Article Contributed on: 1/15/2008 10:08:38 AM
The 2008 Presidential primaries brings a first. No not
Barak or
Hillary.
Mike Huckabee is the first evangelical dieter to run for president. You may have met people like this. Whether they grew up overweight, or gained a lot of weight in adulthood, one day they see the light. It's Diet Time. With a vengeance. Food choices are stripped down, sugar banished and fat avoidance becomes an obsession. Exercise routines take over the daily schedule. They start to bore everyone to death talking about food, calories and how much weight they've lost. The medical problems clear up and reinforces their dedication.
Mr. Huckabee famously lost over 100 pounds at last count and reversed Type 2 diabetes. As a president, he would certainly bring his experience and personal dedication to any discussion on food or health policies. Not to mention state dinners. Will the distinguished guests be ready for plain grilled chicken breasts and lowfat salad dressing? Will the American populace be ready for a president who makes them feel guilty because they're 50 pounds overweight?
Most of the candidates, who haven't had Huckabee's experience, are focused solely on getting votes, not on their waistlines. This leads them to eat unconsciously as part of the vote-getting process. When supporters are handing out samples of local foods, what sane candidate can say "no thanks"? Chili-cheese bratwurst, ginormous BBQ sandwiches, doughnuts, triple ice cream cones, home made cookies, homemade cookies topped with brownies, fried chicken, with gravy yet. The list goes on. Is no one offering stir-fried broccoli?
My guess is that Mr. Huckabee, by sheer force of will and dieting experience, resists most of this food onslaught. He's seen the light, he's not going back. Apparently his ability to side-step all the well-meaning food didn't hurt his popularity in Iowa. So the other candidates should take a hint. What they all need is the Secret Service of Nutrition. A trained food and nutrition expert who shadows each candidate, complete with a walkie-talkie on the lapel and an ear-bud receiver. "Mr. Obama, bratwurst incoming at 4 o'clock. Take one bite. Hand the bratwurst to your aide to your left. Smile and say Delicious!" OR "Mrs. Clinton, step AWAY from that ice cream cone. You've had enough calories this morning." At times of extreme calorie emergency, the Secret Service of Nutrition person will dash in and grab the offending food right out of the voter's hands.
Actually I'd be quite good at this. And frankly the candidates need this kind of intervention. Who wants to find that they've been elected President but gained 30 pounds in the process? While that might make them look more normal to their fellow Americans, it would be a bad idea to start your presidency with a new case of diabetes or high blood pressure. As for Mr. Huckabee's diet lifestyle, I'm sure there are plenty of people who admire his efforts and wish they had the same will power. Whether this affects voting one way or another is a open question.