I honestly don’t understand the media obsession with Chris Christie’s weight. Yeah, he’s a big guy, so what? If you’re going to go after Christie, he’s got a long record of wingnuttery and semi-ethical New Jersey political nonsense to shine the spotlight on.
One of the most persistent stories that dogged Christie in his 2009 campaign was his unusual financial relationship with a top aide at his federal prosecutor office, Michele Brown. Christie lent Brown some $46,000, which he says was to help a family friend through a rough patch. But critics argued that the move was an improper conflict of interest heading into a gubernatorial campaign since Brown was in a position to help Christie in a variety of ways. Her job included handling FOIA requests, including those from Governor Corzine’s campaign, for example. And in one instance, she argued to colleagues in favor of wrapping up a major corruption probe before July 1, when Christie’s successor took over the US Attorney position, a move that ensured credit for the case would clearly flow to Christie. Brown resigned shortly after news of the loan broke and, according to the New York Times, she paid off Christie’s loan in October 2010.
It wasn’t the only allegation of conflict of interest that Christie fought off. The then-US Attorney testified before Congress on a series of no-bid monitoring contracts worth millions that he awarded to various law firms. One contract, worth up to $52 million, went to former Attorney General John Ashcroft, Christie’s old mentor. Another former US Attorney chosen for a monitoring contract, David Kelley, had previously investigated Christie’s brother in a stock fraud case in 2005 — he was not indicted while fifteen others were. Top lawyers at another firm he awarded a major contract to later donated about $24,000 to his campaign. Christie said the contracts were awarded on merit and accused Corzine of “character assassination” for raising the issue.
He was also accused of mishandling his office’s budget as US Attorney. In a 2010 report by the DOJ’s Inspector General, he was identified as one of the most profligate federal prosecutors in the country from 2007 to 2009, spending taxpayer cash on luxury hotels that exceeded government rates by as much as $242 a night. Christie said during the 2009 campaign that his office overspent only when there were no alternatives.
There are a number of serious ethical and corruption issues surrounding the New Jersey governor and they have nothing to do with his weight. The more I see serious news organizations like Reuters engage the ridiculous “debate” over Christie’s size, the greater disservice to what should be the actual debate is done. Pretty soon we’re going to be at the point where people will only talk about his size and not his record or corruption issues, and people will tune out “another story about Christie’s waistline or whatever” even when the actual reasons as to why he shouldn’t be in charge of anything are finally discussed.
No, I don’t think Christie has anything close to a real shot at the White House because of his issues as a blue state governor in a blood-red primary season and his record is pretty repugnant, but honestly I find the constant stories about the “challenges” Christie faces because of his size about as ridiculous as the stories about the “challenges” women or minority candidates face in politics (not to belittle issues that do exist, but silly me, I believe a candidate should be judged on policy and record.) What I mean by that is whatever actual issues that may arise from stories about Christie’s weight are used for their “HA HA shock factor,” not to actually have a debate. It’s been done to death with Hillary Clinton’s gender and President Obama’s race, Keith Ellison, Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman’s religion, etc. It’s obnoxious:
Speculation that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will enter the U.S. presidential race has led to a feverish debate about the possibility of having the fattest man in the White House since the corpulent William Howard Taft squeezed behind the big desk in the Oval Office.
Replace that “fattest man in the White House” language with any other description of race, creed, gender, sexual orientation, religion and you see what the problem is. Why is this acceptable? And this is Reuters, folks. Why not just call him President Truffle Shuffle and be done with it, Reuters. Criminy.
So yeah, lay off the size stuff and check the guy’s record. Not only does this guy not deserve to be President, his crony capitalism adventures mean he shouldn’t be in politics at all. The size issue is a smokescreen but it’s the latest shiny object to chase this week for our Awesome Media Guys.
Baud
Eh, I’d be more outraged if they kept focusing on his weight instead of the issues after he announces he’s running. No point digging into the guy unless he’s actually going to run.
That said, for me weight shouldn’t even be an issue unless it’s in the context of health.
Linda Featheringill
Very nice post!
[I look forward to a time when a man is judged by the content of his character and not by his weight.]
Alex S.
I don’t know…is he fat because of medical reasons or because he’s very undisciplined?
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
There were so many things about McCain to talk about and people went on and fucking on about his class rank at Annapolis and his flying record that meant nothing. Low hanging fruit for the fruit flies.
eta The focus on his weight it related to a general concern about him being able to complete his term without dying or being debilitated.
Walker
I think that is precisely the point. They pre-emptively point out all the weight issues. Then when you try to say anything substantiative about his corruption, they say “why are you biases against fat people?”
El Tiburon
If you honestly don’t understand, then how in the hell can we trust any insight you may have on anything?
Weight is a national obsession. (Al Gore is fat! The Biggest Loser! Weight Watchers! Jenny Craig!). To pretend it is not a factor is ridiculous. To pretend we don’t care is silly. If Barak Obama looked like the Fatty Al Roker hen would not be President – probably not even a Senator.
Sure, there are many things to go after him about, but his girth is the easiest and truthnis we don’t even have to bring it up. It’s right there.
suzanne
Aw shit. Now eemom is going to show up again, call Christie a “disgusting fat fuck” again, and I don’t have the time to kick her to the curb this morning. I so enjoyed it.
terraformer
@Walker:
My thoughts exactly. Setting things up for a convenient “issue” to deflect what would be salient, substantive questions.
TXG1112
Right or wrong, obesity is treated as a personal and moral failure. To be honest, I can’t work up much outrage about it even if I think its unfair when I consider what the right wing says about Democratic candidates.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
Calories in calories out, it ain’t that fucking hard.
suzanne
For the record (I had posted a link in that other thread but I can’t find it now), some stats are saying that weight-based discrimination is the third-most-prevalent form in our society after race and age. Much research indicates that people are born with a propensity for carrying weight that they cannot substantially change, even with diet and exercise. And fat people also make dramatically less money and receive far worse health care, when controlling for all the usual factors.
So I’d really like to avoid a fat-hate fest.
Zagloba
You don’t understand that the American media consumer gloms onto appearance/personality much faster than issues… not to mention that if you really want to make someone unelectable, you have the media ridicule-without-outright-ridiculing them (because that would be biased)?
Ash Can
I second the idea that his weight is important within the context of his overall health. If he has any condition(s) which could prevent him from giving the job his all and/or serving out his term, it’s a huge issue. That said, there’s no reason for the media to discuss it solely in terms of his weight, as opposed to the more general terms of his overall health.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
People go off all the time on the idea that athletes are role models. Why is it so shocking that the same thing is applied to a potential presidential candidate?
Jack the Second
Hear fucking hear.
Culture of Truth
I don’t get the whole Christie obsession. He’s been elected Governor of a blue state, once. Doesn’t the GOP already have one of those, plus he ran a business and the Olympics?
RSA
I don’t understand America’s obsession with reality TV shows, especially those that focus on “beautiful people”, but I think there’s a connection.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
@Culture of Truth: can you say
M
o
r
m
o
n
I can’t wait for the South Carolina primary to see what they do to Mitt.
JCT
Part of this is the way Christie is being “packaged” to run. Why is he being pushed to join the Republican clown show? Part of it is his NJ Asshole personality. It’s made for the male Red State voter especially when held up against Romney.
Honestly, his major political “cred” is his persistent anti-union stands with some budget-cutting at the expense of the middle class thrown in. Somehow the guys pushing him think all of these extra (pseudo-liberal) stands will be ignored. Good luck with that.
The bottom line is that he is being sold as a rough-edged, pugnacious “tough guy” — it’s a visual sort of push and his weight goes along for the ride.
I don’t think he’s going to run. And keeping his nasty temper in check will be a full-time job.
geg6
Meh. It’s really the only thing they have to focus on at this point, mainly because he hasn’t announced anything. It’s easier than talking policy and is something that many, if not most, Americans think a lot about. Weight and body issues are something everyone has, even the most socially-acceptable body types have problems with body image. They judge themselves based on weight and looks and it is no big step to judging others based on such things. It may not be the main issue for most people, or even be something they consciously admit, but people will judge him on it. No point in pretending they won’t.
ppcli
Chris Christie’s weight is like G.H.W.Bush saying “Just a splash” when asked in some diner if he wanted more coffee [OMG – he’s finally slipped up and revealed that he was raised stinkin’ rich! Working people – who we journalists know as if they were our second selves – will hate him now. Or will they? Time for a couple dozen opinion pieces.] It’s something that will not change a single vote, because nobody actually cares about it, but it allows bored, lazy journalists to kick out superficial horse-race, “mood of the voter” pieces without actually needing to get out of their chairs.
Any journalist who knows how to milk the process knows that if they have any quality material on Christie, they’re fools to tip their hand until Christie is actually in the race.
suzanne
@Ash Can:
I could buy this justification if Lady Sarah hadn’t completely and patently lied about her providing own medical records, and the GOP was totally OK with it. (I know that you specifically are not saying this, but I don’t think our lovely electorate honestly cares about Christie’s health. I think they wanna get their fat-hate on.)
The dude would deserve to lose for a LENGTHY list of reasons if he got in the race, but his weight isn’t one.
parenthetical
Ok, President Truffle Shuffle is awesome!
Agree 100% with this post.
Culture of Truth
I think it’s right to say his whole appeal to GOP primary voters is that he’s an asshole.
He’s defiitely planning to run for President. In 2016.
ppcli
@Culture of Truth: Unlike Romney, Christie hasn’t been around long enough to amass a record of supporting both sides of every single issue there is.
JGabriel
Two brief points:
1) It’s my understanding that Taft’s weight was a similar issue for the press in the early 20th C. That today’s media is no improvement over the early 20th C. — or more to the point, that Rupert Murdoch is no improvement over Wm. Randolph Hearst — shouldn’t surprise anyone, though I do agree with the critique.
2) Christie’s weight is, in fact, a health issue. We’re not talking about merely overweight as Clinton was. Christie is morbidly obese. That he may be physically unfit for the stresses of the presidency is an appropriate topic for discussion with respect to his campaign.
That said, Zandar, I agree with you that Christie’s ethical unfitness for the role definitely outweighs his physical unfitness.
.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
It’s another piece of conventional wisdom that the press doesn’t have to research. You have to be tall, thin, male, and white. If you don’t match all of that, then that one thing will keep you from being elected. It’s a truism, just like employment having to be low to get you reelected, or being left handed.
ET
I think the obsession has a simple answer – the press is lazy. The weight issue is obvious and doesn’t require, you know that thing that press people are supposed to do – reporting.
Dave
Agreed. Spotlight should be on Christie’s record. (Of course, he doesn’t actually have much of a record.)
Still, as the spotlight warms up, let’s just stipulate that the guy is fucking fat.
Certified Mutant Enemy
@Raven (formerly stuckinred):
Also, Mitt Romney’s father wasn’t born in the United States…
jheartney
The level of American politics used to be around middle school, but forward-looking Reuters is working to push it to the next level, that is, elementary school level. Pointing out that the guy is fat beyond easy and also provides an automatic image hook.
Plus the whole modern obsession with weight and weight loss.
On a more serious note, anybody who thinks that losing weight is a simple thing, or that it reflects on personal character, really ought to educate themselves a little before making comments.
JGabriel
@Raven (formerly stuckinred):
It’s really not that simple. Think about it for a moment: each of us shits out unused calories and waste product every day. Why do some of us not shit out enough calories to maintain a healthy body weight? Why do some maintain it effortlessly, using what they need and excreting the rest each day?
Calories in, calories out might be a useful useful mnemonic for some people trying to lose weight, but it’s not a solution for everyone, and clearly not the full answer to why some people have weight problems while others don’t.
.
Zifnab
Christie’s weight is just another superficial thing to cover during political-season downtime. The debates have gotten stale. No one really liked the GOP Presidential crop, and the pundits are loathe to really get behind anyone so early in the game. So they’re propping up Christie as someone to have an argument about, because he’s safe to discuss. Going after his weight is even better, because its so damn superficial that no one who cares about policy will care one way or another.
And it sure as hell beats discussing the Occupy Wall Street or the weak economy. Gotta keep that powder dry for the election, least everyone get bored with it.
Mark B.
Letterman has been harping on his weight, and it’s funny, but I kind of wish it would stop. I know a few heavy people who are quite competent in their jobs. I’m somewhat heavy myself, but nowhere near Christie’s girth. I’d rather see people go after him as a blustering asshole who bullies people.
Amir Khalid
Let’s look at this another way. If Chris Christie were to do like Mike Huckabee, and lose about half of that — what does he weigh, 350lbs? — how would it affect his electability?
Yevgraf
Chris Christie is a disgusting fat fuck with an asshole personality. It’s all relevant.
CarolDuhart
I think the weight issues is more important these days than back in Taft’s. While the Presidency has always been stressful, the stress level has to be much higher now that the United States is a superpower. If Christie is a stress eater (yes there are those) then the job would be a reason to double his weight in no time. Plus, Taft didn’t have a marathon primary to run in his time. He was nominated at the convention and only needed to campaign all out for say, 6 months or so. These days, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
amk
corruption, poor ethics, mealy-mouthedness, being a general asshole – there are all ‘weighty’ issues too. But the friggin’ NJers still elected him.
Samara Morgan
His weight is the only thing that actually renders him unelectable.
Neither the villagers or the teabaggerCOP give a fuck about his policies or his history.
Mark B.
@Amir Khalid: Rapid weight loss can be more harmful than keeping it on. It would take him a couple of years to safely lose that weight, so maybe in time for the 2016 election cycle.
Certified Mutant Enemy
Governor Creosote
Hawes
But people – especially those “low information voters”, ie morans – DO make judgments based on appearances, even the weather on election day.
How many bald guys get elected to the Presidency since the advent of TV? Christie is unattractive, and most of that is because of his weight. The President is the head of state and intended to represent the government, and we’ve traditionally gone for better looking people when we could.
Is that vapid and superficial? Yes.
Is it the lay of the land? Yes.
If Christie gets in, he will face more scrutiny over his record and allegations of corruption. I don’t think those allegations will get LOST in the debate over his weight, but rather folded into the idea that this guy is Tony Soprano with a government pension.
And I don’t give a shit if it’s fair. If helps keep the GOP out of the White House, I’ll do it. I’m tired of taking the high road and losing
Samara Morgan
c’mon Zandar. Dont be credulous.
LOOK at the picture.
Now try to imagine O and Boss Hog on the stage for the national presidential debate.
Nevah.
Happen.
no matter how badly Rove and the villagers burn for it.
Strandedvandal
Well, yeah, the media COULD do some in depth research into why this clown is a disaster waiting to happen. However, that would take actual WORK, and boy howdy, they just aren’t into that sort of thing. I mean, just look at all the words you typed up there! It is so much easier to say, “He’s fat!” and then go onto the next missing white girl.
BigHank53
Fake and stupid debates over irrelevant issues are what people want. Don’t you watch any TV?
Ash Can
@suzanne: I agree. And I do acknowledge that too many people, in the media and otherwise, are too focused on his weight per se rather than his overall health (if they were truly concerned with his overall physical fitness for the job of POTUS, they’d be talking much more about his breathing/asthma issues than his girth). It would be nice if this all led to more of a national dialogue (a realistic one, that is) about weight issues and perceptions, but I’m afraid that the American media, if not the populace, are too superficial for that.
Certified Mutant Enemy
@Samara Morgan:
He’d be sweating gravy in a debate against Obama…
PeakVT
There’s too much coverage of Christie’s weight, but there’s also too much coverage of Christie, period. Until he actually declares, all the press is doing is presenting gossip under the label of politics.
And as I said before, Christie = Giuliani + 200lbs – 9/11. He’s a socially liberal asshole with questionable ethics and questionable associates. His appeal outside of the NYC tri-state area is very limited.
Amir Khalid
@Mark B.:
If Christie does indeed have presidential ambitions, and isn’t just being guilted into it by Republican party grandees, that might fit his own timeline for getting himself ready to run. (No pun intended.)
On to another topic. À propos the post headline, it seems to me that there is rather too much fight in the man, even when it’s not called for. He’s got to learn to control that, even if he decides to stay as governor of New Jersey.
handsmile
I believe you have the opening phrase for what should become your regular Monday morning salvo: “I honestly don’t understand the media’s obsession with….”
But on the subject of Christie’s weight, the final sentence of your post makes it clear that you understand this “obsession” perfectly well: “The size issue is a smokescreen…”
I suspect this is an example of our perennially unaccountable corporate media placing a T-ball onto its frame and breathlessly awaiting, perhaps baiting, a Democratic politician or pundit to take a swing. And then the Village Civility Chorus can break out into lamentation.
And while my earnest public persona rigorously insists that candidates for public office be evaluated on their legislative/executive record or policy pronouncements, my less enlightened private persona keenly hopes that President Obama challenges Governor Christie in a game of Horse.
Linda Featheringill
I appreciate Herman Cain’s critique of Christie:
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/278940/cain-christie-too-liberal-perry-insensitive-katrina-trinko
pk
I disagree with you. The man is not simply carrying a few extra pounds, he is ridiculously overweight. Morbid obesity is a health issue. Does he have diabetes, cardiac issues, can he walk a quarter of a mile or climb a flight of stairs? He was hospitalized just recently for asthma. We are we supposed to ignore it, why? The press may be harping on it, and yes they are idiots 99% of the time, but so what? This country is truly going down the drain. We have accepted mental deficients (GWB) as presidents, utter morons as candidates (Bachmann, Perry,and Cain) and now lets go for physically unfit and not talk about it. Why not just go to the next level, bedridden, persistent vegetative state for president. Although that may still be an improvement over the current lot!
BTW corrupt fat asshole is more repulsive than corrupt adonis in the real world.
Samara Morgan
@suzanne: Palin is physically attractive.
Christie is NOT.
She can do what she likes.
case in point, the teabaggerGOP dropped Jindal like a hot potato once the terebi audiences saw what he looked like.
geg6
@Ash Can:
Well, the reports I’ve seen regarding his weight have all mentioned his asthma as one of the reasons for concern about his weight. Weight is a factor in developing asthma, not to mention diabetes, heart disease, and other cardiovascular conditions and these are all greatly affected by stress. I’ll give the media I’ve read or viewed on this issue a few points for pointing this out. But perhaps you have read other things that just talk about his being morbidly obese and not what effect that has on how people would view him as a presidential candidate. I did get perspective from what I’ve seen.
Jay C
@Walker:
@terraformer:
What you said: one thing we know the contemporary GOP excels at is deflecting the voters’ attention away from serious issues by spotlighting various (usually spurious) “outrages” – especially those that can gin up a sense of victimization among the “base”.
Every “fat” joke about Chris Christie just shifts the focus away from his fairly mediocre record as an executive – and his ham-fisted confrontational style. Which is why I’m sure most of them probably emanate from the elephant pen in the first place….
Jonathan
Why shouldn’t we judge people by their weight? Because it’s mean? It’s very much a clue about their self control and decadence. Someone that large obviously does not care, or is not aware of, how much energy is wasted feeding them. Someone that large probably isn’t going to do much while in office to promote health.
And it’s not like he’s “I’ve big bones” fat, or “I’ve got goiter issues” fat… he’s “I eat constantly because I love food” kind of fat.
There’s a myriad of reasons not to vote for this guy, on that I agree. “Because He’s Fat” might not be in the top 5, but top 10 for sure.
Hawes
One thing Obama has going for him is that people still really like him. They may not like the economy and the job he’s doing, but they like the man.
Christie’s personality and physical unattractiveness are not going to win him a ton of votes. Especially in that mushy middle.
If they found Gore’s sighs to be worthy of keeping him out of the Oval Office, what are the going to do with Johnny Caspar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQT4NBvdzIg
NSFW
Samara Morgan
@Ash Can: you and suzanne are both dumbasses if you think that.
This is the Age of Television.
Christie hasnt got a snoballs chance in hell until he loses 150 pounds.
Even the teabagger base is going to make fat jokes.
handsmile
@Strandedvandal: (#44)
Stiletto in the shape of a comment. A doff of the chapeau, sir or madam.
PurpleGirl
@suzanne: In this particular case, he ain’t making less money.
I don’t like the fat issue much (I’m a large person myself, not in his league though) but it does involve his health. He has asthma. He’s been hospitalized for it several times since he became governor. What else is he at risk for?
However, I don’t think the corruption and cronyism charges are going to hurt him. It seems Republicans don’t mind that stuff these days.
Samara Morgan
Look juicers.
The FAT is the only thing that matters in the Visual Age.
Palins looks are the ONLY thing that got her on the ticket, and Christys looks are the ONLY thing that will keep him off.
The teatards and the glibertarians and the conservitards DO NOT GIVE A SHIT about the material.
Mino
I think it’s the timing. This election cycle has a debate going about excesses. Chris Christie is a posterboy for excesses. Imagine the ad showing an angry Christie defending Wall Street bonusus. Etc. Etc.
Plus, he’s a bully with no charm. He’ll alienate his own party.
Ash Can
@Jonathan: As others have pointed out, obesity doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with “self control and decadence.” Oversimplifying this issue just plays right into the smokescreening of the real issues.
Samara Morgan
Dig the IBT.
Chris Christie’s Chances of Ever Becoming President? Slim to None
Admral_Komack
Gov. Christie’s weight problem brings up Presidential fitness, and if he is weighing his Presidential ambitions, his ability to withstand the rigors of being President should be addressed.
Samara Morgan
@Ash Can: dude.
The other side doesnt give a shit about the real issues.
Dont you get that by now?
Socrates
“Replace that “fattest man in the White House” language with any other description of race, creed, gender, sexual orientation, religion and you see what the problem is.”
Well, yes, I do see the problem.
We can’t criticize people because of their creed or their religion?
That’s ridiculous.
You can’t choose your race, gender, or sexual orientation.
But you do get to choose your creed or your religion. So those are fair game and I do not think they should be lumped in with innate characteristics like race.
fmbjo
Welcome, Zandar. We need more of the fact telling, less of the speculation. Even though I love Snark, I would rather read the truth. Thanks for the digging.
Amir Khalid
@Samara Morgan:
All you’re saying, over and over, is that Chris Christie is fat. Look, we know that. Zander’s saying, and most of us agree, that being fat does not per se disqualify a presidential candidate, and that mocking him over it is no way to discuss his candidacy. Especially since he has other, more justifiably disqualifying flaws.
Some of us are raising the point that being obese clearly affects his health. He might thus not be well enough to run for, or serve as, President.
Have you, m_c, anything to bring to the conversation about the actual merits or otherwise of his candidacy?
Also too, civility can be your friend. You should try it with your fellow commenters sometime.
Samara Morgan
@Socrates:
there are left bioluddites and right bioluddites.
there are a lot of left bioluddites here.
eemom
@suzanne:
You could never “kick me to the curb,” sweetie. Your foot’s too skinny.
In the spirit of the thread however, I’ll refrain from saying anything about Christie or his weight, and just point out that you are both a self-righteous asshole and a hypocrite. In general.
Kola Noscopy
@Alex S.:
You’re not allowed to ask that question here.
I’m sure it’s a glandular problem, not, uh…out of control gluttony or anything like that.
eemom
fwiw, Christie himself has said that he’s the size he is because he eats too much. Don’t have time to find the link, but it’s out there.
Samara Morgan
@Amir Khalid:
No, because that is irrelevant. I could do that, but what is the point?
Christie is unelectable because of his fat.
Only our side cares about anything else, policy, history, health side-effects of his obscene weight.
The teabaggerGOPglibertarian base only cares if he can beat O.
He can’t.
And the horse race media only cares that there are two horses.
Because no pays to see a one-horse race.
mark
because IOKIYAR
but INOIYAFR
tired of hearing about Republican candidates. WGAS?
Samara Morgan
@Amir Khalid:
why? i civilly ask you questions and you never answer a one of them.
waste of effort, IMHO.
/sideways smile
Gilles de Rais
Done. I don’t particularly care why they don’t like him, any excuse will do.
Besides, one-word reasons – “fat” – resonate so much better with our lazy electorate than a one-paragraph rehash of President Truffle Shuffle’s many (and there are a lot of them) faults.
Shinobi
Here’s are two really great article by Paul Campos, that dispute the overall affects weight likely has on his health and discusses the issue in detail.
It is important to keep in mind that weight is not a good barometer of an individual’s health. (Despite what the media has been telling everyone the last few years.) Science is continually “Confounded” by the existence of metabolically healthy obese people, or the fact that overweight individuals are more likely to recover from cardiac events. (This of course isn’t evidence that maybe being fat isn’t a death sentence, it is just some confusing data that has to be explained.)
I know that our culture is committed to the idea that fat people are bad and weak and lazy and are all going to die soon so we wont have to put up with them. But the evidence is contradictory, the science is often bad, and more often than not funded by the multi billion dollar diet industry. I encourage everyone to take the time to question the assumption that being fat is the worst thing ever.
mk3872
Welcome to BJ, Zander!!
BTW, are you honestly that dense to not realize the difference between someone’s heritage (black, Latino, etc.) and their fat, slobish obesity?
I guess then you would call Michelle Obama’s fight against teenage obesity as crazy as Michelle Bachmann’s church trying to turn gay people straight?
Amir Khalid
@Samara Morgan:
You, civil? Ha.
Gilles de Rais
@Amir Khalid: Zandar – and you – are wrong. M_C’s comment here is 100% spot on.
Samara Morgan
@Shinobi:
untrue. Our culture is commited to visuals.
which is actually how homo sapiens sapiens WORKS.
Christie is NOT ATTRACTIVE.
nuff said.
Samara Morgan
@Amir Khalid: then answer one of my questions.
for example, this one.
Shinobi
@Samara Morgan: I disagree, some people, like myself, might actually find Christie attractive. You don’t get to declare someone ugly just because YOU aren’t attracted to them.
I don’t agree with Christie’s politics and I think he is a scumbag. His weight is irrelevant.
I’m just going to link this great Paul Campos article again, because I think it makes some great points about how we treat fat people, versus any other minority or underprivileged group. Read it or GTFO.
Gilles de Rais
@Samara Morgan: Sweet Jesus. Eye bleach, por favor.
Point proven.
Samara Morgan
@Shinobi: dude….im saying the teabaggerGOPglibertarian BASE doesnt find Christie attractive.
That is what counts.
You arent gunna vote for him anyways, amirite?
But lets try a thought experiment. Pretend you are a teabagger.
Look at the picture and tell me you are gunna vote Christie over Obama.
jwest
It’s important for liberals to continue their quest to point out the flaws in all people.
Overweight people surely recognize that the fat jokes are just a good humored way of helping them face their shortcomings. Those Christians, Muslims, Hindu and other religious people owe a debt to liberals when it’s pointed out how stupid they are for believing in a deity. By frequently reminding those who live in-between Manhattan and Los Angeles that they are unsophisticated, toothless hillbillies, it gives the unwashed masses an incentive to adopt the right ideology.
Helping folks better themselves is a hallmark of liberalism. Don’t change now.
Amir Khalid
Rather than a discussion of his girth, I would prefer to see a discussion of Chris Christie’s governing record so far. Does he know his way around policy, or does he cancel sorely needed infrastructure projects? Has he been a capable executive, as in knowing to remain in-state when disaster strikes? How is he at retail politics? Does he, for instance, chew out voters out of petulance? How well does he get on with other politicians, such as the two Democrats who represent New Jersey in the US Senate? Does he know anything at all about foreign policy, a topic on which he has been utterly silent?
Samara Morgan
@Amir Khalid: Irrelevant.
He is unelectable.
Amir Khalid
@Samara Morgan:
OK, OK. I agree entirely with Mehdi Hasan. Totally. Seratus peratus. And I still wonder if you understand plain English.
Samara Morgan
@Amir Khalid: but i pointed out that Mehdi Hasan is wrong….Iran is an OIC nation state and rejected the 1948 declaration in favor of the 1990 declaration.
And also, Hasan seems to ascribe the sentence of hanging to apostasy and refusal to recant– while “heading a network of [illegal] christian house-churches” is likely the real reason the Iranian jurists sentenced him to hang.
I think we all agree (you, hasan, me) that based on historical precedent the Prophet did not favor the death sentence for apostasy– but he DID mandate proportionate response to the Proselytizers. Its in the Noble Quran.
lovable liberal
Our entire culture is built in the thrall of puberty, and most of it hasn’t matured beyond who’s fat, who has zits, who’s shtupping whom. That’s why we got Duhbya, why global warming is less important than Al Gore’s fatitude, why WASF.
Amir Khalid
@Samara Morgan:
I’m not continuing this here.
Samara Morgan
@lovable liberal: High School Never Ends.
harlana
because he could drop dead tomorrow. nuff said.
Samara Morgan
@Amir Khalid:
LOL! of course not.
you just lost the argument.
4jkb4ia
Very nice to bring up the Michele Brown matter. I have not read about that since EW was all over it when it happened.
debit
@Certified Mutant Enemy: He’ll have the lot. And a bucket.
Admral_Komack
@Admral_Komack:
Exactly why is my comment awaiting moderation?
Sloegin
Michael Moore is fat, also, too.
An ad hominem by any other name is fatty fatty two by four, can’t get through the kitchen door.
THE
The world can handle a fat US President.
We’ve got widescreen TV now.
Dave
Sum up Christie’s weight and governing problems in one handy slogan: He’s a Pig!
Samara Morgan
@Amir Khalid:
so where then?
Jonathan
@Ash Can:
Horse shit. Nobody is force feeding the guy. He’s smart enough to be aware of what foods are healthy or not. I’m sure he’s aware of the benefits of exercise. Healthy foods are available in his neighborhood, and he’s not forced to by high carb food because it’s cheap.
He’s fat because he eats a lot. He could choose to eat less, but he doesn’t. He could choose to exercise, but he doesn’t. There’s no further reasoning or excusing necessary.
Can't Be Bothered
@Shinobi:
This is absolutely absurd. In general, being fat is far more unhealthy than being thin. The science is NOT conflicting on that. Quit trying to be PC about it. Everyone should strive to be healthier. And that article is absolute shit. First off, comparing one man running for President to ALL impoverished people is terrible sleight of hand. And second, yes, the steps involved in losing weight (especially a rich man with every luxury at his disposal) are infinitely more simple and in control of the individual than rising from poverty to riches. Take in less calories, better food and burn more through exercise. He’s too unhealthy for such a high stress job.
Elie
@Amir Khalid:
In wrestling, he would be easy to tip because of that — over reacting to the first move…
The only way to see how he manages that is to put him on the national stage and let the other opponents and him go at it.
I don’t think he can pass the test on presentation — the aggression thing — or on his past affiliations and performance.
Still, he may take this on to test how he does and measure himself on the national stage for later serious use.
Maybe.
Kathleen
@handsmile: I second that emotion, strandedvandal.
Svensker
It’s New Jersey. They got a lotta, how you call ’em, pressure groups there. Yeah, that’s right. Pressure groups. It may be nonsense to youse, but keeping your kneecaps intact and making sure the nephew don’ lose his job, well you gotta act right, nowutimsayin?
geg6
@Shinobi:
Just read them, and I must say, I’ve never read such drivel in my life.
And this sentence is more than enough to demonstrate how complete the drivel is. His evidence that Christie exercises and has great BP readings? I didn’t see any.
It’s a problem that carries over to the second article. When he says that body size is often genetically determined and that yo-yo dieting is awful for one’s health, he’s correct. But to go ahead and make the case that Christie is healthy goes too far and he does it with no evidence whatsoever in this particular case.
We all know people who are overweight and who will never be thin. Nothing wrong with that at all. You can be over the weight recommended by the insurance company charts for your sex and height and still be a healthy specimen, no doubt about it. But eating right and exercising, without a goal of losing weight, is required for this. Christie has admitted to an eating impulse control problem, so he can’t claim he eats right. I’ve never seen him address exercise, but between his asthma and his girth, I’m guessing it’s a problem for him. Which will only make his asthma worse:
http://www.webmd.com/asthma/news/20071113/extra-weight-adds-asthma-toll
Not to mention that he is well-known for taking expensive helicopter rides when a limo ride and a walk from the parking lot would be just as easy, more thoughtful to those around him, and hugely less expensive.
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/02/news/la-pn-christie-helicopter-20110602
And the idea that Obama’s intermittent smoking, on top of good eating habits and excellent exercise habits, put him at higher risk than a person of Christie’s body shape, morbid obesity, and admitted yo-yo dieting and food impulse control is at the least very disputable, if not laughable.
Christie is at high risk for Type-2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, heart disease, sleep apnea, fatty liver disease and certain types of cancer.
I have neither read nor seen anything that makes me think that Chris Christie is one of those overweight, but healthy, individuals we all know. I have plenty of friends, co-workers, and relatives who fit the label “obsese.” The ones who I’d characterize as obese but healthy don’t look like Chris Christie and eat well and exercise. Where’s the evidence that Christie does the same?
It that’s what you call “excellent” articles, I’m afraid I have to disagree. Why Campos wants us to believe that Christie is one of those unusual cases of ridiculously healthy morbidly obese people based on absolutely no evidence is what I’d like to know.
4jkb4ia
Another reason that Christie may not choose to run, and that EW may have lasered in on him in 2009, is that the line from him to George W. Bush is so clear. He was a Bush-appointed USA. Team US Attorney Firings and Karl Rove were very, very aware of the political consequences of who got to be United States Attorney besides the issues of voter fraud and corruption. That is in black and white in the documents that House Judiciary got. USAs were able to become both judges and elected officials and Christie is the most prominent ex-USA elected official now. Obama has shown over and over that he will not distort the government for partisan politics in that way. Christie is a reminder of that kind of behavior even if he didn’t do it as governor.
Shinobi
@geg6:
I’m going to have to disagree with you here: ” We all know people who are overweight and who will never be thin. Nothing wrong with that at all. ”
I think you will find that “conventional wisdom” completely disagrees with the above statement. It is commonly accepted that if you just stop eating so much you dumb fatty you’d be thin and healthy. Evidence does not support this, but this is a pretty entrenched cultural belief. I think it is more THAT that Campos is responding to, than the argument about whether Christie is healthy or not.
But if Christie is really as unhealthy as you say then the focus should be on his unhealthy habits, not his fat. The only caveat to that would be that it isn’t reasonable expect his habits to be healthier than that of a thin politician in the same situation.
I think he’s a scumbag. I just don’t think he should be demonized for his weight. There are plenty of other extremely valid reasons not to vote for him.
Alex Milstein
I once had an overweight (at least by 50 pounds) brother-in-law with an MBA who was looking for a new job. A friend of his wife’s family – who owned a company – told his mother-in-law that as an employer there was no way he would ever consider hiring the guy because his weight problem showed evidence of personal lack of discipline.
I was shocked to hear him say that, but I think that’s how many people think today…that weight is something that – for the most part – we can control.
I also think that overweight people comprise the last group that people feel comfortable in mocking and maligning.
Rafer Janders
@Shinobi:
You don’t get to declare someone ugly just because YOU aren’t attracted to them.
Umm, yes, that’s exactly why you get to declare someone ugly. What other standard would you possibly use?
Elie
@Shinobi:
I hear you and agree with you but there is no preventing physical attributes from being part of the decision making in selecting leaders for very high profile and stressful roles. There are very few jobs as stressful as US President and few jobs with as much PR and related social exposure. All one’s habits and personal characteristics are noted and frequently made into characatures. Remember the shit Obama received for putting mustard on his hamburger? Everytime Christie eats anything, there will be undue and yes, possibly unfair focus on what he is eating and how…
I am more concerned with his somewhat angry personal style and the stress of a job that I truly do not understand why anyone would want — it subjects its even most successful to incredible criticism and exagerrated interpretations. Think of him on the international scene, and how his appearance will factor there as well.
Sorry — its just more complicated than saying that being obese should not factor into selecting candidates for the Presidency. Yes, it should not be the only or deciding factor, but it will be one for sure. Its up to him to overcome it just as it was up to Obama to overcome being the first black President.
Kola Noscopy
Wow.
So much wishful, magical thinking around issues of overweight.
Chris Christie is morbidly obese. No matter how fatty activists wish to spin it, there is no such thing as a “healthy” OBESE person. The extra strain of those pounds on bones, heart, and all other body systems is enormous. Any physician will agree privately, where they can’t be quoted and accused of “FAT SHAMING OH MY GOD.”
I particularly love the fantasy that he is obese “but works out regularly.” Fucking bullshit.
I am six feet tall and weigh 160 pounds. Almost skinny. I walk a lot for exercise and play tennis when I can. I also love food and cooking. BUT…if I ate everything I WANTED to, as Christie by his own admission does, I would probably weigh at least 200 pounds or more or whatever weight I got to before I would disgust myself and turn it around. I prevent that by NOT eating everything I want to.
I suspect that like me, CC has an addictive personality (I LOVE and crave sugar and all kinds of sweets) but he’s not living a lifestyle or following a program that allows him to deal with that and overcome it on a daily basis. He lives under the tyranny of fucking food. Why would anyone respect that?
To anyone that knows about addiction, the fact that he is a rage-aholic fits right into this pattern. His addiction and issues that feed it are not being dealt with; ergo he is full of anger/bitterness/resentment/delusions of grandeur, etc.
But beyond all of this, just as a visual, the man is shaped like one of those tippy-fat toys that you can tip over but just spin and sway and turn until they right themselves. He’s fattest at the lower torso and hips like a bowling pin, then tapers down to little tiny feet to match his little tiny pointed head.
I’m sorry…this visual is a natural laugh getter. As it has always been.
Paul Gottlieb
On an intellectual basis, I have to agree with you completely: Christie’s weight shouldn’t be a major issue. On the other hand, when I saw news footage of the Governor inspecting some damage from the last hurricane, it was the first time I realized how terribly overweight he really is, and it came as quite a shock. When Christie speaks from behind a podium, wearing one of his perfectly tailored suits, he just looks like a big, overweight, but imposing man. But walking down the street in shirtsleeves, you get a true sense of ho terribly obese he has become. Your first thought is one of concern for his health–and I’m a rabid Democrat who detests him! But my first thought was the fear that he might be about to have a heart attack. He looks much fatter than any picture I’ve ever seen of William Howard. Taft
Samara Morgan
@Kola Noscopy: tweedledum or tweedledee?
but i agree.
pics like this are the Kiss of Death for Christie.
his policies matter not a whit– hes UNELECTABLE on TELEVISION.
He is also SHORTER than Obama.
Samara Morgan
dumbass juicer ‘slines here want to back-pat themselves for being “above” the weight issue….but the weight issue is the ONLY issue there is.
welcome to BJ, Zander.
you have a superlow bar.
just be better than emoprog firebagger de Bore and glibertarian fuckwad EDK.
Arclite
@ Zandar
Great article. Thanks.
wrb
Uh Oh
Christi could win.
Samara unintentionally showed how.
He could have the greatest campaign song ever.
So fee fi foe fum
tweedle dee dee and tweedle dee dum
Get Ready because HERE I COME
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVfghr0K2uU&feature=related
who could resist?
Samara Morgan
@wrb: LOL! white christian nativists, thass who.
The Temptations are Black Men.
A Pity Paul Revere and the Raiders never had any hits.
Praps they can do a comeback tour with Palin.
wrb
@Samara Morgan: @Samara Morgan:
Ah but if he gets the nomination…
He can introduce his veep with this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apO473aZVeA
unstoppable
Samara Morgan
@wrb: man…that guy needs a grill in the worst way.
:)
Elie
@Arclite:
Ditto.
Also welcome Zandar…
Y’all know that we are crazy though, right?
Death Panel Truck
@suzanne:
I prefer “fat bastard,” myself. And as someone said above, we won’t have to bring up his weight. It’s self-evident to anyone with functioning eyes that he’s a lazy tub o’ lard. He took a limo to traverse the 100-yard distance from a NJ state helicopter to his son’s baseball game.
Americans don’t elect fatties to the presidency anymore. Not since that fat bastard William Howard Taft, who may or may not have gotten trapped in the WH bathtub, depending on the source.
Death Panel Truck
@Kola Noscopy:
Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down!
Elie
@suzanne:
Ya know, you have a penchant for jumping on people yourself, for someone so interested in protecting a vulnerable and abused population. Usually someone who does that tries not to be over the top with treating others. You jump on eemom and she isn’t on this thread and the other day you wolf packed Samara.
Not a nice girl there, but you talk a good game with your hyperdefense of those purportedly attacking people with obesity issues. Hey, but that’s different than being/ playing nice with everyone else, right?
Hey — how about treating ALL people nicely, and fairly… like at least waiting for them to show up on the thread before you do your trash talking?
Elie
@eemom:
Well said
Samara Morgan
@Elie: LOL! wolfpacked?
chihuahua-packed is more likely.
suzanne generally punches herself in the neck when she swings on me….like Khalid and Yut did on that thread.
She has never yet even managed to scuff my vicious gladiator armor.
And i do lurve me some quality PVP…..sadly suzanne is such a woeful scrub that she offers me no sport a’tall.
:)
Samara Morgan
@eemom: for some reason suzanne has picked Christie’s FAT as her hill to die on this week.
Do you suppose she’s still all larded up with baby fat from her recent pregnancy?