Sarah Palin spoke Thursday at the Long Island Association, a business group in New York. The event was notable for the fact that Palin invited the press–something she does rarely. And it was newsworthy in that she gave another sign she might actually run for president: News reports say she hinted with a smile that someone who is good at multitasking (“a woman, a mom”), as well as someone who’s already run for something (“a vice-presidential candidate?”) would be most qualified for the job.
During the event, in which Palin was interviewed by the Long Island Association’s president, she sounded off about presidential things–the deficit, whether or not to raise the nation’s debt ceiling and President Obama’s health-care reform law. And she weighed in on the debate over Obama’s citizenship, reportedly saying it is “distracting. It gets annoying. Let’s stick to what really matters.”
But if that’s what she really wants people to do, why did she crack a joke about Michelle Obama’s campaign to make it easier for women to breastfeed? When the conversation turned to the escalating price of gas and groceries, Palin reportedly said, “It’s no wonder Michelle Obama is telling everybody you better breastfeed your baby–yeah, you better–because the price of milk is so high right now!”
It may have just been an attempt to draw a laugh from the crowd over issues–childhood obesity and the medically proven benefits of breastfeeding–that are no laughing matter. But even though she followed up by saying “and may that not be the takeaway, please, of this speech,” it has become one of them. Headlines saying that Palin was mocking Michelle Obama’s attempt to make it easier for women to breastfeed have lead stories following the speech.
Who knows whether or not Palin will run for the nation’s highest office. But if she does, comments like this one do little to make her sound presidential. For one, even if it was a joke, Palin was making light of something that has to do with the future of this country–the health and well-being of its children. And even if Palin spent most of the talk discussing deficits, health-care reform and foreign affairs, it’s unnecessary side comments like these that will–whether she likes it or not–lead the news.
Sarah Palin spoke Thursday at the Long Island Association, a business group in New York. The event was notable for the fact that Palin invited the press–something she does rarely. And it was newsworthy in that she gave another sign she might actually run for president: News reports say she hinted with a smile that someone who is good at multitasking (“a woman, a mom”), as well as someone who’s already run for something (“a vice-presidential candidate?”) would be most qualified for the job.
During the event, in which Palin was interviewed by the Long Island Association’s president, she sounded off about presidential things–the deficit, whether or not to raise the nation’s debt ceiling and President Obama’s health-care reform law. And she weighed in on the debate over Obama’s citizenship, reportedly saying it is “distracting. It gets annoying. Let’s stick to what really matters.”
But if that’s what she really wants people to do, why did she crack a joke about Michelle Obama’s campaign to make it easier for women to breastfeed? When the conversation turned to the escalating price of gas and groceries, Palin reportedly said, “It’s no wonder Michelle Obama is telling everybody you better breastfeed your baby–yeah, you better–because the price of milk is so high right now!”
It may have just been an attempt to draw a laugh from the crowd over issues–childhood obesity and the medically proven benefits of breastfeeding–that are no laughing matter. But even though she followed up by saying “and may that not be the takeaway, please, of this speech,” it has become one of them. Headlines saying that Palin was mocking Michelle Obama’s attempt to make it easier for women to breastfeed have lead stories following the speech.
Who knows whether or not Palin will run for the nation’s highest office. But if she does, comments like this one do little to make her sound presidential. For one, even if it was a joke, Palin was making light of something that has to do with the future of this country–the health and well-being of its children. And even if Palin spent most of the talk discussing deficits, health-care reform and foreign affairs, it’s unnecessary side comments like these that will–whether she likes it or not–lead the news.