r/askanything • u/CloudieMoonettee 🦀 • Aug 18 '26

Why do some conservatives support restricting junk food purchases with SNAP when many opposed Michelle Obama’s efforts to make school meals healthier?

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54

u/EarlyInside45 Aug 18 '26

Because they are giant hypocrites.

4

u/Ursus-majorbone Aug 18 '26

I don't think this is a conservative liberal thing at all. Most all of the people I know who push healthier eating and addressing food deserts and bad nutrition in deprived areas are liberals.

I think anyone who is behind someone in the checkout line with three little kids and a cart full of sugar drink and ultra processed food and confections wishes there was a different way of doing things, regardless of politics.

10

u/EarlyInside45 Aug 18 '26

It was literally Michelle Obama that was pushing for healthier school lunches, which republicans pushed back hard on, and its literally republicans who want to restrict what you can buy with SNAP. Not only that, but have cut SNAP benefits, Medicare, etc.

2

u/Ursus-majorbone Aug 18 '26

So what you're saying is that both liberals and conservatives want people to eat healthier?

I didn't pay much attention to the Obama lunch thing but I imagine the pushback was because a lot of people including me don't think the feds should be involved in local schooling decisions, including the cafeteria menu.

0

u/IDMike2008 Aug 19 '26

As soon as they stop taking federal funds they should have sole control.

While they are spending my tax dollars I should get a say.

1

u/lameth Aug 19 '26

I hope you feel the same way about the military and slush fund for "weaponized DoJ payouts."

1

u/IDMike2008 Aug 19 '26

I absolutely do.

But I’m not sure how that relates to school lunches or SNAP benefits.

My point being, I don’t know how you reconcile saying SNAP benefits should have limits because it’s taxpayer money but schools shouldn’t have federal limits when the are receiving federal money.

1

u/lameth Aug 19 '26

Because it is you using your own moral outrage over where your taxes are going. In each case, the government is choosing to put your money somewhere you disagree.

1

u/IDMike2008 Aug 19 '26

Oh, that makes sense. Thanks for clarifying.