George H. W. Bush broccoli comments

Photographic portrait of George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush in 1989

During his tenure as the 41st president of the United States, George H. W. Bush frequently mentioned his distaste for broccoli, famously saying: "I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid. And my mother made me eat it. Now I'm president of the United States. And I'm not gonna eat any more broccoli!"[1] Bush's views on broccoli were seen as out of touch with Americans, as broccoli was becoming more popular and was referred to as the "vegetable of the 80s".[2]

Hillary Clinton and Tipper Gore, wives of Democratic nominees for president and vice president Bill Clinton and Al Gore, were seen holding a sign that stated: "Let's put broccoli in the White House again."[3] After Bush left office, he occasionally mentioned his dislike of broccoli. Bush's son, George W. Bush, mentioned his father's dislike of broccoli in a eulogy at his father's funeral.[4]

Comments and analysis

George H. W. Bush served as the 41st president of the United States from 1989 to 1993.[5] During his presidency, he frequently mentioned his distaste for broccoli. The first mention was made in March 1990, when Bush joked that the workers in the Office of Personnel Management would get their merit pay "in broccoli".[6] Soon after, U.S. News & World Report reported a story stating that Bush had banned broccoli from Air Force One.[7] On March 22,[8] when asked if he had "lost the broccoli vote",[6] Bush said:

I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I'm President of the United States, and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli! ... For the broccoli vote out there, Barbara [Bush's wife] loves broccoli. She's tried to make me eat it. She eats it all the time herself. So, she can go out and meet the caravan of broccoli that's coming in [from Washington].[9][10]

In response, the broccoli-growers of California, who produced over 90 percent of America's broccoli,[11] pledged to send several trucks of the vegetable to the White House. George Dunlop, the president of the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association, gave First Lady Barbara Bush a bouquet of broccoli and an additional 10-tons of the vegetable in trucks.[12] A few days later, Bush hosted a state dinner to honor Tadeusz Mazowiecki, the prime minister of Poland. Journalists noted that there was no broccoli on the menu as the tons of broccoli given to the first family had been donated to the Capital Area Food Bank.[13] Bush contrasted Poland's protest against totalitarianism with his "rebellion against broccoli".[14] Following Bush's comments, broccoli saw an increase in popularity, with its sale rising by 10 percent.[12] A supermarket sales director told the Los Angeles Times that "Broccoli has never enjoyed so much publicity".[12]

Broccoli was becoming popular in the United States and had been referred by Gary Lucier of the Department of Agriculture as the "vegetable of the 80s".[2][15] Consumption of broccoli had doubled in that decade, increasing from an annual average of 3 pounds (1.4 kilograms) per person in 1980 to 6.8 pounds (3.1 kilograms) per person in 1988.[16] Because of Bush's comments, broccoli was frequently referred to as a "political vegetable".[17][18]

When asked about the effect of Bush's comments on children, Barbara Bush replied that: "He [Bush] ate broccoli until he was 60. Tell them [children] to eat it until they are 60."[19] Bush's anti-broccoli comments were later criticized,[20] and opened up a nationwide debate on Bush's eating habits, in particular his fondness for unhealthy foods such as beef jerky.[21][22] Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, referred to Bush's statements as "a stupid joke that undermines a serious effort to promote better nutrition ...".[23] Campbell Soup Company and Woman's Day magazine organized a recipe contest titled: "How to Get President Bush to Eat Broccoli"; the winner received $7,500 (equivalent to $16,777 in 2023).[24][25]

Eric Ostermeier, a researcher at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, recorded seventy instances where Bush had mentioned his hatred of the vegetable during his presidency.[6] In May 1991, Bush's thyroid condition was diagnosed to be Graves' disease.[26] It led many Americans to write letters to Bush, insisting that he eat more broccoli due to its health benefits.[27] Bush's comments on broccoli, along with an incident in which he vomited on the prime minister of Japan, Kiichi Miyazawa, were seen as examples of Bush's tendency for political gaffes.[28]

Aftermath

George Bush
@GeorgeHWBush
 Twitter logo, a stylized blue bird

Proud of young Cooper's interest in healthy eating. His declared love of broccoli is genuine, if also unpersuasive.
Image of the letter from Cooper

June 25, 2016[29]

Hillary Clinton and Tipper Gore, wives of Democratic nominees for president and vice president Bill Clinton and Al Gore, were seen holding a sign which stated: "Let's put broccoli in the White House again".[3][30] In 2001, Bush's son and the 43rd president George W. Bush received substantial media attention after he gave a thumbs-down to broccoli on a state visit to Mexico; Mexico's president Vicente Fox was a keen broccoli-grower.[31][32]

At an anti-obesity event for children in 2013, Barack Obama, the 44th president, announced that his favorite food was broccoli.[33] These remarks were contrasted with those of Bush.[34]

After leaving the office, Bush occasionally mentioned his dislike of broccoli.[35][36][37] George W. Bush mentioned his father's dislike of broccoli in a eulogy at his 2018 funeral.[38]

See also

References

  1. ^ "George Bush's broccoli rebellion". Chicago Tribune. March 25, 1990. ProQuest 282774823.
  2. ^ a b Duston, Diane (March 24, 1990). "Bush out of step on broccoli". The Gettysburg Times. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2021 – via Google News.
  3. ^ a b Bhat, Devika (July 11, 2013). "Obama Puts Broccoli Before Burgers In New Greens Policy". The Times. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  4. ^ "Read George W. Bush's full eulogy for his father". NBC News. 2018-12-05. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  5. ^ Dionne Jr., E. J. (November 9, 1988). "The 1988 Elections". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 5, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c Ostermeier, Eric (July 9, 2013). "George H.W. Bush: Hater of Broccoli". Smart Politics. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  7. ^ Dowd, Maureen (March 23, 1990). "'I'm President,' So No More Broccoli!". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  8. ^ "It Was Man vs. Vegetable". Lincoln Journal Star. March 27, 1990. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Bush's Broccoli Hatred Flowers Into Presidential Proclamation". Los Angeles Times. March 22, 1990. ProQuest 281028692. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  10. ^ McGrath, Jim (2002). Heartbeat: George Bush in His Own Words. Charles Scribner's Sons. pp. 77–82. ISBN 978-0-7432-2479-6. Retrieved December 7, 2021 – via Open Library.
  11. ^ Lundin, Diana E. (March 28, 1990). "Bush's Broccoli Bashing Steams Vegetable Producers". Great Falls Tribune. Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b c Lauter, David (March 27, 1990). "Broccoli Stalks Bush on White House Lawn : Veggies: First Lady accepts California gift, but most of it goes to charity. Flap gives pundits food for thought". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  13. ^ Carman, Tim (December 5, 2018). "As President, George H. W. Bush Never Wavered From His Hard Line On Broccoli". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  14. ^ Fesperman, Dan (March 23, 1990). "When It Comes To Eating Broccoli, President Bush Just says, 'No'". Press & Sun-Bulletin. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "The U.S. President Who Hated 'The Vegetable Of The '80s'". CBS News. March 26, 2020. Archived from the original on March 31, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  16. ^ "Bush Hates Broccoli, But Others Love It". St. Cloud Times. March 24, 1990. Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Neporent, Liz (July 10, 2013). "Obama's Favorite Food Quip Rekindles Broccoli Debate". ABC News. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  18. ^ Newman, Dodi; Nelton, Sharon (April 20, 1994). "On the Broccoli Bandwagon". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  19. ^ "Bush: 'No More Broccoli'". Standard-Speaker. March 23, 1990. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ MacVean, Mary (October 29, 1991). "Not Everyone Laughs At Broccoli Jokes". Longview Daily News. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Smith, Curt (2014). George H. W. Bush: Character At The Core. University of Nebraska Press. p. 148. ISBN 978-1-61234-685-4. Retrieved December 7, 2021 – via Open Library.
  22. ^ Rubenstein, Diane (2008). This is Not a President: Sense, Nonsense, and The American Political Imaginary. New York University Press. p. 83. ISBN 978-0-8147-7602-5. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021 – via Google Books.
  23. ^ MacVean, Mary (October 29, 1991). "Not Everyone Laughs At Broccoli Jokes". Longview Daily News. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ Little, Janye (October 29, 1991). "Recipe Aims To Get Bush To Eat Broccoli". Longview Daily News. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ "Try It, You'll Like It". United Press International. August 28, 1991. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  26. ^ Okie, Susan (May 10, 1991). "Bush's Thyroid Condition Diagnosed As Graves' Disease". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 12, 2019. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  27. ^ Levy, Peter B. (1996). Encyclopedia of the Reagan–Bush Years. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-313-29018-3. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021 – via Google Books.
  28. ^ Kaid, Lynda L.; Holtz-Bacha, Christina (2008). Encyclopedia of Political Communication. SAGE Publications. p. 114. ISBN 978-1-4129-1799-5. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021 – via Google Books.
  29. ^ George Bush [@GeorgeHWBush] (June 25, 2016). "Proud of young Cooper's interest in healthy eating. His declared love of broccoli is genuine, if also unpersuasive". Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021 – via Twitter.
  30. ^ Reinsberg, Hillary (July 9, 2013). "Hillary Clinton Wanted Broccoli In The White House Back In 1992". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on November 25, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  31. ^ "Haunted By Broccoli". Wired. February 20, 2001. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  32. ^ Walker, Tim (July 10, 2013). "How Broccoli became a Political Hot Potato: Provocative Remarks By President Obama About His Favourite Vegetable Have Reignited a Bitter Ideological Debate". The Independent. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  33. ^ Kliff, Sarah (July 9, 2013). "Barack Obama Loves Broccoli. So Does America!". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  34. ^ Holland, Steve (July 10, 2013). Joyce, Stacey (ed.). "Obama Claims Broccoli Is His Favorite Food". Washington: Reuters. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  35. ^ Diaz, Daniella (June 25, 2016). "George H. W. Bush Still Hates Broccoli". CNN. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  36. ^ Walsh, Kenneth T. (June 27, 2016). "Bush 41 Still Battling Broccoli". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on 2019-04-11. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  37. ^ Stump, Scott (June 27, 2016). "George H. W. Bush Politely Shoots Down 5-Year-Old's Case For Him To Eat Broccoli". Today. NBC News. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  38. ^ Smith, David (December 6, 2018). "Washington mourns George H. W. Bush As Trump Gives Cold Shoulder To Clintons". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2021.

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