A month after losing to Danielle Veitch by 5 votes, 84 to 79, Michetti filed a petition calling for her opponent to be ousted and stripped of her tenure for at least seven years. . Tensions have boiled over at Pouce Coupe after Veach hosted a “tea party” campaign at a local pizzeria, according to court documents.
The September 18 event was described by Veach as a way for voters to “have tea or coffee and a nice cinnamon bun and ask questions about me and my plans to improve our community.” According to court documents, Veach spent $44.50 on drinks and pastries and then tipped the restaurant $50, totaling about $70.
However, the refreshments later became the basis of Michetti’s petition, in which she claimed that giving away food amounted to buying votes and “resulted in [Veach] win the election. ”
Judge Blanche then decided whether the snacks violated election rules expressly prohibiting “offering.”[ing] Incentivize voters to vote or not to vote, or to vote for a specific candidate. “
Michetti and Veach did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
During the four-day hearing, witnesses, some of whom attended the “tea party,” told the court that cinnamon rolls and coffee were not enough to sway their votes. One of them, Lisa Saffran, said she found the suggestion “completely ridiculous.”In the end, Branch ultimately upheld their assessment, ruling that “the simple drinks and bread served here do not meet the [the] Wire. “
“I find Mrs. Veach’s very limited refreshments here to be served out of simple human courtesy and courtesy, especially given that this is an early weekend morning gathering,” concluded Branch.
Whether it’s cinnamon buns in Canada or corn dogs at the Iowa State Fair — politics And food goes together like bread and butter.
“Politics is a social activity, and social activity has historically always included food,” Arendt said. “So whenever there is a community gathering, food is a big part of it. Since politics is fundamentally about bringing people together in a community, it makes sense to me that you see food being brought in as well of.”
Throughout the colonial era and the 19th century, campaigns rife with booze and food were so typical that they inspired at least two terms, Arendt says: “treating” and “watering planters with rogues.” George Washington himself was not averse to booze before Election Day—his campaign provided a whopping 144 gallons of rum, punch, hard cider, and beer as he ran for a seat in the Virginia House of Representatives.
But in food politics, “the pinnacle of presidential or candidate success” is a cake named after you, says Arendt — Washington Cake, Harrison Cake, Madison Cake or Jackson Cake.
Today, politicians are more likely to perpetuate the tradition by munching on local food or organizing “Hot House parties,” as Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) did during the 2020 presidential campaign. It did, when she fed voters a Minnesota staple with a casserole-like treat.
The last time cinnamon rolls entered politics appeared to be in 2019, when current Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was mocked for eating cinnamon rolls like chicken wings. While the Swedish pastry has even inspired an annual celebration—October 4 is Cinnamon Roll Day—it wasn’t enough to please voters.
At least according to those who testified at the Justice Department.
My “vote cannot be bought with a cup of coffee and a cinnamon bun,” witness Safran told the court.
