Sarah Palin, ex-beauty queen and avid caribou hunter, hates big government. So, the "hockey mom" is mounting a revolution... with cookies.
As First Lady Michelle Obama goes around advocating more fruits and vegetables in public schools, Sarah Palin is visiting schools to pass out cookies.
Michelle is fronting a plan by the United States Surgeon General to improve cafeteria food, push physical education, and to bring more supermarkets to low-income communities.
But Sarah Palin has other ideas. Earlier this month, "Mama Grizzly" stopped by a school in Pennsylvania with dozens of cookies, a gesture obviously in protest to Michelle Obama's campaign for better nutrition.
"Who should be making the decisions what you eat and school choice and everything else?" Palin asked the students. "Should it be government, or should it be the parents?"
This is so silly. If Sarah Palin wants to drop by a school and hand out cookies, that's cool. I hated school, so a free cookie would have brightened up my day. But to make it some sort of political statement is dumb.
Pressuring schools to improve food is not a "political battleground." It's a no-brainer. People should be happy government is finally addressing an issue it has a decent chance of fixing.
But listen, this whole idea of "let the parents decide" isn't working. American kids are fat and getting fatter. So, either our children are a bunch of cement heads, or we have lazy parents who are too busy voting for Dancing With the Stars to teach their kids good eating habits. I say the parents stink.
Now I'm not suggesting the federal government tell you what you can and cannot eat in your own home. That's an idiotic notion. But, if a public school says no to junk food, like cookies, then that's the rule, period.
Reforming school lunch is not an attack on civil liberties. It's about healthier kids. But if you think it's un-American for your child to eat lunch without cookies, then pack them some.
Image credit: Ohio River
Food Weird cookies government junk food school school lunches 35 Comments New York Museum on 26 Nov 2010
Mrs. Palin is not interested in improving nutrition for the nation's children. She wants to be president no matter the cost. If it means more diabetes so be it!!! You betcha!
Reply Duane on 26 Nov 2010
The only reason Palin appears to be popular is because she's the only one keeping her name in the news. Her real popularity numbers are quite small, this circus will never reach the White House. Just stop paying attention to her and she'll go away.
Reply Bonnie on 26 Nov 2010
Amen, Duane: every time Palin opens her mouth (or tweets, or whatever) the media goes nuts. It's like raising kids - the behavior that gets the most attention is the behavior that gets reinforced.
What is she going to do next - go to schools and tell kids to stop playing at recess and sit on their behinds because the government wants to encourage more exercise for children?
Reply blob on 27 Nov 2010
The left can't stop paying attention to her as she rides this wave to megabank city. I'm not a Palin fan, but she certainly has a way of bouncing back which drives that certain segment nuts.
Not only that, they keep hammering her on that intelligence factor, yet she keeps getting stronger. I wouldn't discount her out, and she's a queen with the one liners.
She held her own against Biden in the VP debates and many people felt she won the second half of that debate. This woman gets torn to shreds and she fights back strong. I find it funny that the left and the right fear her.
More power to her.
Reply Duane on 27 Nov 2010
Don't know what debate you watched, but I didn't see her winning against Biden. And Biden's hardly a master debater. Hokey one liners and simple quotes anybody could toss around (Joe six pack?). When pressed on issues, her ignorance shines and if she's in the spotlight in a presidential race, she won't be able to get away with her simplistic country bumpkin responses.
I don't think the left fears her, with the exception of a few hardcore fans, most Americans won't vote for her, they can see she isn't remotely qualified. She's benefitting from our celebrity obsessed society where anybody can be famous for a while. I think she's more of a curiousity right now, like a car accident you can't help but watch. It'll pass and we'll all be the better for it.
Reply blob on 28 Nov 2010
And Biden's who they put in the vp spot? Mr Gaffmaster Flash. Pressed on issues, she'll do just fine, as she did against her republican opponents in Alaska.
I'd also say she is as remotely qualified as the fellah who can't seem to get his message out without a teleprompter, who has trouble speaking off the cuff utilizing all all that wasted airspace with stuttering, aahhs, and ummmms (basic speech 101), and can't help but blather on for fifteen minutes on a question that should take a couple.
What a load of hot air and you don't think she can win? Maybe not, but I'm not seeing much from either side.
At least she can stand up for herself when I can't seem to get what the great orator stands for on anything. He abandoned the left, he floats around confusing everyone and the rest of the planet just laughs at him.
I think James Carville got it right when he said something about if Hillary gave him one of hers they'd both have a pair.
I'll go eat some cookies now and hope Mrs O can do a better job than Mr. Communicator.
Reply Duane on 28 Nov 2010
I'll agree, Biden's no prize either. But Palin against her opponents in Alaska? Bumpkins up there. A gold mine for Jerry Springer. And she gave up on her state halfway through her term. Lots of corruption, but then again, there's corruption everywhere in politics.
Obama wasn't ready for the job, but then again, nobody was going to be able to fix what's wrong right now. 2 unwinnable wars, global recession mostly caused by greed, the guy didn't stand a chance. Too bad, he seems nice.
Reply Natalie on 27 Nov 2010
One can only hope!
Reply Nutrition Nut on 26 Nov 2010
Unfortunately Sarah Palin is focused on using the warm and fuzzy American icons or stereotypes to help her image - not, our national health!
Reply ArrowSmith on 26 Nov 2010
How does Sarah Palin want to hurt kids by keeping the yoke of government off our backs? Sarah Palin stands for FREEDOM.
Reply Nutrition Nut on 26 Nov 2010
The point is not the yoke of government - it is image building by a political machine.
Reply Mehitabel on 29 Nov 2010
Sarah Palin stands for Sarah Palin.
Reply Lestamore on 26 Nov 2010
To be honest, I was my middle school student body vice president, and this was pretty much my campaign strategy. Those kids with cookies in hand would probably totally vote for her now.
Maybe that is her plan... make new little republicans with the persuasive power of butter and sugar.
Reply Duane on 26 Nov 2010
Nah, they'll be too fat to get to the polling stations.
Reply ArrowSmith on 26 Nov 2010
You're so bigoted.
Reply Duane on 27 Nov 2010
This coming from the right. HAHA!
Reply ArrowSmith on 26 Nov 2010
Reforming school lunch is not an attack on civil liberties. It's about healthier kids. But if you think it's un-American for your child to eat lunch without cookies, then pack them some.
Except some of you would be for banning that too.
Reply Gerald "Gerry" Pugliese on 28 Nov 2010
Well, if that news came out, I'd rail against it too.
Reply ArrowSmith on 26 Nov 2010
Sarah Palin is a great American. Yup.
Reply Spectra on 26 Nov 2010
She's such a media-whore. I most definitely think she pulled this stunt to get attention from the American public and could care less about the nutrition of this country's children. Of course it's the parents' resposibility to feed their kids properly but yes, most parents are lazy and it might not be a bad idea to at least regulate what is offered to the kids at school so they aren't eating crap 24/7.
Reply carolbur89 on 26 Nov 2010
I like her
Reply Ellobern on 26 Nov 2010
I hate her.
Reply Ryan on 26 Nov 2010
The real solution is to repeal public education and let parents/private schools decide how to best handle this problem.
Reply Berzerker on 26 Nov 2010
So...She's trying to make a political statement denouncing big government by telling kids to eat junk...Um, hasn't junk food made the so-called big government quite a bit of money?
Reply ArrowSmith on 27 Nov 2010
How is she telling kids to eat junk? She's simply making a statement that government should butt OUT of parenting. I mean look at how fit Palin's kids are.. Errr, don't look at Bristol that's not Sarah's fault.
Reply Berzerker on 27 Nov 2010
It was nice of her to bring cookies until she had to make it about Michelle Obama, and turn it into a political statement; She insinuated it herself, not me.
Reply kitekrazy on 27 Nov 2010
Well doesn't this bring out the fascism, left wing insanity, communist, socialist out of 90% of the diet bloggers, author not excluded.
Brain food is missing out of a lot of people's diet.
Reply ArrowSmith on 27 Nov 2010
Too much veggies and not enough organ meats. More offal, more brain power.
Reply Berzerker on 27 Nov 2010
As a tofu munching, Portlander currently learning Swedish (The language of the commies) Let it be known we are organizing and we are coming for your junk food, your guns and...Your white women! Only country music and gay-bashing can save you now!
Reply Duane on 28 Nov 2010
Hmmmm, so if you're not a hard right winger you're a commie. Interesting. Cold war ended 20 years ago, time to get with the times.
Reply Mehitabel on 29 Nov 2010
Anyone have McCarthy on speed dial??
Reply EuropeanGirl on 28 Nov 2010
Intelligent people here in Europe know she has a very low IQ and that Americans would never vote for her. but please, do something with her so she disappears, because many Europeans that don't know much about America, think that all Amercians are such idiots and make jokes about you. Sarah Palin being on tv and on the internet all the time isn't good for you!
Reply Ninja Techniques on 28 Nov 2010
I won't comment as to whether or not she'd be good as president, but passing out cookies at a school isn't a good idea
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