5 ms·

This article made me really hopeful and happy until i got down the the bit about the democrats candy desk and realized that even the senate candy desk is partis

This article made me really hopeful and happy until i got down the the bit about the democrats candy desk and realized that even the senate candy desk is partisan. The two parties can't even agree on a shared love of sweets, and have to have separate candy desks?

r00fus 8y ago
I don't know that it's partisan... perhaps there are different tastes for which multiple locations make sense?
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
chickenfries 8y ago
I think you’re reading too much into it... the candy desk is always a republican because it is on the republican side of the chamber. Perhaps democrats just wanted to be able to grab candy on their side of the chamber. Or they wanted different candy than the one that the republican member had selected for the desk. Either way, it’s candy, who cares? We’re talking about a workplace candy drawer.
- Waterluvian 8y ago
  I mean if the Dems win enough seats they could occupy the candy desk? :) Something insane like 80.
microcolonel 8y ago
Well, the original one was coincidentally on the Republican side. Maybe a new receptacle can be constructed in some neutral location, but that would be less authentic.
the_watcher 8y ago
Given that it's on the Republican side of the chambers, near an entrance, I'd argue this is actually a positive sign: the other side of the aisle saw a good idea and adopted it. The partisan response would have been demagoguing it.
urda 8y ago
You're reading too far into a drawer full of candy. It's just on that side of the room, nothing further to dig up.
- dingaling 8y ago
  To a non-USian, the fact that the Senate has 'sides' allocated to the two major parties is revealing and alarming. Where are the sides for the Greens, or the Monster Raving Looney Party?
dsr_ 8y ago
... and the Republican desk is stocked by contributions from donor companies in their districts, and the Democratic desk is stocked by a fund paid into by Senators who want candy. It's emblematic, that's for sure.
- beatgammit 8y ago
  Is it though? I think the Republicans just made it a tradition first, so companies want to be a part of that. I don't think it means anything, it's just how it happened.
  - uneekname 8y ago
    ...but the result is emblematic.
- hueving 8y ago
  Emblematic of the false sense of superiority from a party that accepts corporate money just like the evil sponsored candy party.
- tptacek 8y ago
  If you check the article again, it addresses this: the desk is stocked from donor companies in the Senator's district because it has to be, due to Senate gift rules.
  - maxxxxx 8y ago
    They could buy it themselves... I am sure they can afford it.
    - Johnny555 8y ago
      They could "afford" it, but it's not cheap, the Wikipedia article said that Hershey was sending 400 lbs of chocolate a year. The cheapest price I could find online (after a very brief search) for Hershey's kisses is $5.79/lb, so that's over $2000/year - that's a lot of money to pay to feed your colleagues just because you happened to sit at a particular desk.
rsynnott 8y ago
And Bernie Sanders, being an independent, presumably has to supply his own candy.

r00fus 8y ago

I don't know that it's partisan... perhaps there are different tastes for which multiple locations make sense?

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

chickenfries 8y ago

I think you’re reading too much into it... the candy desk is always a republican because it is on the republican side of the chamber. Perhaps democrats just wanted to be able to grab candy on their side of the chamber. Or they wanted different candy than the one that the republican member had selected for the desk. Either way, it’s candy, who cares? We’re talking about a workplace candy drawer.

Waterluvian 8y ago
I mean if the Dems win enough seats they could occupy the candy desk? :) Something insane like 80.

microcolonel 8y ago

Well, the original one was coincidentally on the Republican side. Maybe a new receptacle can be constructed in some neutral location, but that would be less authentic.

the_watcher 8y ago

Given that it's on the Republican side of the chambers, near an entrance, I'd argue this is actually a positive sign: the other side of the aisle saw a good idea and adopted it. The partisan response would have been demagoguing it.

urda 8y ago

You're reading too far into a drawer full of candy. It's just on that side of the room, nothing further to dig up.

dingaling 8y ago
To a non-USian, the fact that the Senate has 'sides' allocated to the two major parties is revealing and alarming. Where are the sides for the Greens, or the Monster Raving Looney Party?

dsr_ 8y ago

... and the Republican desk is stocked by contributions from donor companies in their districts, and the Democratic desk is stocked by a fund paid into by Senators who want candy. It's emblematic, that's for sure.

beatgammit 8y ago
Is it though? I think the Republicans just made it a tradition first, so companies want to be a part of that. I don't think it means anything, it's just how it happened.
- uneekname 8y ago
  ...but the result is emblematic.
hueving 8y ago
Emblematic of the false sense of superiority from a party that accepts corporate money just like the evil sponsored candy party.
tptacek 8y ago
If you check the article again, it addresses this: the desk is stocked from donor companies in the Senator's district because it has to be, due to Senate gift rules.
- maxxxxx 8y ago
  They could buy it themselves... I am sure they can afford it.
  - Johnny555 8y ago
    They could "afford" it, but it's not cheap, the Wikipedia article said that Hershey was sending 400 lbs of chocolate a year. The cheapest price I could find online (after a very brief search) for Hershey's kisses is $5.79/lb, so that's over $2000/year - that's a lot of money to pay to feed your colleagues just because you happened to sit at a particular desk.

rsynnott 8y ago

And Bernie Sanders, being an independent, presumably has to supply his own candy.