I'm about three-fourths of the way through Sarah Palin's new book, and it's clear that the woman is convinced numerous conspiracies were launched against her--by the national media, by the McCain campaign, by disgruntled Alaskan loudmouths, by Katie Couric and Nicolle Wallace. But one conspiracy theory in particular sticks out to me for its, well, bizarreness: the plot to undermine meat-eaters.
Palin extols the virtues of meat a lot, whether it's caribou, moose, or more common fare. We're talking dozens of mentions throughout the book. She says anti-hunting and animal rights groups are clueless and offers a pair of Alaskan sayings about the value of meat: "You know you're an Alaskan when at least twice a year your kitchen doubles as a meat-processing plant," and "[T]here's plenty of room for all Alaska's animals--right next to the mashed potatoes." What's more, she uses the word "vegan" in semi-derogatory terms at least twice. (Matthew Scully, her speechwriter during the 2008 campaign, is a "bunny-hugging vegan.")
Perhaps most notably, she recounts a conversation with Steve Schmidt, her nemesis in the McCain campaign, during the slogging, difficult prep for her debate with Joe Biden. The coaches were frustrated with the Alaskan governor, so Schmidt suggested bringing in a nutritionist, Palin says. "You gotta get off that Atkins Diet," she recalls him insisting. Offended, Palin told him she wasn't on said diet--she just grabbed Atkins bars to get through her busy days. But Schmidt held his ground:
"Don't you know what a high-protein diet does?" he asked, ignoring what I had just said. He then launched into a discussion of nutrition physiology, holding forth on the importance of carbohydrates to cognitive connections and blah-blah-blah. As he lectured, I took in his rotund physique and noted that he used nicotine to keep his own cognitive connections humming along.
In short, Palin thinks Schmidt was suggesting that she was dumb because she liked her protein. (For her part, Palin thinks the debate prep wasn't going well because people weren't being nice enough to each other and letting the governor speak from her heart.)
It seems Palin will use any angle possible, even food, to insist that people were out to change her and her Alaska way of life--ultimately threatening to bring her down.
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COMMENTS (9)
It turns out that, among all 300+ million residents of the United States of America, only one--Miguel Tovar, a dishwasher at an Olive Garden in Pasadena--does not claim to be an expert on human nutrition. Fortunately, one of Miguel's co-workers learned that the dietary agnostic is in this country illegally and has reported him to ICE. Soon Mr. Tovar will be deported to his native Guatamala, and this great nation will once again be pure.
Meanwhile, Palin is absolutely correct that "people were out to change her and her Alaska way of life." She may not yet have realized that the first job of any politician is to be what her handlers think the voters want, not what the politician in fact is. Pol ... view full comment
It turns out that, among all 300+ million residents of the United States of America, only one--Miguel Tovar, a dishwasher at an Olive Garden in Pasadena--does not claim to be an expert on human nutrition. Fortunately, one of Miguel's co-workers learned that the dietary agnostic is in this country illegally and has reported him to ICE. Soon Mr. Tovar will be deported to his native Guatamala, and this great nation will once again be pure.
Meanwhile, Palin is absolutely correct that "people were out to change her and her Alaska way of life." She may not yet have realized that the first job of any politician is to be what her handlers think the voters want, not what the politician in fact is. Politicians need more changing than a daycare center full of giardia.
Hysterical, Yard. I think I once asked him about mercury in the tuna pasta platter, and he responded "Que?" I'm pretty sure he rolled his eyes, though.
Hysterical, Yard. I think I once asked him about mercury in the tuna pasta platter, and he responded "Que?" I'm pretty sure he rolled his eyes, though.
Palin seems to be missing a crucial difference between those such as myself who really enjoy a good steak and those like her who apparently hate bunnies. One can eat the cow and hug the bunny. It's sort of my credo.
Palin seems to be missing a crucial difference between those such as myself who really enjoy a good steak and those like her who apparently hate bunnies. One can eat the cow and hug the bunny. It's sort of my credo.
First, caribou and reindeer are the same critter. Tasty if you like gamey, but probably not for your average McAmerican appetite.
Personally, as a former fully self-served carnivor (yep, I raised or hunted 'em, killed 'em, chopped 'em up, stuffed them into their own guts, and smoked the result - all before enjoying them at table), now an almost fully observant vegetarian, I can say that the joys of meat are highly over-rated. I have no objection to people killing and eating animals if they do it humanely and in an ecologically sensible manner, but I find their near-religious devotion to it rather odd. Flavor and nutrition are what matter, and there is plenty of both to go 'round that don't ... view full comment
First, caribou and reindeer are the same critter. Tasty if you like gamey, but probably not for your average McAmerican appetite.
Personally, as a former fully self-served carnivor (yep, I raised or hunted 'em, killed 'em, chopped 'em up, stuffed them into their own guts, and smoked the result - all before enjoying them at table), now an almost fully observant vegetarian, I can say that the joys of meat are highly over-rated. I have no objection to people killing and eating animals if they do it humanely and in an ecologically sensible manner, but I find their near-religious devotion to it rather odd. Flavor and nutrition are what matter, and there is plenty of both to go 'round that don't involve the kind of outright cruelty and environmental destruction attendant upon modern agriculture and hunting (in the case of cruelty) in all ages.
JHildner - yeah, but bunny is one of the more sustainable and humane meats I could eat - the damned things reproduce like - well, like rabbits - and they're dumber than - well, er, rabbits, and thus easy to dispatch with a single .22 to the head. I could probably eat one a week, and never dent their population around here.
Cows on the other hand - they can put up quite a fight, and really are too much for even the average American family meal.
JHildner - yeah, but bunny is one of the more sustainable and humane meats I could eat - the damned things reproduce like - well, like rabbits - and they're dumber than - well, er, rabbits, and thus easy to dispatch with a single .22 to the head. I could probably eat one a week, and never dent their population around here.
Cows on the other hand - they can put up quite a fight, and really are too much for even the average American family meal.
sdemuth, a more perverse comment I have never read on these boards. A bunny killer and a beef disparager. Where do I "report abuse"?
sdemuth, a more perverse comment I have never read on these boards. A bunny killer and a beef disparager. Where do I "report abuse"?
sdemuth:
"...I raised or hunted 'em, killed 'em, chopped 'em up, stuffed them into their own guts..."
[voiceover]
"In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories..."
sdemuth:
"...I raised or hunted 'em, killed 'em, chopped 'em up, stuffed them into their own guts..."
[voiceover]
"In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories..."
Yard: LOL, literally. Kinda makes a point about carnivory, though, doesn't it?
Yard: LOL, literally. Kinda makes a point about carnivory, though, doesn't it?
Before, I was trying to think of a way to go where Yard went without appearing a psychopath. Alas, I don't possess Yard's supple wit. Well done, sir.
Does it kind of make me think about carnivory? Sure. I kind of think about carnivory frequently, and not just because my mouth waters at the prospect of a quality steak. I mean, seriously, I love steak. I would eat a nice piece of short loin plus butter, potato, and salad, and drink a bottle of Bordeaux every night if it were not unhealthy and expensive to do so. Whatever else I'm eating, my general thought is, "Well, this is fine, but truth be told, I'd rather have a steak."
It really is one of the most interesting moral questions out the ... view full comment
Before, I was trying to think of a way to go where Yard went without appearing a psychopath. Alas, I don't possess Yard's supple wit. Well done, sir.
Does it kind of make me think about carnivory? Sure. I kind of think about carnivory frequently, and not just because my mouth waters at the prospect of a quality steak. I mean, seriously, I love steak. I would eat a nice piece of short loin plus butter, potato, and salad, and drink a bottle of Bordeaux every night if it were not unhealthy and expensive to do so. Whatever else I'm eating, my general thought is, "Well, this is fine, but truth be told, I'd rather have a steak."
It really is one of the most interesting moral questions out there, because, on some level, it seems monstrous and gross and uncivilized, something for the special victims unit. But, on another level, it's one of those pleasures of life that make life worth living, and does the cow really mind? The cow may mind its torture, which I don't condone, but it is, I'm pretty sure, relatively unaware of the significance of its life and doesn't even know to fear its end by quick, painless stunner.