Here we go already. If Chris Christie decides to run for president, he can expect a heavy dose of this crap from the health Nazis and special-interest groups.
As a "full-figured" man myself, I resent the hell out of the notion that a large man is "unfit" to be president. We are electing the guy for his mind, for Christ's sake, not to be the nation's head fitness trainer or a GQ model.
And as for the dying in office argument .... well, Obama is an exception, but the reality is that most presidents are older -- 60s or even 70s. Any of them could die in office. That's why we have a VP.
Anyway, I hope Americans aren't so shallow as to fall for this line of bull. Vote for Christie, or not, on the basis of his politics and ideas. Not his waistline.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/?hpt=hp_t3
It would really help the conversation in this country if thin people didn't look down on fat people and assume they have a character flaw or worse. Most of what thin people think they know about fat people is WRONG. There are myriad reasons why people are overweight and its not just because we lack the self-control to put down the extra jelly donut
Were very concerned about childhood obesity but a major thing nobody is doing anything about is this: It's much more expensive to eat healthy. Compare the cost of things like fresh produce, fish and chicken breasts to hot dogs, Mac and cheese, and pizza.
I consider myself a "bear" and that's more the community I'm comfortable with and enjoy, so I don't feel any sense of urgency to drop weight. I know I should, and I will, but when I'm ready to make the big move, which a significant weight loss is.
Anyway, I'll just reiterate that I think it is extremely unfortunate how TV and image-making have severely narrowed what is or is not acceptable for a president. Based upon the recent trend, it would appear that a president now needs to be no older than his early to mid 50s, can't be much overweight and should preferably be fit, can't have facial hair, and sure as hell can't smoke. And also can't be single. Man, have we as a country artificially limited the field by selecting for traits that have little or nothing to do with running the country.
I certainly don't feel discriminated against because of weight, but then again, I'm big, but not THAT big.
Losing weight isn't a snap. Fenway Dave did it, sure, but with the big help of surgery. It's not that easy to make a major lifestyle change. I quit smoking, which is a major part of the reason that I did gain the weight. So I have experience with that, too. And believe me, it wasn't easy. Hardest thing I've ever done, in fact. I'm not quite ready to tackle a major change like that again just at this moment. It's been too soon. You didn't know that,of course, but anyone who knows me can attest that I'm not short of willpower :)
And BTW, are we really so shallow that our only goal is to look HOT? Christ, guy. Reality check time. Many of us here are at or near senior citizen age. I don't care how much time we spend in the gym, we're never going again to be HOT, except in our own minds. We can do and look better, sure. Everyone can. But come on. At our age, an unattainable goal like HOT should not be a priority.
Look, if gay people don't like FAT people, as is the case with many and some on here apparently, they don't HAVE to deal with them. But they could at least be polite. There really is no excuse for being rude to people because of their weight, but it happens all the time. Who REALLY has the problem?
bfw: if you think only gay people embody all of the qualities you cite and judge people on appearances, you need to get out and spend more time among straight people. regardless of what you say, being fat does equate with lack of willpower. i'm quite sure that when you weighed 173 you didn't wake up one morning and say, "gee, i'd be REALLY hot if i weighed 275! pass me those cheese doodles!". you admit that you'd like to be 35 pounds lighter. why aren't you? if it doesn't require work and willpower to weigh less, you should already be at that target weight. you can rationalize that you look younger and are stronger but you're digging your grave with your teeth. facts are facts. the physical risks of obesity are well documented.
how a politician looks should not be a priority but it does factor in. looks factor in to every judgemnt we initially make about anyone, whether a sex partner, a singing star or a politician. remember susan boyle? perfect example. if you had to cast a movie choosing between a fat brando or a thin brando as the romantic leading man, who do you think would be cast? that's just the way the world works, like it or not. if you're a minority and being discriminated against because of race, it's something you can't change. if you're disabled and being discriminated against, it's something you can't change. if you're fat and feel you're being discriminated against, it's a situation that came about because of the choices you make and that you have the power to change, at will. suck it up.
I also don't think a person being heavy means that they have a lack of willpower. Not everyone wants to be skinny. I've been on both sides of that, too. Three years ago I weighed 172 pounds. Now I weigh 275. Now, I realize I'm a little heavier than I like now and I'd like to get back to maybe 230-240. But if you gave me only the choice between 175 and 275, I'd take the heavier weight in a heartbeat. I looked 10-15 years older at the lower weight and was too weak, too.
But anyway, people can rationalize it, and lord knows, people decide how to vote based on many reasons besides policy. But I don't think voting against someone based on their weight is that much different than voting against someone because of the clothes they wear, because they have facial hair, or their Zodiac sign. It's a pretty trivial way to judge someone.
BTW, I put sex in a totally different class. You're not discriminating if you won't go to bed with someone because of the way they look. In a sex partner, you're looking for what turns you on. That shouldn't be a priority in a politician :)
I agree with you rae, I don't think you need to be a perfect role model, but it seems to me you have a double standard here. It's acceptable to have a lack of willpower, coupled with the lack of good judgement, and fuck your unpaid intern in your office, but it's not acceptable to reach for that second donut when you should have not had the first to began with? Both men have shown a lack of resolve and willpower in their personal lives and habits, but it does not mean that both men, in terms of political acumen and judgement, are less competent at their jobs.
I have a slew of reasons why I would never vote for Christie, but his inability to say no at the dinner table is not one of them.
"And BTW, this really does apply big time to the gay community, too. I'm sure there are a lot of people on this site who automatically dismiss people because of their weight. And I'm not talking about going to bed with them. But assuming they're lazy, dumb, nonproductive, inferior, etc. Folks who think that way really need to take a hard look in the mirror. And I KNOW firsthand that there are a lot of them in the gay community."
i'm sure that no one in the gay community cruises these hook up sites looking for the next presidential candidate, they ARE looking for someone to go to bed with.
and i don't think the president need be a perfect role model, bill clinton as a case in point. i do think you can make certain lifestyle assumptions about someone who weighs 300 lbs. i would worry about having someone making presidential decisions who doesn't even have the willpower to control their eating habits.
And Furball, to back up your point on TV images, even though it was funny, Christie could really come to regret that skit with the jelly doughnut on Letterman.
I think the weight debate (and smoking, for that matter) boils down to the question of how vital is it that the president be a perfect role model? Obviously from the responses here quite a few folks think it's imperative. That's really too bad, because think of how many people we are automatically excluding from being president without even considering their intelligence or political ability.
Now, I'd agree that someone who is morbidly obese would likely be physically unable to serve. But Christie gets around OK and seems to be able to serve as Jersey's governor without problems. So I think it's clear he doesn't fall into that category.
BTW, I only brought this topic up because the White House doctor decided to go on the attack already. The health Nazis are the folks who REALLY piss me off. Although generally promoting good health is their business, attacking and demonizing people who don't meet their standards of perfection is typical and vicious.
jacker makes the point about FDR, when he was running and traveling, rarely were there photographs of him in his wheelchair or discussions of his use of a wheelchair. People knew that he used one, and they knew too that he was having an affair, but they just did not discuss it. Today, no way. His wheelchair and infidelities would be 24/7 news.
In today's market, it's not the message but who runs the better campaign and how will the respective campaign handle the negative news. You know if former Secretary Clinton decides to run that Fox News' pictures of her will be the ones of her wearing the special glasses to accommodate for her double vision resulting from her concussion. That will be regardless, say if in 2015 she's not worn them for two years. Conversely, in the Republican presidential primary, those in the Republican party that despise Christie will use every unflattering photograph of him at every chance to brandish an image of a FAT FAT man. The campaign that handles the negative news/imagery best is the one most likely to succeed.
I'm worn out from 2012, so thinking about 2016 fatigues me; I'm with Barney, if I were a Rep., I would be thinking about trying to snatch a few brass rings in 2014 rather than fixating on 2016.
i hate damien hirst's artwork. i find it really unattractive. i'm in no way going to buy a piece of it just because i don't want to hurt his feelings or because i think i should be supportive because his art is ugly. the same principal applies to who i want to fuck. the fat nazis who say they are just like everybody else need to look in the mirror. go on craigslist and keep a tally of how many ads you see for people who are overweight seeking only slim guys. it's not only the thin who discriminate against the overweight.
i've had my advances rejected in the past because i'm "too old" or my dick "isn't big enough". i figure it's their loss, cause i'm a really good fuck. i wouldn't be interested in having sex with someone who finds me unattractive, anyway.
the other thing that really pisses me off is people who claim to be discriminated against because of their weight. being fat is a choice, no matter what anyone says. we all decide how much we eat and what we eat and we decide how much exercise we take. i shouldn't be penalized gecause of othe people's bad choices.
finally, i'm really sick of hearing "there's nothing i can do about it, it's hereditary, it's my metabolism, some people are just born fat". bullshit. why is it we never see film from famine countries where it's, "skeletal person, skeletal person, fat person with metabolism problem, skeletal person, skeletal person..........".
i'm going to use fenwaydav as my example because he's discussed his weight problem in the past and because i really admire him. i hope that's alright with him. look at his profile pictures. he's made a decision and kept to it and his body is HOT. i'd fuck him in the middle of main street.
weight is a choice.
Hell, we've elected presidents in their 70s, and John McCain as a nominee was right at that age. They were far more likely to die in office than Christie.
I agree with Blackbare. It's a shame that Americans are that prejudiced against weight. Now, I doubt I would vote for Christie, but it would be because of politics. But if he gets bashed enough on his weight, maybe I'd consider it :)
It's kind of like how Obama had to quit smoking to run in 2008. Remember how he used to have to sneak around to have a cigarette? But really, what difference did him smoking make on how good of president he would be? None at all. We are just such a narrow-minded country.
And BTW, this really does apply big time to the gay community, too. I'm sure there are a lot of people on this site who automatically dismiss people because of their weight. And I'm not talking about going to bed with them. But assuming they're lazy, dumb, nonproductive, inferior, etc. Folks who think that way really need to take a hard look in the mirror. And I KNOW firsthand that there are a lot of them in the gay community.