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Drinking the Ethanol

As the primary season grinds on, media searches for increasingly obscure issues about which to expound. But this week, some of the least important things about our presidential candidates have coincided with the biggest developing story in the world — the skyrocketing prices of basic foods.

First, the frivolous. We have Cindy McCain embarrassed by the revelation that she stole some of her "family" recipes (posted on her husband's site, but since removed) — from the Food Network, including Rachel Ray. Makes you wonder about John McCain's rib recipe. As if it mattered. Do we really care what Obama puts in his chili? Must we read cutesy articles about Michelle Obama's apple cobbler, and Hillary Clinton's chocolate chip oatmeal cookies?

This superficial hungryman appeal gets really meta when it's run through the pollster machine. Thus we are told that not only are we what we eat, but so is our presumptive nominee. As the New York Times put it, you might be a McCain/Clinton/Obama supporter depending on which brand of cereal, coffee, or snack food you prefer. Ugh.

Meanwhile, in the world around this self-absorbed crowd and their enablers, people are beginning to starve. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon this week warned that "the rapidly escalating crisis of food availability around the world has reached emergency proportions." The crisis could mean "seven lost years in the fight against worldwide poverty" as 100 million people plunge deeper into desperation.

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