Monday, December 20, 2010

Sarah Palin’s Hypocrisy Is Bad For Your Health

(Cross-posted from The Corner Tavern.)

Oh, sure. I know it’s just politics. I know former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is purposefully divisive, using the stage she’s been given not to edify the public or to advocate for the good of the country but to whip her base into an anti-Obama frenzy – maybe to increase her chances to win the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, maybe just to line her own pockets. But either way, it’s nothing personal. Right?

But is that really the way we want our political leaders to behave? Or perhaps I should ask, is that the way we want our media phenomena to behave, since that’s an apter description of the woman who quit her one term as Alaska governor half-way through to sell books and do reality television. Because sometimes the way political creatures like Sarah Palin behave can be harmful to your health.

To-wit:

(CNN) – Sarah Palin is again taking aim at Michelle Obama over her anti-obesity campaign, taking the opportunity in Sunday’s “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” to land a diss against the first lady’s efforts to improve nutrition.

While making s’mores at one point during Sunday’s episode, the former Alaska governor proclaims the marshmallow and chocolate treat is “in honor of Michelle Obama, who said the other day we should not have dessert.”



It’s not the first time Palin has taken a job at Mrs. Obama over her campaign to discourage fattening foods, especially from public schools. The former vice presidential nominee told conservative talk radio host Laura Ingraham last month that “the first lady cannot trust parents to make decisions for their own children, for their own families in what we should eat.”

Palin also hand-delivered cookies to a Pennsylvania school last month before delivering a speech there, saying: “Who should be deciding what I eat? Should it be government or should it be parents? It should be the parents.”

Of course, one might ask when, exactly, did Ms. Obama suggest that the government should tell parents what to feed their children – because she hasn’t. Ever, so far as I can tell. She’s tried toeducate kids and their parents about nutrition and exercise so that they can make better individual choices about what they eat and how they live. And she lobbied for the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, the purpose of which is to require school districts to provide healthier food for kids so that if parents choose to have their kids eat school lunches, or if parents can’t afford to provide lunches to their kids and have to rely on the meals provided by their local schools, their kids have healthier options. So, in fact, all Michelle Obama’s ever done is to give parents information so that they can make informed decisions about diet and exercise, and to give them healthy options for school lunches so that they can choose to have their kids eat healthier meals in school. All of which is about choice – the very thing Sarah Palin claims to believe in.

It’s odd, really, that Sarah Palin and her fellow conservatives attack Michelle Obama over her childhood obesity and healthy eating initiatives, given that it was Republican Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower who created the President’s Council on Physical Fitness way back in 1956. That’s right, it was a Republican who first thought to use the bully pulpit of the White House for thepurpose of “encouraging American children to be healthy and active,” creating what was originally known as the President’s Council on Youth Fitness (imagine how it would’ve made Sarah Palin’s head throb if it’d been Pres. Obama who came up with a name like that!). Oh – and guess who was the first Chairman of the President’s Council on Youth Fitness. Why it was none other than conservative Republican icon Richard Milhous Nixon. And later, Pres. George W. Bush – you remember him, the conservative Republican who was president from Jan. 2001 to Jan. 2009 – created the President’s Challenge website and introduced the President’s Active Lifestyle Award.

Yet I’ve never – never – heard anyone on the right (or the left, for that matter) complain about the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, or the President’s Challenge, or the President’s Active Lifestyle Award. Ever. All those years when I was a kid in the 1960s and ’70s, when we had to take those President’s Physical Fitness tests, counting how many sit ups and push ups and pull ups we could do, no one ever suggested Pres. Nixon or Ford or Carter was trying to dictate anything to our parents, or trying to deprive them of their right to make decisions for their kids. Because they weren’t; Pres. Nixon and Ford and Carter weren’t doing anything nefarious at all – they were doing the one thing Americans once uniformly agreed the presidentought to do: Encouraging, not dictating, good personal habits.

But now that a moderately liberal (and African American) President and First Lady occupy the White House, all of the sudden, out of the clear blue sky, the idea that the First Lady would use her public position to encourage kids to eat healthy and to exercise – now it’s a reason for Sarah Palin and other conservatives to cry foul. When nobody ever complained about any previous administration doing essentially the same thing through the President’s Council on Physical Fitness. For more than fifty years.

That’s some world class hypocrisy, my friends.

And don’t kid yourself. It’s hypocrisy that’s not without serious consequences.

Earlier today I mentioned Sarah Palin’s attacks on Michelle Obama to my wife, who’s a food blogger, and she quickly referred me to the Trust for America’s Health, an organization that gathers health statistics from around the country. The Trust for America’s Health reports that 30% of kids in 30 U.S. states are obese, and 75% of kids who are overweight as kids will also be overweight as adults – which will cost something like $145 billion a year in healthcare costs for people who are overweight. But that doesn’t stop Sarah Palin from attacking Michelle Obama’s efforts to reverse that trend. And she – Palin – does it for base political purposes. Or self-aggrandizement.

My wife’s conclusion? “Sarah Palin is insane.”

Yeah. That’s kind of what I thought.

© 2010 David P. von Ebers. All rights reserved.

44 comments:

  1. I think it isn't hypocrisy so much as just plain ignorance on Sarah Palin's part -- all those snide little comments she makes just sound stupid, not cunning. If we stop paying so much attention to her she will go away.

    ReplyDelete
  2. No, she’s lying outright about what the First Lady is doing here, and if we “ignore” her lies that means we don’t refute her lies. Whether we like it or not, she has an audience. You can ignore her television show and her book signings and so forth; but when she spreads lies she has to be countered.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Having mindless worshipers addled by the drainage of blood from their brains to their appendages (yes, both brain and appendage are tiny, but that means that neither can stand the loss of blood) means never having to admit you're lying white trash.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Health coaching is Health method used that's becoming more and more recognizable to almost all health care delivery systems - hospitals, health clinics and facilities, healthcare companies, and medical and nursing schools that's geared towards the improvement and maintenance of ones health and the management of an individual's infirmity and health conditions, especially those having chronic illnesses by means of lifestyle and positive behavioral changes.

    ReplyDelete
  5. What should health be about? In this article, you will learn about two different approaches to health (negative and positive) and what you need to do in order to create positive health. service

    ReplyDelete
  6. When we were young, most of us would fear visiting the dentist (well maybe not all of us, but I certainly know I did!). Those tools that they used seemed pretty scary didn't they? Lying on that dentist chair was always a torture, but I'm quite sure the dentist didn't enjoy it much either. orthodontist in ahmedabad

    ReplyDelete
  7. The lucky few individuals that have made big money on domains over the years have seen the cultural changes coming in advance and purchased domain names accordingly. Has the time come for the alternative culture favorite, marijuana? chronic carts

    ReplyDelete
  8. its been long since i saw a post that's so educative and informational. i will make sure to share this my facebook group. you can also view contents on our websites below.

    French Bulldog Puppies For Sale

    French Bulldog Breeders

    French Bulldog Puppies For Sale Near Me

    French Bulldog Puppies For adoption

    French Bulldog Puppies


    Blue French Bulldog Puppies

    ReplyDelete
  9. it's so refreshing to see a post that talks straight to the point. thanks so much for writing about this it has really helped me with building my experience. thanks a lot



    siberian husky puppies for sale near me
    Siberian Husky puppies
    Siberian Husky puppies for adoption
      Siberian Husky puppies breeders near me  

      white Siberian Husky puppies  

    ReplyDelete
  10. Student health care programs offer health benefits at a greatly reduced cost, allowing students to pay for it themselves or allowing their parents to include their children's health care plans with little additional cost to them. Student plans provide a great option to ensuring the good health of your children without having to take on a significant amount of extra financial burden, and also provide a way for students putting themselves through school (and supporting themselves financially) to maintain a level of health insurance. Here, we'll go over how student health care plans work, as well as why you might want to consider them either for yourself if you are a student, or for your children. best hgh

    ReplyDelete
  11. Health is our most important asset, and without good health we cannot hope to find fulfillment and happiness in our lives. When you work to improve your health, you are moving in the right direction. hgh for sale

    ReplyDelete
  12. There are numerous cheap health insurance that have been introduced in the market so as to take care of the increasing number of uninsured people. The new health care reform is suppose to address some of the issue related to high insurance cost but even with that choosing the best coverage can be difficult. endoscopic brow lift

    ReplyDelete
  13. There are numerous cheap health insurance that have been introduced in the market so as to take care of the increasing number of uninsured people. The new health care reform is suppose to address some of the issue related to high insurance cost but even with that choosing the best coverage can be difficult. steroids online

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love reading your blog because it has very interesting topics.:.:~’ 대전출장안마

    ReplyDelete
  15. Excellent blog right here! Also your site a lot up very fast! What web host are you the use of? Can I am getting your associate link to your host? I want my site loaded up as quickly as yours lol neon sign maker

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have watched “boston legal” ever since in my college days, i love to watch courtroom drama;; 슬롯머신

    ReplyDelete
  17. What’s up to all, how is all, I카지노사이트
    think every one is getting more from this site, and your views are pleasant in favor of new viewers.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi there, I found your blog via Google while looking for a related topic, your site came up, it looks great. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks. สล็อต pp ทดลองเล่น

    ReplyDelete
  19. Good day, I merely hopped over on your own website through StumbleUpon. Not something I’d usually read, however I appreciated how you feel none the less. Thanks for making something price reading. 토토사이트

    ReplyDelete
  20. Paris Hilton: So lovely spending time with Manny and h 토토

    ReplyDelete
  21. Great post, you have pointed out some fantastic points , I likewise think this s a very wonderful website. ยาเพิ่มอสุจิ

    ReplyDelete
  22. I’m impressed, I must say. Truly rarely must i encounter a weblog that’s both educative and entertaining, and without a doubt, you have hit the nail about the head. Your concept is outstanding; the thing is something too few people are speaking intelligently about. My business is happy that we stumbled across this within my search for some thing relating to this. 해외축구중계

    ReplyDelete
  23. There are certainly plenty of details like that to take into consideration. That could be a nice level to deliver up. I offer the ideas above as general inspiration but clearly there are questions just like the one you deliver up where crucial factor might be working in sincere good faith. I don?t know if greatest practices have emerged around things like that, but I am positive that your job is clearly recognized as a fair game. Both boys and girls feel the affect of only a moment’s pleasure, for the rest of their lives. ufabet เข้าสู่ระบบ

    ReplyDelete
  24. Just proves the old adage. Its an ill wind that blows no good. You fail to overlook the crucial stage. สล็อตเครดิตฟรี

    ReplyDelete
  25. Perhaps you should also a put a forum site on your blog to increase reader interaction.~”~~~ เล่นเกมส์ฟรี

    ReplyDelete
  26. There’s no doubt that it is the single most vital information in my opinion. And i am glad reading your article. But should remark on few general things, The internet site style is perfect, the articles is very excellent : D. Good job, cheers maderotherapy dubai

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi there, You have done an incredible job. I’ll certainly digg it and in my opinion suggest to my friends. I am sure they will be benefited from this website. idn slot online

    ReplyDelete
  28. All I can point out is, I am not sure what to really say! Except obviously, for the superb tips that happen to be shared within this blog. I can think of a thousand fun methods to read the reports on this site. I’m sure I will eventually take a step employing your tips on those things I could not have been able to deal with alone. You’re so careful to let me be one of those to benefit from your valuable information. Please recognize how a great deal I appreciate it. casino pbn

    ReplyDelete
  29. There’s no doubt that, if they are not to the restricts, next lifetime may not cap one to take part in the boundary. เว็บสล็อต

    ReplyDelete
  30. This weblog seems to get a great deal of site visitors. How do you promote it? It gives a nice individual twist on things. I guess getting something useful or substantial to post about is the most important factor. 대출

    ReplyDelete
  31. Okay, Let’s Say I’m An Eighteen Old Country Boy Living On A Farm Looking For A Great Way To Make Money Online?: An 먹튀검증소

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hello there, simply become aware of your weblog thru Google, and located that it is really informative. I’m going to be careful for brussels. I’ll be grateful when you continue this in future. Numerous people shall be benefited from your writing. Cheers! We Buy Used Clothes

    ReplyDelete
  33. If you tow a definite caravan nor van movie trailer your entire family pretty soon get exposed to the down sides towards preventing best securely region. awnings 먹튀검증

    ReplyDelete
  34. finishing i'm analyzing this splendid paragraph to increase my revel in. 안전공원코드

    ReplyDelete
  35. simply unadulterated magnificencI am some other purchaser of this website online so right here i saw different articles and posts posted by means of this sh treasured my business is looking for locate ahead of time intended for this precise useful stuffs. 더킹카지노주소

    ReplyDelete
  36. very huge for me. I’m searching forward in your subsequent publish, i’ll try to get the cling of it! 토토도메인

    ReplyDelete
  37. right publish. I analyze something new and hard on blogs i stumbleupon everyday. It’s always exciting to examine through articles from other writers and exercise a touch some thing from other web sites. Good day! This blog submit couldn't be written much higher! Studying via this put up strikes a chord in my memory of my previous roommate! He constantly stored talking approximately this. I will send this submit to him. Quite sure he’ll have a tremendous study. I appreciate you for sharing! Greetings! Very useful recommendation in this unique article! It’s the little adjustments that produce the largest modifications. Thanks lots for sharing! 토토도메인

    ReplyDelete
  38. but when you read an excellent publish occasionally you simply have to get from those lazy techniques. That is such a submit! 토토 배너 홍보

    ReplyDelete
  39. hi, i do think your internet site ought to 먹튀검증

    ReplyDelete
  40. I really appreciate starting this up. Your website is one area that is needed on the net. Totally a helpful project for bringing new things for the web! I am so delighted I located your blog, I really located you by mistake, while I was watching on google for something else, Anyways I am here now and could just like to say thank for a tremendous post and a all round entertaining website. Please do keep up the great work. You have a real ability for writing unique content. I like how you think and the way you represent your views in this article. I agree with your way of thinking. Thank you for sharing. 사설토토추천

    ReplyDelete
  41. The 6.5 Precision Rifle Cartridge was designed to achieve the highest levels of accuracy, flat trajectory and extended

    range performance in a sensibly designed compact package. https://discountammoshop.com/
    it is well known for its

    velocities than other market rivals. https://freedomammostore.com/ our 10mm ammo for sale are of quality and very

    affordable https://bulkammodepot.org/ . 10mm ammo are incredible versatile and have a variety of 10mm pistol for your

    shooting needs.
    https://bulk10mmammo.com/

    ReplyDelete