Beer Diplomacy Update: Obama Chooses Bud Light
Our unscientific poll found widespread support for Sam Adams, the patriot-named brew that comes from the same area where the Gates/Crowley incident took place.
As of this writing, 37 percent voted for the president to serve Sam Adams, while 13 percent said he should serve Budweiser. Nine percent chose Blue Moon, and just two percent pointed to Red Stripe or Becks.
Another 22 percent said the president should go with "something else," while 15 percent said "all of the above."
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters Wednesday that the president has made his decision: According to Gibbs, Mr. Obama will be drinking Bud Light. Gibbs suggested that there will be other beers on offer as well.
"[I've read] that Professor Gates said he liked Red Stripe, and I believe Sergeant Crowley mentioned to the President that he liked Blue Moon. So we'll have the gamut covered tomorrow afternoon," he said.
As Hotsheet noted yesterday, Red Stripe might be a controversial option, since it's from Jamaica. The White House generally does not stock foreign brews, in a tradition dating back to the Johnson administration.
Backers of Sam Adams might not want to give up hope just yet: The Associated Press is reporting that Massachusetts lawmaker Richard Neal sent a letter to the president pressing him to offer the Boston beer on Thursday.
In a bid to boost local breweries, Neal said Mr. Obama could also opt for other Massachusetts-based beers, including Harpoon.