Having now heard the clip, and heard from Dave directly, I can now discuss the issue and analyze it with some perspective. But first, folks should really hear this for themselves -- in context, so I am providing the entire clip.
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Context is important, but in our sound-byte driven environment, it is very easy to come away from that section of the speech as "Dave Yost wants to make sure that you chose an apple instead of chips." when that really isn't what he is trying to say at all. Dave wrote me to explain:
OK. Specifically, Hamilton County has received a federal grant for $6.7 million to make it "eaiser" for people to eat right and exercise more. I use this stimulus-funded boondoggle in every stump speech as an example of what's wrong with our spendthrift government, and the inter-generational theft that's going on in Washington AND Columbus. (Strickland, who cannot legally run a deficit, has simply gotten Obama to do it for him.)Folks, these speeches are boring enough as it is, but we all have to start doing a better job of listening -- myself included. Granted, I think Dave chose a very easily misunderstood example and if you listen to the clip, I don't think Dave actually gets to making his point very effectively (if at all).
I'd rather be fit than not (at the moment, I'm in the "not category) but the worthy ideal of fitness is none of the federal government's business.
BOTTOM LINE: Dave isn't a statist hellbent on waging a War on Fat. Thank goodness... I still don't know what this has to do with the Auditor's race, but I feel better about it now.
