From Gumbo to Doughnuts

Last week, a New Orleans restauranteur was enticing presidential candidate Barack Obama with gumbo. Yesterday, he was in the District of Columbia (where I live), and the campaign venue was a doughnut shop.

That small orange-and-white box that Obama is holding in the photo is filled with doughnuts. Here's the YouTube clip of Obama entering a Dunkin' Donuts outlet — definitely a better choice than Krispy Kreme.

When you listen, you'll notice that the cheering is loudest when he emerges from the shop with a box full of fresh, hot doughnuts. And don't tell me that's a coincidence.

Just for the record, Obama ordered a dozen doughnuts and a dozen hot chocolates for him and the campaign volunteers who flanked him. Obama allowed the Dunkin' Donuts employee to choose the assorted dozen (say it ain't so). Some critical leadership decisions should not be delegated.

Obama swept the primaries in Maryland, Virginia and D.C., and, much to my chagrin, none of the pundits were willing to give the doughnuts their share of the credit.