In these perilous times, people accuse me of being obsessed with pap like Michelle and Barack Obama's food and clothing. But it should be obvious that it's not about the food or the clothes; it's about double standards, arrogance, and hypocrisy, all of which impact policy and governing, whether directly or indirectly.
The truth is, Mr. and Mrs. Obama are free to eat a side of beef every day and take two cargo planes full of couture everywhere they go if they want to. However, a problem arises when the first couple exercises a lifestyle that their policy edicts try to deny everyone else.
Case in point: One day after "piece of the pie" maven Michelle Obama "unveiled the USDA's new nutritional plate," Obama chose to eat outside the colored lines. The new pyramid replacement plate is split into four easy-to-follow sections -- red for fruits; orange for grains; purple for protein; green, the largest section, for veggies; and a blue circular satellite for dairy.
Michelle and the USDA put their heads together and decided what, and how much, we should eat. One problem -- Barry isn't obeying, and if I had to guess, based on history, neither is Shelley.
Customarily, the day after an Obama directive is issued the President usually makes some sort of public announcement, in word or deed, exempting himself and his wife from what they demand from the rest of us. For example: Ridicule SUV drivers and then soon after, gas up Air Force One and fly cross-country just to make a TV appearance or attend a fundraiser.
In this case, Michelle promoted healthy foods like quinoa and Brussels sprouts one day and the next day Obama brazenly stuffed his face with such a large hunk of chilidog that he made champion hot dog eaters Joey Chestnut and Kobayashi look like rank amateurs.
By choosing to eat at Rudy's Hot Dog in Toledo, Ohio, Barack made yet another in a long list of symbolic exemptions for himself, except this time the statement took the form of two frankfurters smothered in chili and a pile of greasy, salty French fries.
Maybe between the "the house specialty chili dog, which comes with mustard, onion, chili sauce and cheese, and topped ... with a bowl of chili and a portion of fries on the side," Obama convinced himself he was eating protein, veggies, dairy, and grain and by doing so was dutifully participating in Michelle's healthy plate initiative.
After all, "The First Lady is renowned for her toned arms and vegetable patch." Yet despite the organic fare in the White House garden, the only sign of vegetables on her husband's plate "appeared to be some fried onions."
To compensate for straying off the reservation, Obama did try to balance the scales by offering a few dietary suggestions to Ohio representative Marcy Kaptur, who requested ketchup on her dog. A mortified Obama, cheeks bulging with a gargantuan mouthful of chilidog, told Marcy, "By the way, as an aficionado of hot dogs, you shouldn't put ketchup on hot dogs... I'm trying to teach my girls." Aficionado of hot dogs?
The cat is officially out of the bag. The Obama girls eat nitrate-infused ground mystery meat stuffed into pig-intestine casings, and we know this because Dad admitted he's been advising Sasha and Malia on how to properly choose hot dog condiments.
Anyway, while America obediently tried to squeeze brown rice and tofu into purple and orange triangles, Obama "happily munched on the unhealthy meal before he visited the city's Chrysler factory" where he was booed for reasons unrelated to the gas-inducing lunch.
So, as always, chilidogs and fried onion rings are not the issue; nor is it that Michelle wore designer Peter Som to launch the USDA's MyPlate initiative. What continues to be of concern is what is represented by the dichotomy of combining the unveiling of the food pyramid replacement with a rousing pig fest at Rudy's Hot Dog joint. That type of superciliousness is the perfect embodiment of the Obamas' arrogance and hypocrisy -- and two chilidogs and a side of fries is just another in a long list of in-your-face examples to confirm the double standard.
Jeannie DeAngelis
Jeannie DeAngelis writes almost exclusively for American Thinker and has been published on the conservative website Pajamas Media, as well as hosting a blog. See Jeannie's Blog
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