The former governor of Alaska has had a pretty nice run so far – especially for someone with no discernible talent or evidence of ever having had an original thought. There are many ambitious men and women who aspire to the national stage, and Sarah Palin has arrived, seemingly without effort or a defined strategy.
While the ultimate demise of John McCain’s presidential ambitions began on the day that he chose her as his running mate, Sarah Palin has given new meaning to the word “Teflon”. The fact that she might be responsible for the stunning defeat of the Republican ticket in 2008 has only burnished her star.
Most people who admitted on national television that they don’t regularly read newspapers, magazines or books would probably remove themselves from public view. Sarah Palin wrote a bestselling book (that was actually written by a ghostwriter).
Most people who admitted to a lack of knowledge of global events and geopolitics would just be quiet on the subject. The Mama Grizzly in Chief weighs in on such topics about which she knows nothing with ease that can only be described as breathtaking.
Lately, Sarah Palin has trained her sights on Michelle Obama. First she criticized the First Lady for stating during the 2008 campaign that, for the first time in her life, she was truly proud of America.
Mrs. Palin, either through ignorance or barely disguised racism, refused to understand the context of Mrs. Obama’s statement; that African Americans who have witnessed lynching and “No Colored” restaurant signs might not be that proud of everything American. But Sarah Palin was able to make her veiled attack without any serious criticism. The power of Teflon is indeed an awesome thing.
Now she is attacking the First Lady’s campaign against childhood obesity. She has mocked Michelle Obama’s efforts to get Americans to eat in a more healthy fashion and in the process has managed to distort this laudable campaign into another example of how government is endeavoring to control the lives of ordinary Americans. Presumably it is one more reason why this faux warrior queen wants to lead the battle to “take America back”.
This latest Sarah Salvo could be dismissed except that her stupidity trivializes the very serious health issue that Michelle Obama is trying to highlight. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 32.7% of adult Americans are overweight, 34.3% are obese and 5.9% are extremely obese. Further the NHANES reports that 16.9% of American children are obese. The number in low income communities and communities of color are even higher.
These are stunning – and damning – statistics by any measure. These numbers indicate an incredible health problem that threatens the fiscal and physical health of this country.
This is no laughing matter, this is not a subject for catty tweets. Perhaps Sarah Palin could put her political bow and quiver aside for a nanosecond and express some concern for the health and welfare of the people to whom she presumes to give advice, if not lead.
Here is a direct quote from Chairwoman Sarah: “Instead of a government thinking that they need to take over and make decisions for us according to some politician’s or politician’s wife’s priorities, just leave us alone . . . ”
It would be shameful if government just sat by while children engorge themselves with Lil’ Debbies and Slurpies and adults Big Mac themselves to death. It is shameful that Sarah Palin would try to link a worthy effort to spread the message of health through nutrition to her perverted political worldview.
I have to wonder at what point this Elmer Gantry in high heels will meet her comeuppance. Is it possible for Sarah Palin to say anything about anybody at anytime without consequence?
Sarah Palin is a winking, malevolent comet blazing across the American sky. Clearly, the sooner that she burns out, the better.
Point of View 
How very sad that one would propose to lead us to the slaughter. That is the gist of Sarah Palin’s opposition to Michelle’s initiative. That’s all it is really, an initiative, not a government “diet panel”. The trouble with Sarah is that she “got a life”, handed to her on a silver platter, that was just so much more interesting and exciting than the lifewith which she was apparently bored to death and distraction. All the “wicked witches” and “big bad wolves” of fairy tales were thrilled to come across the fat little darlings who could not run, and would stew nicely. All the more disconcerting is her own history as an athlete, which she could draw on in referencing at least some common ground with the opposition, who, after all, are also part of the America that she wants to “take back”. I think she wants to “take America back” to those pre-civil war and segregationist standards for which the Strom Thurmond patriots long. To be members of the far right, it is incredible how far wrong they can, and do, go. As America changes to the forward direction, the attitudes and demands of the
Tea Party sound more like the one in Alice’s Wonderland, than the one in Boston’s history. Hopefully, if not certainly, these are those who have been “left behind”.