We already know what liquor and beer choices say about our political leanings, but what about candy?
Considering that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, it’s an important question!
Luckily for us, the National Media Research, Planning and Placement is out with a new graphic that addresses that very question:
Image source: National Media Research, Planning and Placement.
Unlike previous charts showing correlations between politics and consumer preferences for hybrid cars and Chick-Fil-A, the findings in the candy graphic seem less obvious.
This is what we do know: Democrats tend to prefer extras (nuts, raisins, etc.) in their candy. Republicans, on the other hand, prefer dark chocolate and cream fillings.
Other data points indicate that low turnout Democrats enjoy Airheads and Nerds while just about everyone likes Butterfingers, 3 Musketeers and Reese’s Pieces.
The one candy that offers something for everyone? M&Ms.
The results are based on polling data collected from nearly 50,000 interviews conducted by the National Confectioners Association, a trade association of candymakers.
Although the chart offers some fun insight, its creators warn that the politics of candy can be “fleeting.”
Reagan “loved Jelly Bellies and would pass bowls of the little-known gourmet jelly beans around at Cabinet meetings,” the Washington Post noted. “That set off a buying craze among Republicans across the country. But now the Gipper’s favorite sweet, like his home state of California, is firmly in Democratic territory.”
“Of course, at the end of the day, what kind of candy people eat probably doesn't say much about them. Maybe, it’s how they eat it,” the Post added.
Indeed, as President Reagan once said, “You can tell a lot about a fellow’s character by his way of eating jelly beans.”
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