Andrew Zajac

* (The following appears on The Swamp under "White House 2008" because we don't yet have a category for "Everything is a Marketing Opportunity.")

The Florida chicken wing chain that gave away free appetizers yesterday to registered voters in a promotion pegged to state's tainted primaries has upped the ante.

If Florida holds another primary, Hurricane Grill and Wings said it will hold a sweepstakes for "a trip to Washington, D.C. to learn about our democratic process."

Presumably this would include lobbyist-accompanied visits to fancy steakhouses and high-end watering holes capped by attendance at a couple of fundraisers. It would be a pity to bring somebody all the way here without showcasing the part of the democratic process that gets left out of the civics books.

Here's Hurricane's latest release:
STILL PLAYING CHICKEN IN FLORIDA
- Clinton Softens Stance on a rematch in Florida and Michigan; Chain Offers Further Incentive

STUART, Fla. (March 7, 2008) – Yesterday, all Hurricane Grill & Wings restaurants in the state of Florida gave a FREE Crispy Wing Appetizer to anyone who visited with a valid Florida voter registration card. St. Lucie County had the greatest showing with three times greater turnout than the rest of the state.

“Overall, total redemption numbers were low and we hope this isn’t a behavioral indicator of future voter participation,” said Lori Cuonze, Vice President of Marketing and Communications. “Perhaps Florida voters are disenchanted with the system and feel their voice doesn’t count.”

With Hillary Clinton’s softening of her hard opposition to a “redo” in Florida and Michigan today, Hurricane Grill & Wings will carefully watch proposals being discussed by officials. Should Florida hold another primary, the company is prepared to run a sweepstakes for Florida voters to win a trip to Washington, D.C. to learn about our democratic process.

“1.7 million Democratic votes were cast in Florida,” said Cuonze. “We’ve got to let people know those votes count.”