Dijon Derangement Syndrome: Conservative media attack Obama for burger order

Following President Obama's May 5 visit to Ray's Hell Burger in Arlington, Virginia, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and Rush Limbaugh Show guest host Mark Steyn criticized Obama as an elitist because he ordered a burger with "spicy mustard" or "Dijon mustard." Hannity claimed that Obama ordered a "fancy burger" with a "very special condiment," while Steyn asserted Obama is trying "to enlighten us" through his order. Ingraham asked of Obama: "What kind of man orders a cheeseburger without ketchup but Dijon mustard? ... The guy orders a cheeseburger without ketchup? What is that?" In their discussions of Obama's burger order, Hannity, Ingraham, and Steyn all referenced a Grey Poupon commercial featuring actors portraying wealthy British men expressing desire for the mustard.

During the May 6 edition of his Fox News program, Hannity said: "[A]s you all know, President Obama is a real man of the people. And yesterday he dropped by a popular Virginia restaurant to grab a burger with his pal [Vice President] Joe [Biden]. Now, the Gateway Pundit blog pointed out that plain old ketchup, well, it didn't quite cut it for the president. Now take a look at him ordering his burger with a very special condiment. ... Dijon mustard? I think the president watched just a little bit too much television as a kid." Hannity then played a portion of a Grey Poupon commercial and commented, "I hope you enjoyed that fancy burger, Mr. President." In the May 5 post Hannity referenced, the Gateway Pundit wrote of Obama and Biden: "They're just two ordinary metrosexual guys going out for a burger ... Obama and Biden, two ordinary guys, go out for a sandwich and Obama asks for Dijon mustard at Joe's Hell Burger." The blog added: "I hear it's delish with arugula lettuce. Yum-Yum."

During the May 6 edition of her radio show, Ingraham said of Obama: "I don't even like the way the man orders a hamburger. ... What kind of man orders a cheeseburger without ketchup but Dijon mustard?" She later added of Obama: "See, he was trying to do this whole thing with Biden -- 'We're like the regular people, we're like every other guy, you know, with our -- on our lunch break, we're going to go grab a burger, two guys, two bros.' " Like Hannity, Ingraham played a clip from a Grey Poupon commercial in which an actor asked, "Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?" Ingraham then remarked: "That would have been more appropriate." Ingraham's remarks were highlighted by The Fox Nation on May 7:

On the May 7 edition of The Rush Limbaugh Show, Steyn said of Obama's condiment selection: "He's amazing, Obama. This coverage -- he's a regular guy. He eats a hamburger with Dijon mustard -- Dijon mustard. John Kerry couldn't get away with that stuff, but he makes it seem like just like a regular thing to do. Now there's -- I see that some of the left-wing commentators are saying, 'Why are people making a fuss about the Dijon mustard?' but that's just an example of the way Obama is able to enlighten us." Later in the program, Steyn stated: "I deeply resent Barack Obama crashing in as the Grey Poupon spokesperson, because that has been the lifesaver for non-American voiceover artists in this country for years -- getting the gig doing the Grey Poupon voiceover." He added: "[I]f you can't outsource Grey Poupon to foreigners, what can you outsource? And instead now he's apparently the big Grey Poupon spokesperson, putting it all -- putting it all over his hamburger. Barack Obama -- that was -- what was that? That was yesterday, Barack Obama had a hamburger. I don't know what he may do today to prove -- to pass for human."

From the May 6 edition of Fox News' Hannity:

HANNITY: And finally tonight, as you all know, President Obama is a real man of the people. And yesterday he dropped by a popular Virginia restaurant to grab a burger with his pal Joe. Now, the Gateway Pundit blog pointed out that plain old ketchup, well, it didn't quite cut it for the president. Now take a look at him ordering his burger with a very special condiment.

OBAMA [video clip]: All right. I'm going to have a -- just your basic cheddar cheeseburger, medium well. I just want mustard, no ketchup. If you've got like a spicy mustard or something like that, or a Dijon mustard, something like that.

HANNITY: All right, Dijon mustard? I think the president watched just a little bit too much television as a kid:

[begin video clip]

IAN RICHARDSON (actor): Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?

PAUL EDDINGTON (actor): You mean the mustard?

RICHARDSON: Yes, would you have any?

EDDINGTON: Would I, or do I?

RICHARDSON: Both, actually.

[end video clip]

HANNITY: All right, I hope you enjoyed that fancy burger, Mr. President.

From the May 6 edition of Talk Radio Network's The Laura Ingraham Show:

ANDREA MITCHELL (MSNBC correspondent) [audio clip]: And this just in: What you're watching is two guys going out for lunch. It's Ray's burgers, which is an institution in Arlington, Virginia, and the president, the vice president, I gather, they paid -- each paid for their own and also chipped in and bought for the press pool, the small group that accompanied them.

INGRAHAM: Cheap dates.

OBAMA [audio clip]: I'm going to have a -- just your basic cheddar cheeseburger, medium well. I just want mustard, no ketchup.

INGRAHAM: What?

OBAMA [audio clip]: If you've got like a spicy mustard or something like that, or a Dijon mustard, something like that.

RICHARDSON [audio clip]: Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?

INGRAHAM: I don't even like the way the man orders a hamburger. You're listening to The Laura Ingraham Show. What kind of man orders a cheeseburger without ketchup but Dijon mustard? See, he was trying to do this whole thing with Biden -- "We're like the regular people, we're like every other guy, you know, with our -- on our lunch break, we're going to go grab a burger, two guys, two bros." No --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And a bottled water, what?

INGRAHAM: Well, we're gonna -- we're two bros hanging out together all right, man? How was your day? I love you, man. I love you. The guy orders a cheeseburger without ketchup? What is that?

OBAMA [audio clip]: I mean, that's nice.

INGRAHAM: What? I'm watching this, and I think, OK, the press corps is so easily bought off. You just buy them a couple of dirty old burgers and they're fine. "Oh, did you know the president treated?" First of all, journalistic ethics -- are we supposed to be treated by the president and the vice president?

And does this question ever pop into your minds like it did mine yesterday? Do these men not have anything better to do than go on a road trip to Arlington for a photo-op -- which is done for one reason and one reason only. You know why it's done? Check out this last line of The Washington Post piece: "Bonnie Cosby, 51, a technology consultant who picked up burgers on her way home from work, opined: 'It shows that he's in touch with the people, and that he's not up in the ivory tower. He's a real person -- with a burger.' " No, the --

RICHARDSON [audio clip]: Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?

INGRAHAM: That would have been more appropriate, would not have -- of him to go right through the drive-through? Took him a while to figure out what he was going to order. Didn't he seem to hesitate a while? It's just like when he was trying to find the church, buy the puppy, figure out if -- when life begins with the Rick Warren question?

I would laugh if the woman said, "Sir, what would you like?" and he said, "Oh, that's above my pay grade. I can't, I can't -- well, I'll get back to you on that. I gotta talk to Michelle first."

From the May 7 edition of broadcast of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show:

STEYN: It was wonderful watching the coverage of the hamburger visit. He's amazing, Obama. This coverage -- he's a regular guy. He eats a hamburger with Dijon mustard -- Dijon mustard. John Kerry couldn't get away with that stuff, but he makes it seem like just like a regular thing to do. Now there's -- I see that some of the left-wing commentators are saying, "Why are people making a fuss about the Dijon mustard?" but that's just an example of the way Obama is able to enlighten us.

[...]

STEYN: But people were talking a lot about the Obama hamburger and this business of him ordering the Dijon mustard, and ordering the Grey Poupon. And I have to say, speaking as a foreigner, that I deeply resent Barack Obama crashing in as the Grey Poupon spokesperson, because that has been the lifesaver for non-American voiceover artists in this country for years -- getting the gig doing the Grey Poupon voiceover.

You know, you do the, "Try the new Grey Poupon squeeze, one of life's simpler pleasures." And the idea that Barack Obama now is going to be collaring -- it's in-sourcing, in effect. This is nothing like -- the Grey Poupon endorsement is something -- if you can't endorse -- if you can't outsource Grey Poupon to foreigners, what can you outsource? And instead now he's apparently the big Grey Poupon spokesperson, putting it all -- putting it all over his hamburger. Barack Obama -- that was -- what was that? That was yesterday, Barack Obama had a hamburger. I don't know what he may do today to prove -- to pass for human.