Politics and barbecue is a rich topic that figures large in “Smokelore: A Short History of Barbecue in America.” In this talk, we’ll look at the old days when leaders staged big public barbecues to draw crowds and more recent times when politicians try to show their common touch by rubbing elbows with people at barbecue restaurants. We’ll also ask what Atlanta was thinking when it organized a possum barbecue for a president-elect.