As President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump prepare to face off in the first presidential debate Thursday night, Lochel's Bakery in Hatboro is getting ahead of the political game.
The South York Road bakery introduced its popular presidential cookies early this year, offering cookies representing Biden and Trump specifically for the debates rather than waiting for the November general election.
As Patch reported, the bakery hopes the cookies might hint at the outcome of the debate and possibly even the presidential race.
Trump and Biden Cookies Take Center Stage
The cookies, red for Republicans and blue for Democrats, represent the presidential candidates. Based on cookie sales, Trump is currently leading Biden.
Bakery owner Kathleen Lochel shared with Patch on Thursday that 136 Trump cookies were sold in the morning compared to just six Biden cookies. However, the numbers have continued to change as more cookies are sold.
Despite the fluctuations, Trump remains in the lead.
Lochel mentioned on Facebook that the demand for the cookies has been high, and there may not be any extras available in the store due to the volume of requests.
According to Phillyburbs, in previous presidential election years, Lochel's Bakery in Hatboro started selling their famous cookies in the fall, leading up to Election Day. This cookie poll has successfully predicted the outcome of three of the last four elections.
However, in the 2020 election, the cookie poll did not align with the final results. Loch El's sold over 31,000 Trump cookies compared to 5,750 for Biden. Despite this, Biden won the election by a 4.5-point margin and secured a victory in Montgomery County, where the bakery is located.
Lochel's Bakery announced that it will continue selling the political cookies for the next presidential debate. The cookies will be available in the store from September 5 through the November 5 general election.
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Cookie Predictions: Coincidence or Insight?
Eric Plutzer, a political scientist at Penn State, believes that the bakery's previously correct predictions are no better than coincidence. Plutzer commented that Trump supporters might view the cookie sales as a sign of high enthusiasm that could translate to high voter turnout in November.
However, he suggested that while some people buy cookies, Biden's team could focus on registering new voters door-to-door. Plutzer emphasized that buying red or blue cookies is just for fun and doesn't provide insight into the election outcome.
Meanwhile, a Texas bakery that recently went viral for its controversial "MAGA" cookies now offers a creation catered to the other side of the political spectrum, as FOX5 revealed.
Margie's Bakery & Deli made national headlines for selling cookies frosted with the word "MAGA," which stands for "Make America Great Again," a slogan by former President Donald J. Trump supporters.
The bakery has received a lot of local support. General manager Andrew Morrow said that since the "MAGA" cookie was first available on June 19, Margie's has sold over 13,00m.
However, the bakery has also faced significant backlash for selling the controversial cookie. Many community members criticized the bakery on social media for mixing politics with business.
Morrow mentioned that they were harassed through phone calls and online comments, with some people suggesting that making Biden cookies would cause their current supporters to stop supporting them.
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