# Policy issue reduced to personal body traits: Sensenbrenner and Michelle Obama's booty **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 22, 2011, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079 "2011-12-22T15:15:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Stauderhorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Stauderhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stauderhorse)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079/21 "2011-12-22T20:23:43Z")
[You other brothers can’t deny.](http://charlidholbrook.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/michelle-obama-vogue-cover.jpg) No, it’s not a big booty. It may be voluptuous and round, but…I should stop. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079/22 "2011-12-22T22:30:55Z")
It seems to me that the United States’ First Lady has a firm, callipygous figure of the sort that doesn’t come from sucking back fried food and pop on the sofa. That said, I can see how she might offend the current congress’s sensibilities of WAR IS PEACE - FREEDOM IS SLAVERY - IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH - PIZZA IS VEGETABLE. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2011, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079/23 "2011-12-23T07:55:05Z")
I almost started a pit thread about this. Apparently [Rush Limbaugh](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/21/jim-sensenbrenner-michelle-obama_n_1163711.html) is on this bandwagon. RUSH LIMBAUGH! Does he not own a mirror? ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2011, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079/24 "2011-12-23T12:27:30Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > If Hillary were to be married to any U.S. senator from New York, it would be Kirsten Gillibrand, wouldn’t it? I have to admit, I have no idea what her ass looks like. Well, y’know, same-sex marriage is legal in New York State, and I’m not one to spread gossip, but there have been rumors… ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2011, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079/25 "2011-12-23T13:26:27Z")
On the various right-wing fora we’ll see, about once a week, a thread about how fat “Moochelle” (seriously, that’s what they call her) is, and what junk food she’s been eating while \*outlawing \*good, tasty, AMERICAN food for our AMERICAN children. These are generally some of the most prolific threads- they go on for _pages_. And they wonder why we don’t take them seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079/26 "2011-12-23T16:06:00Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > … they wonder why we don’t take them seriously. Because these knuckle-dragging dumb f\*&ks vote! Pardon my elitist rant, but it’s hard for me not to get despondent about this. And this asshole congressman’s JOWLS are bigger than Michelle’s butt. ---
**Author:** ![Plumbkrazy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@Plumbkrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plumbkrazy)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079/27 "2011-12-23T16:21:49Z")
Sensenbrenner wishes he could pull tail as hot as the First Lady. ---
**Author:** ![Zulema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zulema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulema)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2011, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079/28 "2011-12-23T16:23:08Z")
When I first read about this I knew it was about her being black and not about her weight or shapliness. Serioously, if anyone models healthful reasonable eating habits and keeping a weight appropriate for her body type it’s her. She looks excellent from every angle. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079/29 "2011-12-23T16:48:58Z")
Here’s a couple paragraphs from the article **Omega Glory** linked to upthread: [INDENT]Sensenbrenner had made his initial comment about the first lady at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Hartford, Wis. on Dec. 10. Ann Marsh-Meigs, a 72-year-old member of the church, said the congressman sat with her and several other parishioners for some small talk during the church’s Christmas bazaar. Then, he noticed cards on the table advertising the church’s upcoming food-packing project for Haiti and began speaking about a recent charity event in Washington his wife and Michelle Obama attended. Sensenbrenner commented that the first lady only stayed as long as the photographers were there. “And then he got on the topic of first ladies and their special interests, and he said most first ladies have serious projects,” Marsh-Meigs said in an interview. “He implied that Michelle Obama being interested in childhood obesity was not serious, he sort of made fun of it and then he made fun of her. He said something like, look at her big butt.”[/INDENT] Christ, what a moron. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079/30 "2011-12-28T05:57:19Z")
> [@voguevixen](#): > > I almost started a pit thread about this. Apparently [Rush Limbaugh](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/21/jim-sensenbrenner-michelle-obama_n_1163711.html) is on this bandwagon. RUSH LIMBAUGH! Does he not own a mirror? I’m not surprised at all. The message is not that being fat is bad, but that anyone running a fitness campaign should herself be fit. And, honestly, it’s a bit racist, in the sense that it is ignoring that the typical white body type of a healthy person does not match that of a black person. It doesn’t surprise me at all that Rush would be involved in such. ---
**Author:** ![Chicagojeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@Chicagojeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicagojeff)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079/31 "2011-12-29T03:33:01Z")
As a 41 yr old African American I’m particularly sensitive to the weight and shape of young black women. This issue has distressed me and I make a point of taking my two kids to the gym and encouraging good healthy reasonable choices. I too enjoyed Laura Bush’s reading campaign… anything to put books in children’s hands can’t have a downside… It is what it is… This country gets fatter and fatter and then raises their indignation when someone offers intelligent solutions. I live in Atlanta… when i leave the metro area I’m absolutely fuckin stunned… ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079/32 "2011-12-29T04:17:35Z")
Liberal though I am, I do have to admit that I always admired Laura Bush’s ass. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079/33 "2011-12-29T04:31:13Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > This is a private citizen who happens to be married to the president trying to make this country better, as first ladies traditionally do. “Private citizen”? Bullshit. No, she wasn’t elected. But she’s still a public person. And she entered the arena willingly and early with “America is essentially mean”. > [@](#): > > Did this guy have a problem with Nancy Reagan telling us to not do drugs? Did he have a problem with Laura Bush foisting books upon us? Do you realize that Nancy did not do drugs and Laura can read well, but Michelle IS a bit overweight? Do you get it now? > [@BigT](#): > > I’m not surprised at all. The message is not that being fat is bad, but that anyone running a fitness campaign should herself be fit. > > And, honestly, it’s a bit racist, in the sense that it is ignoring that the typical white body type of a healthy person does not match that of a black person. It doesn’t surprise me at all that Rush would be involved in such. “A bit racist”? :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: Different body types? So you’re classifying people by race? And you call OTHERS racist? :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079/34 "2011-12-29T04:37:32Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > Liberal though I am, I do have to admit that I always admired Laura Bush’s ass. I didn’t like him much, but I still tried to respect the Office. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079/35 "2011-12-29T04:43:16Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > Do you realize that Nancy did not do drugs and Laura can read well, but Michelle IS a bit overweight? Do you get it now? Not really. She’s not shaped like Calista Flockhart so what business does she have leading a healthy eating campaign? She doesn’t really look fat to me, anyway and I can’t help but think it’s the equivalent of Laura Bush having a propensity for Tom Clancy novels. (I don’t know what if any airport reads Laura Bush fancies, this is merely meant as an example.) ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079/36 "2011-12-29T05:06:23Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > Do you realize that Nancy did not do drugs and Laura can read well, but Michelle IS a bit overweight? Do you get it now? How in God’s name is [this woman](http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/imagecache/admin_official_lowres/administration-official/ao_image/First_Lady_Michelle_Obama_Official_Portrait_2009_HiRes.jpg) overweight? She’s not only thinner than most first ladies, but she’s more muscular (ie: in BETTER shape) than most. [This woman](http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2009/stylewatch/blog/090525/michelle_obama_300x400.jpg) is fat? [Seriously?](http://straightfromthea.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/michelle-obama-vogue-2.jpg) For comparison’s sake: [Michelle is far thinner than Laura](http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/PX100_5087_9.JPG), she’s just taller and naturally broader built. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079/37 "2011-12-29T05:11:23Z")
That _is_ an unfortunate-looking orange dress she’s wearing in the last picture, though. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079/38 "2011-12-29T05:26:56Z")
She usually is a bit more fashionable than that, yes heh. I think she was maybe going for a more traditional First Lady look, which just doesn’t suit her young, athletic body type. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079/39 "2011-12-29T05:34:24Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I What the hell? > > 1. What does encouraging people, particularly children, to make better eating choices have to do with Obama’s own body condition? Fat or skinny, well or unwell, the question should be over what Obama’s _saying_ rather than what she looks like. > > 2. What exactly is wrong with someone like Obama pursuing a campaign like this? Speaking as an overweight person myself, this is exactly the kind of thing that we need to address a rather serious public health issue. > > 3. Apparently, when asked about this exchange, a Sensenbrenner aide responded with something like “He thinks the government shouldn’t tell us what to eat.” The government isn’t forcing anyone to eat what they don’t want. They’re trying to educate the public and encourage institutions and individuals to change their dietary practices. What exactly is wrong with that? > > 4. What exactly is wrong with Michelle Obama’s posterior? She’s not overweight; she’s not obese. She’s shaped the way she’s shaped. > > 5. Why did Sensenbrenner feel the need to take a policy matter and personalize it in this way? After all, Sensenbrenner’s no athlete himself. There’s something bizarre and poisonous about the instinct to take a policy disagreement and personalize it like this. I started a thread about this topic a few months ago in GD. The backlash against Mrs. Obama’s health campaign is baffling and offensive, IMO. The only motivation behind it is republican need to criticize every single thing the Obamas do. Other than that, I can’t imagine how anyone could get upset over it. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079/40 "2011-12-29T05:38:46Z")
> [@Indygrrl](#): > > I started a thread about this topic a few months ago in GD. The backlash against Mrs. Obama’s health campaign is baffling and offensive, IMO. The only motivation behind it is republican need to criticize every single thing the Obamas do. Other than that, I can’t imagine how anyone could get upset over it. Exactly. If Laura Bush had run a health campaign like this, there would have been very few complaints about the campaign or about her figure, from right or left of the political spectrum. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-issue-reduced-to-personal-body-traits-sensenbrenner-and-michelle-obamas-booty/607079.md?page=3)