Opinion: Why is Palin chiding first lady’s child obesity plan?
Publisher’s note: The following editorial is from the Jan. 3, 2011, Las Vegas Sun.
Sarah Palin, the former Republican vice presidential candidate, never misses an opportunity to take a potshot at President Barack Obama. Because Palin is weighing a run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, partisan attacks against the Democratic administration’s policies are to be expected. And although Palin typically ends up making a fool of herself when she tries to take on the president, she nonetheless really topped herself recently when she mocked first lady Michelle Obama’s popular anti-obesity campaign.
On a recent episode of her television reality show, “Sarah Palin’s Alaska,” Palin had this to say while on a camping trip: “Where are the s’mores ingredients? This is in honor of Michelle Obama, who said the other day we should not have dessert.”
It’s not the first time Palin has sought to ridicule the first lady’s anti-obesity campaign, and it’s not clear exactly what Palin was referring to on the reality show, but news accounts said that Obama recently said, “The problem is when things get out of balance, when dessert is practically a food group.” For months, many Republicans and conservatives have walked on eggshells, fearful of criticizing Palin. But apparently, even for them, there are only so many Palin inanities they can take.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who has struggled with his weight and is believed to be eyeing a run for the GOP presidential nomination, was the first Republican of note to criticize Palin’s remarks. “Michelle Obama’s not trying to tell people what to eat or trying to force the government’s desires on people, but she’s stating the obvious: That we do have an obesity crisis in this country,” he told a radio host. “The first lady’s campaign is on target. It’s not saying that you can’t or should never eat a dessert.”