In an article by Mark Silva of the Swamp Politics Barack Obama defends his his beer-drinking credentials, saying his party’s ticket won’t be out-blue-collared by the Republican ticket with the union and hunting family on it. He writes of an exchange between another reporter, Obama and Biden.
“But you tried really hard to reach these people,” Kroft pressed. “You went and sipped beer, which I know you don’t particularly like – I mean you even…
“Steve, I had a beer last night,” Obama interjected. “I mean, where do these stories come from, man?
“I’m the one… [that] doesn’t drink,” Biden added.
“Where does the story come from that…I don’t like beer? ” Obama asked. “C’mon, man,”
“You even tried bowling,” Kroft said.
“Time out there,” Obama said.
“I’ve got to defend my bowling honor here,” Obama said, laughing. “It is true that my bowling score left something to be desired. The reason I bowled though, wasn’t to try to get votes. If I had been tryin’ to get votes, I promise you I would have been avoiding a bowling alley. The reason I was there was to campaign. And we had great fun.
“But here’s the bottom line: I wouldn’t have been elected to the United States Senate out of Illinois, which is 12 percent African American, if I didn’t have some broad appeal. So, the mythology that’s developed that somehow I can’t get those votes is refuted by the very fact that I’m sittin’ in this chair.”
