How’s the swag? Depends on the political party

PHILADELPHIA — You can tell a lot about a political party by what it puts in the swag bag.

Both Republicans and Democrats distributed gift bags to journalists covering the national conventions, and they both contained the basics: visitors guides to the host city, promotional material for local businesses, maps, and useful accessories such as a rain poncho. And both contained copies of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

The GOP’s bag was made of clear plastic, making it easier for security agents to see the contents. Democrats, ever concerned about privacy, distributed the more traditional canvas bags.

Republicans, true to form, were more business-oriented, including a compact umbrella (it rained in Cleveland during the convention, so that was useful) and a USB thumb drive (no, it didn’t contain copies of the infamous Hillary Clinton emails). The Democrats remembered to include every journalist’s favorite useful accessory, the 4-inch-by-8-inch reporter’s notebook with a Philadelphia-themed cover.

But the Democrats also included some munchies, just in case reporters got hungry covering convention events. The Berry Blast Mike & Ike’s were much appreciated, but the organic chickpea puffs (literally called “Hippeas”) in vegan white cheddar flavor may have been taking things a bit too far.

Luckily, there were plenty of non-vegan cheesesteaks to be had.

Steve Sebelius is a Las Vegas Review-Journal political columnist. Follow him on Twitter (@SteveSebelius) or reach him at 702-387-5276 or ssebelius@reviewjournal.com.