Dem
49
GOP
51
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield don't actually own the Ben & Jerry's ice cream brand anymore. But they still have big-time name recognition, and they still know a thing or two about making ice cream. They are also latter-day hippies and well-known supporters of the Democratic Party. Though their very favorite politician is their fellow Vermonter Bernie Sanders (who is not actually a Democrat, of course), their leanings mean it is no surprise that they are all-in on Kamala Harris.
The duo have come up with their own special way to rally support for civic engagement and for the Democratic ticket. Starting in Philadelphia on September 16 (the day early voting begins in Pennsylvania), and aided by MoveOn, the duo will mount what they are calling the "Scoop the Vote" tour. Over the course of a month, they will visit 20 cities in battleground states, including Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona, in addition to Pennsylvania.
At each stop, Ben and Jerry will be joined by activists, local politicians, and other guests, and will talk to attendees about how to make sure their vote is counted. There will be giveaways, including—of course—ice cream. For this purpose, they have done what they do, and created a special new flavor called "Kamala's Coconut Jubilee." It's coconut ice cream with a caramel swirl and star-shaped sprinkles. And in case you are wondering, they also created a flavor for Sanders in 2020, called "Bernie's Back." It was described as "a hot cinnamon ice cream with a chocolate disc on top and a butter toffee backbone going down the middle." No star-shaped sprinkles, though.
We choose this, in part, because we strongly approve of creative efforts to get people to vote. However, it's also because with all the corporations and fat cats who achieve their political goals through lobbying and giving cash to politicians, it's nice to see Ben and Jerry making a different choice. As a bonus, an item about people making their own ice cream will presumably be less controversial than the item last week about people making their own mifepristone.
Have a good weekend, all! (Z)