What do the candidates eat?

In the photo above, we can see that John Kerry had what appears to be a medium Frosty. In a prior report, I had wondered whether he ordered a small Frosty off the Value Menu. Apparently he had not.

Also, in front of him you can see the chili.

The Edwards appear to have ordered burger combos; the exect burger configuration cannot be determined from the photo. Here is a better photo of their selections, shot in a product-up-front way that would make a Wendy's professional proud. And, here's a closer shot with Kerry's chili in the foreground. I would appreciate the input of any Wendy's aficionados who could identify John Edwards' sandwich.

Now, from this longer shot of the entire table, one can see the apparent sparsity of THK's selection. It appears she is just dawdling over tea or some such. Apparently, Wendy's selection of American food disagrees with her delicate continental palate. Of course, she also appears to be reaching for something. Could it be food, or just a napkin?

In non-Wendy's related pictures, here's John Kerry emoting, and here he is emoting again. And, here's a stylistic shot of the candidate.

And, here's a shot of close Kerry family friend Ben Affleck with a Wendy's drink in his hand. Mr. Affleck is, of course, no stranger to product placements!

And, here's a picture of John Kerry with some Marines.

Which all brings us to "Teresa Plugs Heinz Foods in First Post-Convention Outing":

The Heinz Kerrys were dining with John and Elizabeth Edwards at a Wendy's in Newburgh, N.Y., when the quirky ketchup heiress told reporters that the dish she ordered was surprisingly good. [This does not necessarily mean the disproval of the above theory. At this moment there is no proof - pictoral or otherwise - she ordered her own chili. She could simply have tasted a bit of John Kerry's chili. --LW]

"It's good chili," she announced. "It could even be made by Heinz."

Photos of the episode show Kerry, Edwards and Edwards' wife smiling as they toast the would-be second couple's 27th wedding anniversary with Wendy's sodas, while Mrs. Heinz Kerry looks on without joining in...

The [Marines linked to above], stationed at nearby Stewart Air Force Base, replied tersely, then later complained to reporters that Kerry had "imposed" on their lunch to burnish his credentials as a friend of veterans.

"He imposed on us and I disagree with him coming over here and shaking our hands," one of the Marines told the New York Post. "I'm 100 percent against [him]."

Previous coverage of the visit to the Newburgh Wendy's starts here. Previous coverage of Newburgh itself starts in "Where can I buy crack in the mid-Hudson River Valley region of New York State?"

UPDATE: Glenn "Instapundit" Reynolds is all over this story, and he directs our attention to this article:

[...non-Wendy's coverage deleted...]

[Kerry paid the bill]

Edwards and his wife had hearty meals of burgers and fries and shared a chocolate Frosty. Teresa Heinz Kerry pointed at a picture of chili on the menu and asked the cashier what it was before ordering a bowl. Her husband had the same, along with a Frosty...

YET ANOTHER UPDATE AND THIS ONE DOESN'T INVOLVE INSTAPUNDIT: VRWC operative "self" has paved the way for Kerry's upcoming visit to Dubuque, Iowa:

After a little research, it seems that the best restaurant in Dubuque seems to be a place called Mario's Italian Restaurant. It is a three and a half star restaurant and it should make for a decent meal after pretending to eat at some grubby Dubuque diner. Look, you have to take a bite at Wendy's or at Philly cheese steak stand, but then you have to really eat

Here is the address:

Mario's Italian Restaurant

1298 Main Street
Dubuque, Iowa 52001-4729
ph: 319.556.9424

Politics · Sat, 07/31/2004 - 09:40 · · Importance: 1