Low-key Super Bowl at White House

• Reprints

Updated: March 7, 2012 9:56AM

WASHINGTON — No Super Bowl 2012 superparty at the White House.

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle in 2011 hosted a splashy bash. Mrs. Obama told super chef Rachael Ray in an interview that aired last week, “We’ll probably watch it at home. It’ll probably be a quiet Super Bowl this year.”

The Obama re-election campaign used the Super Bowl to connect with supporters taking an online poll about whether the Patriots or Giants would win, a technique to collect emails. “Looking forward to catching some of the big game tonight. Wish the Bears weren’t watching it from home, too. — bo” Obama said on his campaign Twitter account.

Last year, Mrs. Obama caught flak mainly from right-wing critics because of the White House Super Bowl menu, which included bratwurst, kielbasa, cheeseburgers and deep-dish pizza. Mrs. Obama — who marks the second anniversary of her “Let’s Move’’ healthy eating campaign this week — never has nixed junk food, she just preaches moderation.

Lynn Sweet