Dowd: More Big Macs for Barack

Not sure why I bother, but what is it about Maureen Dowd, Barack Obama, and food? Dowd has repeatedly mocked Obama's "abstemious" tastes and how these set him apart from the great, fat, American mainstream:

July 16: He's already in danger of seeming too prissy about food...

July 13: He looked frustrated when Sasha revealed that "my dad doesn't like sweets" and that he preferred "minty gum" to bubble gum. She then began singsonging "Everybody should like ice cream" before pointing a finger at the person who doesn't: "Except Daddy!"

As Margaret Carlson told Mike Barnicle on Hardball, in a segment called "Is Obama Too Cool?," about whether he relates to average Americans, sometimes you just want to tell the guy, "Eat the doughnut."

Whether Obama was irritated that he had slipped up and exposed his daughters or was annoyed that his kids were exposing more delicious details about his finicky, abstemious tastes, we'll never know.

May 21: "Oh, you're so witty with all your stupid rallies with 75,000 people and spending $100 million on ads to promote one puny word: Change. I've made sacrifices in this campaign. While you've been fake-eating and losing weight, I've had to stuff myself with all that greasy working-class junk food and chase it with Boilermakers."

May 4: Checking out what the vets were drinking, he announced, "I'm going to have a Bud." Then, showing he's a smart guy who can learn and assimilate, he took big swigs from his beer can, a marked improvement on the delicate sip he took at a brewery in Bethlehem, Pa.

April 27: Hillary is not getting much sleep or exercise, and doesn't, like the ascetic Obama, abstain from junk food and coffee and get up at dawn to work out on the road...He dutifully enthused about carbs, assuring reporters that when he had dinner as a child with his Kansas grandparents, the food "would have been very familiar to anybody here in Indiana. A lot of pot roast, potatoes and Jell-O molds."

April 23: In the final days in Pennsylvania, he dutifully logged time at diners and force-fed himself waffles, pancakes, sausage and a Philly cheese steak. He split the pancakes with Michelle, left some of the waffle and sausage behind, and gave away the French fries that came with the cheese steak.

But this is clearly a man who can't wait to get back to his organic scrambled egg whites.

April 2: At the Wilbur chocolate shop in Lititz Monday, he spent most of his time skittering away from chocolate goodies, as though he were a starlet obsessing on a svelte waistline.

"Oh, now," the woman managing the shop told him with a frown, "you don't worry about calories in a chocolate factory."

The Times's Michael Powell reports that, after watching five plump, white-haired women in plastic hairnets spin the chocolate into such confections as Phantom of the Opera masks and pink high heels, he ventured: "Do you actually eat the chocolate or do you get sick of it?" They giggled at his silliness.

He looked even more concerned when he was offered a chocolate cake with white chocolate frosting. "Oh, man." he said. "That's too decadent for me."

Of course, this is all meaningless nonsense having nothing to do with what Obama might do as president, how he might do it, or even whom he might hire as White House chef. But even on its own terms -- as an attempted insight into Obama's alleged finickiness or his supposed distance from the Applebee's set -- it doesn't make sense. A presidential candidate is apparently attempting to eat right while having a mix of fried road food and catered campaign meals shoved at him eight times a day. He should be hailed as a role model, not damned for failing to wolf down every last fry.

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Comments

[OmnesOmnibus]

Maureen Dowd. She was really good once. Clever, witty, quirky, unpredictable. That was then. Now, she's 10 minutes ago, tired and hackneyed. Who really cares about her anymore? It was sad, but all too invevitable, to see her go along with the puff argument "Why can't people make fun of Obama?" defense of the New Yorker's disgusting, vile racist, cover. Guess she's as desperate to write for them as everyone else on the NYT staff.

[rationalthought1]

Its perfectly fine to make fun of a candidate. The truth is, though, Obama offers slim pickings for humorists - at least when compared to Bush and the CLintons with their endless psychodrama. This line that Obama doesn't have a sense of humor is, of course, ridiculous. Sure when he's talking about Iraq he's not going to be making jokes (unlike Bush and McCain). But he makes cracks and jokes all the time and also has a fantastic smile. When he's kidding some people call it being cocky. Dowd's columns have been slipping, though, They are less relevant and, indeed, less funny, whether dealing with Obama or not.

[DinSea]

Maureen Dowdy exemplifies writers whose opinions are bigger than their knowledge or wisdom. As so many have said, *Obama is a stellar role model* -- if people would lay down their fears, prejudices, and personal agendas to appreciate him for once. He is the only candidate who does not have infidelity in his wake; doesn't pander to lobbyists, and is 100% dedicated to the good of our country. MSM's pettiness (ref. Hillary's latest hair do -- whaaa???) is contributing to the lack of profundity and proliferation of profound idiocy which is eaten up and often regurgitated from one pundit to another. Have you noticed how often news reporters interview other reporters and make celebrities of guys reading news on teleprompters? It's absurd and disgusting.

[BubbaC33]

Maureen Dowd is a big reason Bush was placed in the White House in 2000. Her almost constant attacks on Al Gore had a lot to do with his inability to win. And in 2004 she again did all she could to stiffle the campaign of John Kerry. For some reason she seems to have a hatred for the Democratic nominees. And for Hillry Clinton.

[unity08]

Let’s see. Someone on a long and rigorous campaign makes an effort to eat healthy and exercise. Oh my!

You know some people just don’t like sweets Ms. Dowd.

[arkgrfx61]

"He should be hailed as a role model, not damned for failing to wolf down every last fry."

That's all that needs to be said...in today's world of super-sized big Macs, french fries and large diet cokes (don't understand how that counteracts the ginormous amount of calories eaten), and young children (as young as 2, I saw yesterday, looked like she weighed about 30-35 lbs! I don't know the avg weight of a 2 year old, but she certainly didn't look like that was the norm), Maureen should be hailing Obama, as someone who is consciously aware of what he ingests in his body.
I sincerely hope that when he is President he implements many programs to help combat obesity, especially in young children.

[longnow]

She's fishing for something, anything that will stick.
She's also trying to feminize him as is Jackson.
BTW Jesse Jackson did a tough love tour back in
the 90's. He toured the high schools and Jackson
tanked. We are not supposed to remember this
because he would like to forget it himself...
"talking down to black folk" and all.

[Dwade313]

I thought it was just me that noticed this. I have stopped reading Maureen Dowd's insipid columns because she seems to be concentrating on Obama's personal traits instead of the ISSUES! How about W's traits of eating hot dogs and talking with his mouth full? Oh yeah, there's great President! American excess is celebrated, i.e. Cindy McCain's $750,000 a month Visa card, but restraint and proper eating is touted as being uppity and out-of-touch. WTF Maureen, how about writing about something that matters for once.

[loril]

OMG...Obama is rebellious enough to scorn the typically unhealthy American diet of fried and sugar laden processed food? Yes, how a person eats should be their own business and no concern of mine. But his food choices have just elevated my opinion of Obama a bit higher.

For one thing, I am convinced that eating a healthy diet makes you sharper and puts you into better emotional balance. When I junk out, I FEEL it. I am more snappish, sluggish and emotional. When I eat healthy food, I have energy and the ability to keep issues in better perspective.

How do you suppose W eats? Tons of bar-be-que, pork rinds and Bud? Could this contribute to his erratic public behavior, verbal incoherence, lack of initiative to do much of anything? Well...if we can speculate about Obama's food choices, then W's diet is certainly a valid topic. (Especially those pretzels...)

[ATL78]

I'm glad our next president eats healthy food! It's a good example for the rest of us and he needs to be in great shape, being president is a tough job.

I'm so sick of the media, Cindy and John are the epitome of privilege but Obama needs to work overtime to prove he's like us?

[Heidfeld]

Ok, what Dowd is saying is stupid... but what else is she supposed to talk about? His policies? Maybe, but we don't actually know what they are (cause he changes them all the time).

The suggestion of, "what Obama might do as President, or how he might do it," is also impossible. Again, we still have no idea who this man is... mostly due to his saying whatever he thinks will please the people he is in front of at the moment.

So she, like everyone else, is struggling to figure out who this guy is. She is using his eating habits to gain a small bit of insight. Not perfect, but it is a start.

The funny thing is that his eating is just like the rest of him. He changes it to suit whomever he is with in an attempt to dupe them.

[Decipherer]

Your comment is as shallow and vapid as Maureen Dowd's idiotic fixation on what Barack Obama eats or not, and in what volume. Next thing you know, you'll be talking about the earth shaking import of his decision to wear a flag pin or not.

Will people stop with this nonsense?

As to his position on the issues, which after all this time you either haven't bothered to explore or you simply want to regurgitate whatever it is you just heard from some gasbag in the MSM, he is quite clear on the matters which most affect our country. He's explained, explained, and explained on Huffington Post, on his campaign website, and in lengthy & detailed policy speeches (which the MSM doesn't bother to cover because they are too complicated).

Obama's policy positions are out there on the record for all to see, and they are solid and consistent. It's not his fault that you don't get it.

Use your brain, OK?

[hlhicks]

I'd think she'd be happier if he showed up with a bucket of fried chicken in one hand and a box of Krispy Kremes in another and then we'd know he's qualified to be President. Really, Dowd has attempted to portray Obama as an effete man with no backbone who apparently has a love for arugula. The horrors!! Margaret Carlson lamenting on Hardball about the Obamas' shopping at Whole Foods(and yes arugula came up again) and how middle America couldn't relate. Is she serious? Cindy McCain charges three quarters of a million dollars on one credit card in one month and the Obamas are the elites? What in the hell is the media smoking?

[StarkRavingNakedEmperor]

There are several factors at work here. Many Americans are looking for a reason--ANY reason to use as an excuse to not vote for Obama. This canard about his gastronomic asceticism is one. Another is the "I cant vote for him because he is a Muslim" 15% of the population--they are the hopelessly racist who will never vote for a black person because they are terrified of them and they just dont have the balls to come out and say so. And as you may know, African Americans have the highest rates of obesity, hypertension, heart disease, high cholesterol, stroke& cancer of any ethnic group in the country. Several factors contribute to this: substandard education in black school districts, intergenerational poverty leading to poorer nutritional options, inability to afford health care & increased levels of illness due to the psychological stress of long term demonization& ostracization by the society at large. Considering the intractable health challenges in the black community, Mr Obama undoubtedly wants to set a good example by his dietary and exercises choices. Lastly, if you will notice Ms Dowd has been putting on a few extra pounds as of late and she loves to dish. Compared to the average American, each member of the Obama family is tall, willowy and racehorse trim. Trust me, Ms O'Dowd is carrying a VERY WIDE LOAD. Her kvetching over the Obamas' Kenyan runner physiques is merely a rearing of the head of the Green-Eyed Monster-sheer jealousy!

[MariaHopeful]

This is the disgusting media trying tear down anyone who doesn't buy into their narrow view of what it means to be American. We are supposed gobble up junk food and get big and fat and have heart attacks to prove that you are really, really "one of us." Did I say disgusting? I find the MSM utterly repulsive.

[JohnFObama]

How irresponsible can Dowd be? She should be encouraging people to eat more like him and less like Homer Simpson instead of being annoyed that he eats responsibly.

[StarkRavingNakedEmperor]

Here! Here! According to his recent medical check up and tests, at nearly age 47 he has the stats of a teenager--BP 90/60, pulse 60, 0% body fat, perfect cholesterol levels and ratios, etc. At this rate he'll live to be 120. As everyone will recall, when Clinton was president, he jogged from one donut shop to the next Mc Donalds' and ate Triple decker Bacon Cheeseburgers and fries all the way. His quintuple heart bypass surgery brought him around to the right path. With heart disease the #1 killer and cancer the #2 killer (also connected to diet now) every American should take lessons from Obama!

[SilviaMaria]

There is an obesity problem in the country affecting millions of people, including children and believe, Maureen, there is nothing sadder than seeing a 7-year old girl/boy already in the path of becoming obese. Obese people have a lot of health problems, as you might know. Now, there is nothing wrong eating a big, greasy breakfast at Denny's once in a while (and I love it, the big size omelet, the bacon, the sausages, the harsh browns, the pancakes...) but if you eat like this everyday and do not exercise and you do not eat healthy in between, chances are you will have a problem. I am a mother of 2 small children and read the labels at the store, check for fat content, artificial sweeteners, and other chemical stuff they put in our food, I encourage my children to eat fruits (I have fruits for breakfast actually) and whole wheat bread, to drink water instead of juice boxes and of course there is no sodas in my house. I give them sweets as a treat once in a while.

Obama trying to eat healthy food and trying to exercise while campaigning sets a good example. Now let's just move to the real issues.