Never in the history of hops has a choice of beer taken on such huge national importance.
With the country looking on, President Obama will be serving up the suds — will it be Budweiser? Heineken? Sam Adams? or something else? — at the White House tomorrow to a black Harvard professor and the white cop who arrested him.
Obama, renowned professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Cambridge Sgt. James Crowley will convene at an outdoor picnic table, for a brew aimed at quelling a national flap over allegations of racial profiling.
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The story has been all over the news for the past two weeks — Gates was busted at his home by Crowley for disorderly conduct after the cop responded to a neighbor’s report that someone was trying to break into the professor’s home. The professor was trying to open a jammed door.
Obama amplified the situation by saying Crowley “acted stupidly,” then walked it back with the beer idea — an offer Gates referred to as a “teaching moment” in race relations.
Now, the question is what message Obama will send with his choice of brew — and the consensus choice of consultants and pundits was Sam Adams Lager, a Boston-based beer.
“Sam Adams is good idea,” said Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf, noting it’s made in Beantown and would add a nice regional flavor to the sit-down.
Marist College Polling Institute’s Lee Miringoff said Obama should go with Budweiser.
“At least he’s then making a statement to the blue-collar voters,” Miringoff added.
There was no shortage of ideas from the consultants about what types of beer should be avoided.
“If the average person hasn’t heard of it, they shouldn’t be drinking it,” said one, adding they should also avoid “light” or foreign beers.
Other no-nos?
“They should stay away from any beer brand that has any kind of political baggage on discrimination issues, Coors being the lead example,” said one Democratic consultant, referring to highly publicized instances 25 years ago of a Coors family member making derogatory statements about blacks.
There was also a notorious 1969 case where the company was charged with racial discrimination and found guilty a year later.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs at a briefing yesterday gave nothing away about the specifics, saying, “There’s no formal agenda other than cold beer. I think it’ll be a poignant moment.”