Barbecue for Latin American ambassadors.

In the early 1900s, before radio, television and the internet, and even before the wide circulation of newspapers, political candidates in Houston made their pitch to voters at public events like barbecues and picnics.

Crowds of prospective voters would gather in a “shady grove” where politicians would “mount a soapbox” and give a speech to guests lured by the promise of free barbecue and the occasional alcoholic libation.

GUIDE:Houston's best barbecue joints

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Nowadays, the attention economy is dominated by memes on the internet; back then, voters........

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