By CAROL RYAN DUMAS

Capital Press

Election rhetoric is heated, but these politics are cold and delicious.

Reed's Dairy in Idaho Falls, Idaho, has whipped up a presidential preference poll linked to various ice cream flavors produced by the dairy and sold in its store. The dairy is using the unscientific poll to sell more ice cream and to promote itself through social media.

Alan Reed, owner of the dairy, with tongue in cheek, attributes the poll to "Cowie," one of the dairy's milkers.

A recent Wall Street Journal article quoted a scientist who could predict people's voting habits based on their personality, Reed said.

Through meticulous research, he said, "Cowie" has discovered that Republicans and Democrats prefer different flavors of ice cream. She's even sorted the 52 flavors the dairy produces into red and blue.

Cold, hard politics has never been sweeter.

According to Reed, the top four Republican flavors are huckleberry, vanilla, cookies and cream, and grasshopper. The top preferences for Democrats are pralines and cream, chocolate mousse, rocky road, and maple nut

Reed posts Cowie's weekly polling results -- based on how much of each flavor the dairy whips up -- on the dairy's Facebook page.

The dairy, which also sells milk and cheese, is offering political gift boxes of four pints of homemade ice cream in Democrat or Republican flavors. Each pint comes with a customized party logo with the gift-giver's name and a short message. Gift boxes sell for $125, shipping and handling included.

Customers can also stop by Reed's dairy store and put together their own party-line assortment of ice cream and save on the high cost of shipping.

Reed encourages people to keep voting with their ice cream purchases.

So far, GOP candidate Mitt Romney is ahead of President Obama by 3.2 points.

Reed said, he's just having fun. But it doesn't hurt to milk this year's election a little, too.

To follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ReedsDairy

More information: www.reedsdairy.com