As you all know, I’m “TeaCentric” and somehow always manage to tie something back to tea. So, yesterday as I was sipping and sampling our newest blend, I had a thought about the upcoming Presidential election. Yes, Yes, I’ve been glued to the tube watching the debates just like everyone else, but my thoughts drifted back to tea. I wondered… if either party was a tea, what would they be?
So, I was Tweeting around Twitter and posed 2 questions to my followers:
1. If Obama were a tea, what would he be?
2. If McCain were a tea, what would he be?
We had some interesting replies. And since Twitter only allows you 140 characters, the responses were short, sweet and to the point. Just the way I like it. I suggested that McCain could be a Lapsang souchong – steeped well past 5 minutes.
Lapsang souchong’s flavor is strong and smoky, similar to the smell of a campfire or pipe tobacco. To me Lapsang souchong smells like bacon. This tea generally produces a strong reaction – either extremely positive or strongly negative. One man Twittered that he loved Lapsang and therefore could not sanction it as a McCain tea. His suggestion? “McCain would be a cheap brand of black tea, with chemical additives.” Ouch. I guess we know how he will vote.
I’ve no doubt that John McCain is probably a coffee drinker, but if he were a tea I could also see him as a regular English/Irish Breakfast or Keemun, given his roots and background. John was born in Panama and grew up in Northern Virginia. He is of Scot-Irish, Anglo-Irish and English descent. If he were a blend, my vote is for classic Earl Grey.
On the flip side I posed the same question about Obama. I suggested a Green tea or Herbal infusion like a Rooibos given his African roots. The tweets that came back ranged from: “Obama: maybe a Yunnan Gold, or a yummy Puerh” to “I think Obama would be a white tea (ironically) – very smooth and crisp but still with some interesting depth under it.”
While I absolutely don’t see Obama as Pu’erh, I thought it was interesting to see how others thought. Barack Obama was born and grew up for a time in both Hawaii and Jakarta which says to me that he has an overall appreciation for tea, especially tea blends with fruit. I can see him sipping our BoraBora (green tea with passionfruit) or Makiki (named after my old neighborhood in Honolulu) which is a green tea, pineapple, papaya blend. When in need of a caffeine boost, a smooth, silky Ceylon blended with currant or blueberry. In any case, the tea would have to be organic.
This isn’t a political forum, but I have to think…
Should the next President be some who slams a man for drinking Organic Berry Tea or a man who supports and drinks organic tea? Would it be that bad for our next President to discuss important economic and global matters with friend or foe over tea? Remember: Tea is second only to water in worldwide consumption and the majority of the world outside the United States drinks tea.
No matter your political party: Please Vote! (and drink tea!)
(Thank you to all the peeps who tweeted with me on Twitter yesterday!)
TeaLove® Blog 
[…] First to tweet about the Obama/McCain election, asking on Twitter if either candidate was a tea what would they be. A photo of the winning blend […]
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Great Post! I’ll have to jump over to Twitter and add my two cents. I’ve never thought much about how a person’s personality might equate to tea. This may take some thought.
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