Voormalig vice-presidentskandidaat in 2008 en waarschijnlijk presidentskandidaat in 2012, Sarah Palin, nam afgelopen week de First Lady, Michelle Obama, op de korrel. Tijdens een toespraak op een conservatief forum zei Palin: “You know, when I hear people say, or had said during the campaign that they’ve never been proud of America, haven’t they met anybody in uniform yet?”, aldus Palin tijdens het Liberty and Freedom Foundation forum in San Jose, Californië. “I get tears in my eyes when I see that young man, that young woman, walking through the airport in uniform – you too – so proud to be American”, aldus de voormalige gouverneur van Alaska.

Tijdens de campagne van Barack Obama in 2008, kreeg Michelle Obama felle kritiek van conservatieven toen ze zei: “For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country, because it feels like hope is making a comeback… not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change.” Toen de media er bovenop sprongen en de kritiek aan hield lichte Obama haar uitspraken toe. “What I was clearly talking about is that I am proud in how Americans are engaging in the political process. I mean everyone has said what I said, in that we haven’t seen these record numbers of turnouts, people who are paying attention, going to rallies, watching debates. For the first time in my lifetime I am seeing people rolling up their sleeves in way that I haven’t seen and really trying to figure this out, and that’s the source of pride I was talking about”, aldus Michelle Obama. De uitspraken maakte onderdeel uit van de conservatieven en de Republikeinen om Obama als onpatriottisch af te schilderen.