McRib sandwiches are back and Obama is no doubt so there

McRib sandwiches are back after 16 years of absence most everywhere.

And no one is likely happier than the nation's top fastfood chomper, Barack Obama, who's been pulling his presidential motorcades over at the slightest hunger twinge during all these useless political trips he's making across the country to show his efforts to salvage less of a Democratic defeat in the midterm elections next month.

But the Eater-in-Chief mainly does the fast-food thing when he travels alone.

First Lady Michelle Obama is on a new national health food kick, despite her husband's proclivity for participating in fast snacks. She even wants the country's restaurants to rewrite their menus and eliminate some best-selling but less-healthy dishes. Good luck with that, ma'am.

Philly cheesesteak sandwiches (two, actually) in Philly. And on Monday in Miami, the president pulled over for a sloppy sausageburger topped with fries. He then told reporters not to tell his wife. Which they didn't not do.

The president's next opportunity for fast-food is Friday when, for some strange reason, he and his cheeseburger buddy Joe Biden are going to campaign together in Delaware, both of them without their wives.

Why Delaware, you might ask?

Good question. According to polls, Democrat Chris Coons is far ahead of Republican Christine O'Donnell in the race for Biden's very old Senate seat. (The two debated Wednesday evening, we had full coverage and a complete topic recap right here.)

So why aren't the big White House guns aimed at some tighter race where their appearance might matter more? Has polling showed some Coons' sagging.

Or is it the big fast-food opportunities in the small state?

Obama can't fill his presidential piehole with 44 grams of McRib carbs on Sunday when he goes to Columbus, Ohio, because the Mrs. will be along with him. A nice Cobb saldad that day on Air Force One.

Anyway, the good calendrical caloric news for the president is that on election day, Nov. 2, when the real news of the day is likely to be not so good, the other news is that McDonald's is bringing back McRibs nationally after they've only been available episodically regionally for the last several years. At least for six weeks anyway.

Not that we would know, but we hear McRibs have nothing to do with ribs at all. They are instead six-inch, boneless pork patties shaped like a rib slab and slathered with BBQ sauce, pickles and hold the onions because that's a dead giveaway if she checks his breath.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo: CBS News (the president downs another Philly cheesesteak).

Comments

[Victor Currie]

I'm not sure he actually has time for a McRib. It might cut into his golf game.

[Rayman]

I agree Victor that is why Republicans cant win back the house because we will never see John Bohner in the chamber. He will be getting his tan and in the goldf course. But, who am I to say I mean we had George W Bush golfing with his cronnies while we began invading Iraq. Who cared how Iraq turn out back then as long as Bushy hit a hole in one.

[Chris Strickland]

What kind of story is this? The McRib has NOT been absent from the menu for 16 years. It comes available evry year or two across most of the country. A McRib story would be trite and pointless fluff in itself but the subject of the article seems to actually be politics. The headline is misleading. I cannot believe the LA Times allows writing of such poor quality to be passed off as journalism.

(AM responds: Can't believe we let people like this pass themselves off as commenters. McRibs have been absent nationally for 16 years, as the item says, and have been available regionally episodically as the item says. Now, they're back nationally. For a while. Thanks for reading.)

[Tim Cox]

This story was a waste of my time and reeks of the authors wishful thinking about the elections. I think the Republicans will be in for a shock or maybe not so, they know the truth but have been spewing propoganda. Democrats will still own the House and Senate.Enjoy the ride, we have six more years of President Obama.

[R. Bolla]

I thought Muslims won't eat pork.

[respectful]

Why does the media address President Obama as Obama however, address his wife as First Lady Michelle Obama? I think that is disrespectful the media never addressed President Bush as Bush.

[Don]

they should make it a permant menu item.

(AM responds: They say they tried that and after a few months, sales plummet as apparently people get tired of it, unlike burgers. So they bring it back now and then here and there. This time everywhere -- for a while.)

[Long Lance]

You think that, after years of smoking and wolfing down garbage like the McRib, the "Kenyan mistake" is going to entrust himself to the rotten healthcare system he has condemned the rest of us to? FAT CHANCE!

[c'est moi]

Oh, bull McPoop.

[Charlie Waffles]

Where exactly is the McRib? You say it's back, but you don't say where. Thanks.

Oh, and I guess you must have missed when the McRib was in LA this past winter. Great research.

(AM responds: If you get a chance, read the actual item next time before commenting. Great reading.)

[Karen]

Well, I think that is disrespectful the media never addressed President Bush as Bush. We should respect him.

[Dragon]

@ R. Bolla: Guess that means he's not a muslim then, eh? Ignoramus.

[sophie]

I find this whole post pretty demeaning, no less to the writer himself.