Clinton's gender and Obama's race were common topics in '08, so why is Christie's weight off-limits?

[EffieBlack]

Gender and race are immutable characteristics over which one had no choice and has no control. Yet they were discussed ad nauseum without self-consciousness or shame by journalists and pundits in the last presidential campaign - they were analyzed and assessed from every possible angle in the last presidential campaign - is Obama black enough, is he too black, is Hillary Clinton too feminine, will blacks vote for a woman, will women vote for a black man, how did Obama come to terms with his blackness, how does Hillary Clinton manifest her femininity, etc., etc.

So why all of the hand-wringing over whether and how to discuss Chris Christie's weight? Why are race and gender fair game, but the issue of race too delicate a topic to be broached without offense?

[Mz Pip]

1. It will be discussed

Some will be perfectly comfortable discussing it and some won't, but I seriously doubt that it will be a topic that is ignored.

[saras]

2. Because gender and race should have been off limits too, but we can't control the Tea Party

[vaberella]

7. Teaparty came into exist around post 2008 elections.

Primary was around 2007-2008---this was okay before the Tea Party.

[Bloke 32]

3. "Fair topics?"

No, they were not. Nor should they have been.

[vaberella]

8. They technically aren't. But they were all an issue during the election.n/t

[provis99]

4. race and gender can't be controlled, but weight can.

but I'm not sure what any of the three have to do with politics.

[NWHarkness]

9. Wrong

Ignorant and wrong.

[provis99]

10. well, you win for most pointless post of the day.

[NWHarkness]

11. Good, cause I feel like a winner.

But then again, I ma overweight, so I must be damn near useless, right?

Why don't you educate yourself about reality, instead of just believing what you are told by the diet industry? If you think that fat people can just choose to no longer be fat, you are ignorant. The fact is, only a tiny minority of people are able to do anything to attain lasting significant weight change

Sorry that you have to see us.

[totodeinhere]

16. Many people have lost weight and kept it off. It is hard and not everyone can do it but

some can. So I disagree with your blanket "wrong" answer.

And especially in Christie's case, he should have the resources to do whatever it takes to lose weight if he really wants to. Unlike the average Joe he could probably afford to hire a personal trainer and a personal dietitian. Or he could seek some sort of surgical relief that the average person might not be able to afford. Whether he does it or not is his business, but I would think that he could do it.

[SkyDaddy7]

17. I totally agree! Chris Christie has no excuse...

to be as big as he is with the resources that are available to him.

Not everyone can look like a model but EVERYONE can eat healthy & exercise...Especially when that person has wealth & access to any & all the resources needed to eat healthy & exercise like Chris Christie does.

When it comes to his weight being being open for discussion YOU DAMN RIGHT it should be...He would be applying for the most stressful job on the planet with an entire nation & more counting on him to be able to do his job.


Who would his VP be? Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachman, etc., so YES the health of the person wanting to be POTUS matters & should be discussed!

[NWHarkness]

24. Surgical relief???

Look up the statistics on surgical treatments of obesity. You will be appalled.

[demigoddess]

21. How about mental illness? One dem was refused because

he was once depressed and got help. And some people's weight cannot be controlled as easily as you seem to think.

[greymattermom]

5. Michelle Bauchmann's migraines

and Cheney's cancer. Same category. Both have been discussed widely.

[vaberella]

6. Because he's a Republican?! That's my best guess. n/t

[wndycty]

12. Here is my take:

If Chris Christie is the nominee we (Democrats) should fight him on the issues/policy, temperament, abuse of power (use of helicopter) and overall ignorance.

If the Republicans decide to go after him over his weight, let them. This isn't our fight.

[frazzled]

13. I would say (B.) Clinton's affairs and Obama's smoking ...

were the comparable personality/health traits in their respective campaigns. I'm not sure where that leads. But both Clinton (who had to have the Genifer Flowers discussion) and Obama (who had to have the public "Nicorette" moment) had to deal with those things.

Christie, if he enters, should swear off pizza and food-on-a-stick.

[former9thward]

19. The only people who have ever discussed Obama's smoking

are the arrogant hand wringing "health" nuts. Nobody else cared. McCain certainly didn't.

[frazzled]

20. I was trying to convey that nobody cared about either of those things ...

and they won't care about Christie's weight either.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

14. There are plenty of other things to talk about in regards to Christie

His weight would probably be a non-starter and even if we did bring it up, he would brush it off and the media would likely brush it off and could even backfire and result in Christie getting sympathy votes from some people. We need to just stick to the real issues. Just because the Republican Tea Party likes to focus in on irrelevant issues like gender and race doesn't mean that we need to follow suit IMHO.

[Douglas Carpenter]

15. many people rallied to the notion that America might elect its first black or women president

The issue of Hillary being a women and Obama being black and either one possibly making history by being elected president is part of part of what inspired both campaigns.

Enlightened people do not consider being black or being a women a negative.

Cristie would not be the nations first fat president and frankly most people do consider being fat a negative and do not consider being fat to be part of an oppressed class - even if in modern society they are to some extent.

It is just plain crass and cold to make public comments about someone's weight especially when there are important issues to talk about. Such comments will be seen a nasty and mean spirited and will almost certainly backfire against those who push the issue too much. If large size Americans and those who sympathize with them are turned off by such a campaign - this would only harm the Democratic Party and further label it as out of touch, arrogant and elitist.

Besides, Christie supported gay civil unions, gun control and the lower Manhattan Islamic Center - He is not going to be the Republican Party nominee.

[former9thward]

18. It is not off limits as long you want to get all the overweight people pissed at you.

And that will happen no matter what people say and they are the majority of voters. But if you don't care about that go for it.

[quiller4]

26. Christie isn't overweight, he is morbidly obese. That is a defined medical condition.

I'm overweight and I'm working on it. I've taken off 25 lbs in the last year, cut 3 inches off my waist and reduced my cholesteral. I'm over 60 with a thyroid condition. It isn't easy. I understand that. Still, when we elect leaders we have a right to question if they are healthy enough to serve. It is valid to ask how much Christie's health impacts his ability to conduct business as governor of New Jersey and how much it would impact his performance as president. That is especially significant given his recent trips to hospital emergency.

[former9thward]

27. I'm not defending his weight but if he is the nominee I'm not going to attack him for it.

There are many other political issues to do that. I thought McCain was too old to serve and would have thought that if he was the Dem nominee. But in discussions I never mentioned that issue because I knew it would piss off old people.

[r0nr0ntaiwan]

22. Probably because....

Probably because, regarding Clinton, there had never been a woman running for President before. Regarding Obama, there had never been an African American running for President that made it past the primaries. Regarding McCain, we'd never had someone that old running for President with a legitimate shot. But Christie's weight? Surely, there have been larger people that have been President, not to mention larger people that have run. It's understandable to discuss "firsts."

[me b zola]

23. FFS, really, you want to be like fox?

How sad that Obama supporters do not want to refute Christies ideology so they feel the need to talk about his weight. Why is it that u all aren't refuting his rw/corporate agenda?

:puke:

[AtomicKitten]

25. He will be physically hampered by his girth more so than anything we say.