By now, you've probably seen any number of images of Sarah Palin, Alaska's half-term former governor, taking a swig from a "Big Gulp" soft drink at the CPAC conference, in order to mock New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's attempted (and, apparently, now-failed) ban of selling large, sugary soft-drinks in New York City. Palin, and her even less-sophisticated audience, both thought that this was a tremendous joke and a powerful blow for our libertarian, constitutional right to die an early, cola-induced death.
Well, here's my question: Yes, the world saw Sarah take a sip, but did she actually consume (to borrow a line from the movie "Matilda") the entire confection? Or did she dump it out as soon as she got off the stage, vowing to do an extra 10 sit-ups to take off the damage done by the sip? I'm betting on the latter.
Because, as anybody with a real brain who's been awake for the past five years knows, Sarah Palin is not a serious politician. She's a celebrity. She's an entertainer with a very limited range of talent and an even more limited audience, but it's an audience with money to waste and it's willing to waste it on her, as long as she does her shtick. She does not have the intelligence or the work ethic to be a true political leader. She's a political starlet, one who will always worry more about her figure than any fiscal cliff.
The best coverage of this whole non-event event, IMHO, can be found here, not only because it's a perfect takedown of the lack of substance, but also because it offers a meaningful discussion of Bloomberg's failed ban, and an alternative that makes more sense: a tax on the retailers who sell the drinks, with the proceeds going to a public health care fund. That allows consumers to make their choices, and weigh (pardon the pun) the consequences of doing so before they sip or gulp. It's a good idea; let's hope Bloomberg and other big-city mayors see the article and put his suggestion into practice.
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