Better pizza? Depends on who you ask. Papa John's is one of America's most polarizing brands

Pizza used to be something we ate but now it's become a barometer of American politics. Makes sense.

A survey to determine the most polarizing brands in America, with the Democrats in one corner and Republicans in the other, had a familiar name high in its results: the Louisville-based Papa John's Pizza.

Papa John's ranked 21st with a sizable 24-point gap between Democrats, who clearly think that John Schnatter makes a meh pie, and Republicans, who apparently order it twice a day (looking at you, Chris Christie).  

Papa John's was not alone. Republicans also favored Little Caesars, Pizza Hut and Domino's, but the results were much closer for those brands, with an average gap of around 4.5 points. California Pizza Kitchen is the only chain favored by Democrats, which might be the most Dem thing ever.

It isn't hard to figure out why Papa John's inspires such polarization.

More:The real reason Papa John's sales fell: The pizza tastes like 'salty upholstery'

More:John Schnatter steps down as CEO of Papa John's

Schnatter made a public relations misstep last November when he blamed poor sales on the National Football League's "poor leadership" in reaction to players kneeling in protest of racial injustice during the national anthem.

Schnatter was crucified in the kangaroo court of public opinion, although conservatives did seem to be largely OK with it, including actual neo-Nazis.

And where does the NFL land on the survey? At a robust No. 6. There's a healthy 50-point gap separating Democrats, who love a sport that encourages getting absolutely hammered on a Sunday afternoon, and Republicans, who seem to think that people of color are coming for their jerbs.  

And here's something interesting: Morning Consult, which took more than 300,000 surveys to back up its conclusions, also touches on political contributions made by Big Pizza.  

Domino’s and Little Caesars heavily favor Republican candidates while Pizza Hut donates only to Republicans. California Pizza Kitchen, obviously, is 100-percent Democratic.

But Papa John's International is all over the map, jumping from party to party often in the same election cycle. A quick look at OpenSecrets.org, a site maintained by the Center for Responsive Politics, reveals that Schnatter's personal contributions are steadfastly Republican.

More:Papa John's says it may not buy an ad for the Super Bowl

Brands that are more polarizing than Papa John's include Trump Hotels, which topped the results with a whopping 78-point gap. CNN was second at 66 points. FOX News was third at 54. I'm assuming you don't need to know which direction those results skewed.

Here are some other brands loved by Republicans: Chick-fil-A, Halliburton, NASCAR, Koch Industries, Bass Pro Shop and Cabela's.

And some loved by Democrats: BET, Starbucks, HBO, NBC Universal, Comedy Central, MTV, the National Basketball Association.

So what are our takeaways here? What do the numbers tell us?

Pro life? Enjoy your garlic knots.

Pro choice? "I got an Espresso Con Panna for Sharon!"

If you're on your second MAGA hat because the first one wore out, then you're also in line at Chick-fil-A.

Hate "Curb Your Enthusiasm"? Then what are you going to watch instead of the Super Bowl?

Health care is a basic right and ComicView is the funniest show you've ever seen.

John Oliver's "Last Week Tonight" is must-see TV. Your husband is a man and so are you.  

Jeffrey Lee Puckett: 502-582-4160; jpuckett@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @JLeePuckett. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/jeffreyl