Sometimes political insight comes at the most unusual times and from the strangest places. I participated in a chili cook-off last weekend at one of my favorite watering holes, SRO, and it helped crystallize what politics is all about.
First, the cook-off was open to anyone. Just like anyone can run for office. You just had to put your chili out there. There were six cooks who threw their dishes into the ring. When I arrived I was met by one of the cooks who was standing in front of the SRO smoking, he said “vote for number four.” I assumed, correctly, that was the chili he made.
This helped me completely understand why there is no politicking or campaigning within a certain distance of polling sites. When you are voting, the last thing you want is someone trying to influence your vote as you enter the polling place. I didn’t cast a vote for number four.
Then there was the placement of the chili. Did placement on the table influence which chili was considered the best? This is like the issue that candidates for political office sometimes fight over: whose name will be first on the ballot. What I observed was the first chili was receiving the most votes. Research indicates that the first place on the ballot may receive up to 5 percent more votes simply based upon position. That’s why politicians want to be the first name on the ballot.
One of the cooks brought ten friends with him. That’s the same as getting out the vote. His friends were quite familiar with his chili and loved it. The cook’s tenacity guaranteed that he had a head start in the balloting. He got out the vote.
What would an election be without money? People who bought more drinks got more tickets to vote for the chili they liked best. Just like in our political system, those who spent the most money had the most sway in determining the winner of the chili cook-off. This also provided an advantage to the cook who brought 10 friends. If they each had two drinks, the cook could almost count on 20 votes.
There were also those who tasted all the chilies but decided not to cast a vote. It could be they didn’t like any of the choices or they simply did not care. Maybe they thought their vote would not make a difference. Perhaps like citizens who do not vote in our political elections.
Have you noticed I haven’t mentioned anything about how the different the chilies tasted? There were all these other influences that determined the results in the cook-off. I am sure that taste played a role, but it was probably not the determinant factor for the winner.
As we approach the election of our next mayor, will you simply vote for the candidate your friends like? Will you be swayed by biased campaign ads? Or polls in the media? Or will you base your vote on which candidate satisfies your taste for the future direction of America’s Finest City?
Stampp Corbin
Publisher
San Diego LGBT Weekly
