Too bad, so sorry. You're just too fat to be president, Mr. Christie.
Look, I'm sorry, but New Jersey Governor Chris Christie cannot be president: He is just too fat. Maybe, if he runs for president and we get to know him, we will overlook this awkward issue because we are so impressed with the way he stands up to teachers' unions. But we shouldn't overlook it -- unless he goes on a diet and shows he can stick to it.
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Controlling what you eat and how much is not easy, and it's harder for some people than for others. But it's not as difficult as curing a chemical addiction. With a determined, disciplined effort, Christie could thin down, and he should -- because the obesity epidemic is real and dangerous. And the president inevitably sets an example.
Whether or not he lets himself be persuaded to run for president, Chris Christie needs to find some way to lose weight. Like everyone else, elected officials perform best when they are in optimal health. Christie obviously is not.
You could argue that this is none of my business, but I disagree. Christie's problem with weight ceased being a private matter when he stepped into the public arena — and it's not something you can fail to notice. Obesity is a national epidemic whose costs are measured not just in dollars and cents but also in lives. Christie's weight is as legitimate an issue as the smoking habit that President Obama says he has finally kicked.
This will sound petty, but now that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is "seriously considering" running for President, the question needs to be asked.
Is Christie too fat to be President?
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Comments
The bold and decisive stuff is no good if it's just another description for stubborn blowhard with bad ideas.
Still, I'm not a fan of the "Christie is fat" stuff any more than I've been a fan of the "Daniels is short" or "Al Gore is fat and wears earth tones" or "Hillary Clinton and Janet Reno are ugly" or "Michael Moore" is fat taunts. I guess it's standard issue in politics; and, like a prisoner's dilemma, if one side does it, the other must too. But it's not terribly helpful.
It may not be fair, but it does add a dimension to any Christie candidacy: His choice of veep.
Last presidential election, the uncomfortable fact that McCain was old and crippled, and had had several bouts of skin cancer made us consider his choice of vice president in a way we normally don't. I think we can agree that McCain's choice certainly influence who would - and who wouldn't - vote for him, although it probably didn't create Obama's win.
Christie, who also has been hospitalized for asthma, is a heart attack looking for a place to happen.
If he makes the "Palin mistake" and puts an ignoramus like Michele Bachmann on the ticket, it will scare away voters.
Scott Johnson at Powerline has this to say about Christie:
"Voters are in a mood for the anti-Obama. Christie would provide the perfect contrast, right down to the waistline. Christie
Christie's current dithering about a Presidential run doesn't add to his reputation as "decisive."
If he takes Jenny Craig as a running mate, and partner of Dancing with the Stars, well we could have quite a horse race!