Are You Grilling Democratic Or Republican?

Everything in Washington is about politics, and your choice of holiday barbecue material is no exception.

H/T to Open Secrets blog for this primer on which party gets the grease from your favorite food producer:

If you're charring a choice of meat today, it’s worth considering that even beef, chicken and hot dogs tend to have a favorite political party.

The meat processing and products industry, typically a major contributor to federal-level politics, has historically favored the Republican Party. Political action committees and individuals associated with big name companies like Tyson Foods and Smithfield Foods -- two political heavyweights in the industry -- contributed overwhelmingly to federal candidates and political parties affiliated with the GOP during the 2010 election cycle.

TSB comment: I will note that Tyson Foods has also favored Democrats, especially when they were married to the Governor of Arkansas and invested in pork futures.

Smaller companies such as Omaha Steaks, Valley Proteins, Sam Kane Beef Processors and Boar's Head Provisions went against the industry norm: Individuals affiliated with those companies gave heavily to Democratic candidates and party committees during the 2010 cycle.

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And contributions as whole from the industry have been on the rise, making meat processing companies even bigger political players. During the 2010 election cycle, people and political action committees associated with meat companies in total gave $1.6 million to candidates seeking federal office. A decade ago, they gave less -- about $1.3 million, the Center's research indicates.

To find out more about which meat processing company satisfies your political appetite, check out our industry page, located here.

Full disclosure: I have no (hot)dog in this fight because, politically, I'm a Whig, and we have not solicited or accepted donations since the party went underground in 1856.