Great divide

You can tell a person's politics by the cut of his pasta, according to a recent red state vs. blue state analysis by Kansas City, Mo.-based American Italian Pasta Co. (AIPC). AIPC analyzed Nielsen-based sales data from across the country and compared different shapes and cuts of pasta preferences in the Republican or "red" states to the Democratic or "blue" states, based on the 2004 presidential election results. Data shows that Democrats lean towards elbow macaroni, while Republicans tend to prefer long spaghetti. "With the race for the White House now swinging into high gear on the heals of the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries, we decided to take a lighthearted look at red state vs. blue state pasta preferences to answer the question: as a country, are we divided about our pasta as we are about our politics?" says Drew Lericos, vice president of marketing. Lericos noted that Senator Ted Kennedy may be disappointed to hear that his state's pasta preferences crossed party lines: blue state Massachusetts actually prefers spaghetti. Good news for Mitt Romney, perhaps. AIPC did uncover some bi-partisan ground: healthier pastas,  including whole grain and whole wheat varieties - are gaining in popularity across party lines. Gee, what about Independent voters? Well, I prefer mostaccioli or cappelletti.