Americanized version that is sold in supermarkets is a joke to the French.
 
  • #15
Are we honestly discussing what kind of mustard John Kerry uses in the politics forum?
 
  • #16
loseyourname said:
Are we honestly discussing what kind of mustard John Kerry uses in the politics forum?
The point is, how many Heinz products do you suppose are in the Kerry pantry. I don't think many of the meals the Kerry's eat call for ketchup or gerkins. Do you remember Kerry ordering a Philly chessesteak sandwich with Swiss cheese and then compounding the error by eating it like a sissy. Philly cheesesteak sandwiches are meant to be scarf down with Chez Whiz. This man has no clue.
 
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  • #17
Robert Zaleski said:
The point is, how many Heinz products do you suppose are in the Kerry pantry. I don't think many of the meals the Kerry's eat call for ketchup or gerkins. Do you remember Kerry ordering a Philly chessesteak sandwich with Swiss cheese and then compounding the error by eating it like a sissy. Philly cheesesteak sandwiches are meant to be scarf down with Chez Whiz. This man has no clue.
There are few outside southeastern PA who understand the true nature of The Cheesesteak.
 
  • #18
Robert Zaleski said:
The point is, how many Heinz condiments do you suppose are in the Kerry pantry. I don't think many of the meals the Kerry's eat call for ketchup. Do you remember Kerry ordering a Philly chessesteak sandwich with Swiss cheese and then compounding the error by eating it like a sissy. Philly cheesesteak sandwiches are meant to be scarf down with Chez Whiz.

As a native Philadelphian who has consumed at least 5000 cheese steaks I assure you, they do not involve cheez whiz. The original stuff used at "Pat's" looked like cheez whiz, but did not contain the 50% salt that cheez whiz has.
Also, it is not a cheesesteak sandwich. It is a cheesesteak. Or, as I always heard it, "Chistek, fry oyuh?" Which is mediterranean immigrant speak for,"You want a cheesesteak. Do you want fried onions with that?" When giving someone a cheesesteak, there is no time for extraneous words!

The evolution of the cheesesteak is truly a wonderous thing. I think the most dominant subspecies is now the provolone variety, though that may be an artifact of observation. I eat so many of them that the local proprieters might just assume that is the way they should be made. It could be that if I am not residing in your area temporarily, that provolone would not be dominant. I have had them with swiss cheese, and it is good for a change, but certainly not the best way to have it. Until you have eaten at least a hundred with "normal" cheeses, I wouldn't recommend swiss. It could warp you in some unhealthy way.

It could be said that there is no wrong way to eat a cheesesteak. IT WOULD BE WRONG! You people going to "Jerry's subs" and getting lettuce and mayonnaise on those ... those ... whatever they are they aren't cheesesteaks!
Njorl
 
  • #19
Remind me not to bring up the subjects of cheese and sandwiches around anyone from Philadelphia.
 
  • #20
Stay tuned for next week's episode, when our Galloping Gourmet (you do a lot of galloping after eating 5,000 cheesesteaks) chit chats with Rocky Balboa on his techniques for tenderizing cheesesteak beef.
 
  • #21
Robert Zaleski said:
The point is, how many Heinz products do you suppose are in the Kerry pantry. I don't think many of the meals the Kerry's eat call for ketchup or gerkins.
Apparently, Theresa hands out packets of Heinze ketchup as a treat for trick or treat. Perhaps she gets a complimentary supply of ketchup packets?
 
  • #22
kat said:
Apparently, Theresa hands out packets of Heinze ketchup as a treat for trick or treat.
And then writes the whole thing off as a charitable contribution. By the way Kat, did you mean to say trick instead of treat?
 
  • #23
JohnDubYa said:
Remind me not to bring up the subjects of cheese and sandwiches around anyone from Philadelphia.
Beware the wrath of the scorned Philadelphian: my sister once ordered a "Cheese Steak" in LA and got a sirloin with a piece of cheese on it. She was none too happy.
 
  • #24
It was her fault for not calling it a cheese steak SANDWICH.
 

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