1of21The campaign trail can be tough — insane travel itineraries, little sleep, all that hand-shaking — so keeping that calorie count up is important.
Some candidates take to it better than others, check out this slideshow to see politicians stuffing their faces while stuffing their campaign coffers.Charles Krupa / AP PhotoShow MoreShow Less2of21Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney eats ice cream from Millie's on the run before a fundraising event earlier this month in Nantucket, Mass.Evan Vucci / AP PhotoShow MoreShow Less3of21Winslow Townson / AP PhotoShow MoreShow Less4of21Go big or go home: If you have the opportunity to eat a pork chop on a stick in front of an American flag, you better get to chomping.APShow MoreShow Less5of21APShow MoreShow Less6of21Rule# 374: It's always a good idea to eat whatever "ethnic" food is presented to you — the broader your appeal the better.APShow MoreShow Less7of21Here, Mike Huckabee eats the same pork chop at the same event four years earlier.APShow MoreShow Less8of21Vice President Joe Biden, known mostly for putting his foot in his mouth puts other things in there too, like a Whiz-wit cheesesteak from Pat's King of Steaks, a Philly institution.APShow MoreShow Less9of21Nixon never learned to stay away from eating starchy pastes with your hands, it never looks good on camera.APShow MoreShow Less10of21But he gets bonus points for successfully using chopsticks.APShow MoreShow Less11of21Being seen with a hot dog is always good for your "normal Joe" image, but it can be tricky.APShow MoreShow Less12of21No one gets more Americana points than Ronald Reagan, seen here eating a Big Mac in Alabama.APShow MoreShow Less13of21Ice cream is a big favorite too, even among the losers like Michael Dukakis.APShow MoreShow Less14of21Ice cream is decidedly less patriotic, however, when you are eating it with Fidel Castro in Cuba. George McGovern doesn't seem to mind though.APShow MoreShow Less15of21The most important rule, however, is to make sure to eat the sweet corn in Iowa...or the Chowder in Boston...or the cheese slice in New York.APShow MoreShow Less16of21Even JFK partook in the time-honored tradition of the Iowa corn feed.ASSOCIATED PRESSShow MoreShow Less17of21Sometimes they make you feed other people. Probably not the best idea for a photo op, Gerry.APShow MoreShow Less18of21Very rarely will they ask you to feed an elephant, but Ike was always prepared for the unexpected.APShow MoreShow Less19of21Clinton was perhaps the best known campaign junk food junkie, but he also was well known for liking the ladies.APShow MoreShow Less20of21You'd think Romney would know that one of the bigger sins is stealing an old man's pancake.APShow MoreShow Less21of21But eating a hamburger in front of a sign that reads "Believe in America" brings you back on message.APShow MoreShow Less
Suburbia hasn’t been spared the political split that has the nation in a gridlock with less than a week before the election.
President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are on the same block with suburban voters, tied with 48 percent of likely voters each, according to a National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University. Analysis of a Pew Research Center poll by American University and Patchwork Nation shows Obama has a one point lead in suburbia overall.
Although Romney has a 5-point lead among suburban independents at 50 percent to Obama’s 45 percent. It’s different turf in urban communities, where Obama is leading 55-39 percent among independents.
The president has a slight edge with suburban undecideds, the Hofstra University study shows.
About 11 percent of those living in hamlet neighborhoods are swing voters, a sizable chunk that could make or break either candidate’s success with the demographic. Five percent lean toward Obama compared to Romney’s three percent.
The monied ‘burbs, highly educated and wealthier than the national average, house a large percentage of the population and are crucial come Tuesday. The communities strongly favored Obama during the 2008 campaign, according to Patchwork Nation data.
But it’s been a hard four years for suburbanites. Romney managed to peel away 14 percent of residents who voted for Obama in 2008, according to the Hofstra University study. Only four percent of John McCain backers now are supporting the president.
The president also might have an advantage among “emptying nest” counties, enclaves to the elderly and baby boomers, according to the American University and Patchwork Nation analysis.
They flocked to President George Bush in 2004, favoring him 56 percent to John Kerry’s 43 percent. This time around it’s another story. It’s tighter, but Obama has an 11 point edge with 52 percent compared to Romney’s 41 percent.
Many havens for retirees and the elderly are in swing states, key in winning a tight election where leads are so close. Emptying nest counties make up 11 percent of the Ohio population, 20 percent of Wisconsin’s and 32 percent of Iowa’s.
