Is Obama too thin to win the presidency?

[fourier jr]

This is a new low! How on Earth can a candidate be "too thin to win"?

Last week The Wall Street Journal suggested that Obama might be too thin and too fit to appeal to voters who tend to like candidates with flaws that they can identify with. Several analysts noted that widely circulated pictures of a red-faced Bill Clinton staggering into McDonald’s after a short jog did the former president no harm at all; millions of Americans knew just how he felt.

Obama’s enthusiasm for exercise first raised eyebrows last month, when he stopped three times in one day for workouts at Chicago gyms, prompting an Associated Press reporter to wonder: "Sometimes it’s hard to tell if Barack Obama is running for president or Mr. Universe."

It has also been widely noted that Obama sometimes seems appalled when presented at election meetings with the pride of local cuisine, often a fat-smothered hunk of meat or a sugary bun dripping in aerosol cream.

While most candidates tend to tuck in fearlessly, thereby assuring themselves positive coverage in the local paper, Obama once visited a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania but turned down a piece of cake on the grounds that it was "too decadent for me." He lost the Pennsylvania primary and appears to have learned his lesson: last week he was overheard asking for "pie" at a diner in Missouri.

On Friday the Journal wondered if Obama might suffer from his skinniness in potential swing states such as Georgia and Tennessee, which have more overweight people than the northern states more favourable to the Democrats.

Government statistics indicate that two-thirds of the overall voting population is overweight and almost a third is obese. Yet the 6 foot 1 inch senator is reckoned to weigh 10-20 pounds less than the 190 pounds recommended for his height.

The notion that Obama is too thin to win was derided by many of his supporters but the issue underlined a disturbing reality for the Democratic candidate. Polls have consistently shown that McCain is beating him among significant groups of voters, notably working-class white males and older suburban women, who complain he appears elitist or out of touch with average Americans.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1071160.html

ps- Obama is "elitist" & "out of touch with average Americans?!" Before becoming vice president, Cheney was on the board of Halliburton! He & Bush both make way more money than Obama ever has. I guess intelligence is what makes someone "elitist" in the US, and we all know what a huge liability intelligence is in US politics.

 

[LowlyPion]

From the article "...he appears elitist or out of touch with average Americans."

Bush while elitist is at least in touch with average Americans as a result of his own appalling youthful character lapses. But such qualities as averageness - at least insofar as they have been worn by Bush - look ill suited to the solving of the national problems. While McCain is a step up from Bush, it is not that hard to be brighter than a dim bulb..

I think Obama's biggest obstacle is still his race. "Thin" looks to me to be a proxy - one of many - for saying they aren't voting for him - basically citing anything but race. But Bush-Cheney-Rove have so mucked up things with the economy and foreign policy, I think the Democrats could run a Billy Goat with a decent expectation of winning. I doubt a hard charging Teddy Roosevelt could save the GOP this go round.

 

[arildno]

Hollow-chested, scrawny kids are puny fighters. It's that simple.

 

[WarPhalange]

So is that what he meant when he said "I don't look like those Presidents on the dollar bills."?

 

[Jordan Joab]

I base my voting decision on the likeliness of me beating the candidate's butt in a fight. If I can stomp the dude, why should I vote for him? This is why I think Arnold Schwarzenegger would be the greatest President ever!

 

[Crosson]

I don't understand why some people try to obligate you with greasy food, and then have the nerve to be insulted when you decline to eat it. I guess their entire lives revolve around food.

The accusations that Obama is 'elitist' and 'arrogant' are a very thinly veiled form of the old racial slur, that the educated black man is 'uppity' or that he 'doesn't know his place.'

Here is a link to a http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-jenkins/obama-still-does-not-know_b_115671.html" of this, because I have not seen any discussion yet in the mainstream media (besides a single political cartoon in the salt lake tribune). Note that I do not endorse this blog, and I did not get this idea from this blog; the page I linked is the third result in a google search for the word 'uppity.'

 

[Jordan Joab]

I don't understand why some people try to obligate you with greasy food, and then have the nerve to be insulted when you decline to eat it. I guess their entire lives revolve around food.

The accusations that Obama is 'elitist' and 'arrogant' are a very thinly veiled form of the old racial slur, that the educated black man is 'uppity' or that he 'doesn't know his place.'

Here is a link to a http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-jenkins/obama-still-does-not-know_b_115671.html" of this, because I have not seen any discussion yet in the mainstream media (besides a single political cartoon in the salt lake tribune). Note that I do not endorse this blog, and I did not get this idea from this blog; the page I linked is the third result in a google search for the word 'uppity.'

Still, the "black" guy got picked over the "white" girl. Americans don't want a chick as president it seems

Anyways, what's wrong with him being "elitist" and "arrogant"?

 

[Crosson]

Anyways, what's wrong with him being "elitist" and "arrogant"?

Personally, I don't think that there is anything wrong with pointing out that all politicians are elitist and arrogant; I don't necessarily even think that those are bad qualities (unless the arrogance is ill-founded).

The problem is that, in this case, 'elitist' and 'arrogant' are code words designed to invoke old fashioned black slurs in parts of the country where racism is still highly present.

 

[GeorginaS]

The problem is that, in this case, 'elitist' and 'arrogant' are code words designed to invoke old fashioned black slurs in parts of the country where racism is still highly present.

Using "elitist" and "arrogant" has nothing to do with "black slurs". Those words became epithets ever since Bush & Co took office. Those words were used as "bad words" to describe Kerry et all last election campaign.

They are used as slurs to mean, "Not regular folks like you and me. They think they're 'too good' for us, unlike me. Me? I'd sit down, have a beer with y'all and chew the fat. I understand you because y'all can understand me. I'm not one of those 'intellectual' types who think I'm too good for y'all". It's neo-con talk for, "Don't look at how much money we actually have and that, yes, we actually do think we're too good for you. But hey! Look over there! Those guys speak in complete sentences. How dare they!"

 

[Evo]

Here is a link to a http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-jenkins/obama-still-does-not-know_b_115671.html" of this, because I have not seen any discussion yet in the mainstream media (besides a single political cartoon in the salt lake tribune). Note that I do not endorse this blog, and I did not get this idea from this blog; the page I linked is the third result in a google search for the word 'uppity.'

The Huffington Post is a very biased leftwing opinion blog, just FYI for those that are not familiar with it.

 

[Jordan Joab]

John McCain is too short to win.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heights_of_United_States_Presidents_and_presidential_candidates

 

[Crosson]

The Huffington Post is a very biased leftwing opinion blog

...but that doesn't mean that everything they report is false. Here is another article on the same subject that is more credible because it contains videos of contributors to CNN and NBC.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/03/gergen-mccain-is-using-co_n_116605.html

 

[Evo]

...but that doesn't mean that everything they report is false.

No, and that's why I am allowing it.

 

[Evo]

Kennedy was thin and young for the time.

Lincoln looked emaciated.

I've read about how drastically political campaigns changed due to tv, a lot of former Presidents would have never gotten elected. FDR was one that they said might have been passed over for election.

 

[lisab]

Kennedy was thin and young for the time.

Lincoln looked emaciated.

I've read about how drastically political campaigns changed due to tv, a lot of former Presidents would have never gotten elected. FDR was one that they said might have been passed over for election.

And GW Bush has always been quite fit, as well. It mystifies me how the Wall Street Journal can state that (quoting the OP) "Obama might be too thin and too fit to appeal to voters who tend to like candidates with flaws that they can identify with."

Besides, they ended that sentence with a preposition. Tsk.

 

[Evo]

And GW Bush has always been quite fit, as well. It mystifies me how the Wall Street Journal can state that (quoting the OP) "Obama might be too thin and too fit to appeal to voters who tend to like candidates with flaws that they can identify with."

That's really stupid, IMHO. So maybe a photo op sitting on a couch scratching himself and drinking beer?

Besides, they ended that sentence with a preposition. Tsk.

 

[LowlyPion]

Besides, they ended that sentence with a preposition. Tsk.

Perhaps this is Murdoch's subtly toning down appearances of elitism? He's reaching down market?

 

[loseyourname]

I'd turn down all that crap, too. Hell, I don't even like chocolate very much. I'd probably get slaughtered in Pennsylvania.

 

[Moonbear]

I'd turn down all that crap, too. Hell, I don't even like chocolate very much. I'd probably get slaughtered in Pennsylvania.

Just hand over any chocolate to the sisterhood, and we'll take care of you. And for those worried, now that Obama has quit smoking for the campaign, he's sure to put on some weight.

More seriously, this is one of the more bizarre arguments I've heard, and it sounds like a lot of excuse-making to me. This candidate is too thin, that one too short, blah blah blah. It's really sad when appearances are what are factoring into people's decisions, or when it's appearances that candidates are using to explain away the reasons voters are not preferring them (it seems to work both ways as far as I've observed). I can think of a lot of pros and cons for each candidate right now, and none of them takes into account appearances.

 

[mjolnir80]

obama's jacked.....

 

[Evo]

Just hand over any chocolate to the sisterhood, and we'll take care of you. And for those worried, now that Obama has quit smoking for the campaign, he's sure to put on some weight.

More seriously, this is one of the more bizarre arguments I've heard, and it sounds like a lot of excuse-making to me. This candidate is too thin, that one too short, blah blah blah. It's really sad when appearances are what are factoring into people's decisions, or when it's appearances that candidates are using to explain away the reasons voters are not preferring them (it seems to work both ways as far as I've observed). I can think of a lot of pros and cons for each candidate right now, and none of them takes into account appearances.

In the news today, Obama stopped at a greasy spoon diner and ordered 4 cheeseburgers with all the trimmings.

I can't believe that what he's eating now is making the news. This is ridiculous.

 

[WarPhalange]

I can't believe he cares enough to do anything about it. That is ridiculous.

 

[russ_watters]

Perhaps the wsj wanted to show their objectivity by showing they could be critical of Obama and this is all they could muster?

 

[WarPhalange]

You're calling the WSJ left-leaning?

Murdoch?

Oh jeez...

 

[Übermensch]

Using "elitist" and "arrogant" has nothing to do with "black slurs". Those words became epithets ever since Bush & Co took office. Those words were used as "bad words" to describe Kerry et all last election campaign.

They are used as slurs to mean, "Not regular folks like you and me. They think they're 'too good' for us, unlike me. Me? I'd sit down, have a beer with y'all and chew the fat. I understand you because y'all can understand me. I'm not one of those 'intellectual' types who think I'm too good for y'all". It's neo-con talk for, "Don't look at how much money we actually have and that, yes, we actually do think we're too good for you. But hey! Look over there! Those guys speak in complete sentences. How dare they!"

Very well said. I mean that.

 

[russ_watters]

Reporters are reporters. It doesn't matter who owns the company (he's not writing any stories, is he?).

One surprise is the Wall Street Journal, which we find as the most liberal of all 20 news outlets [studied]. We should first remind readers that this estimate (as well as all other newspaper estimates) refers only to the news of the Wall Street Journal; we omitted all data that came from its editorial page. If we included data from the editorial page, surely it would appear more conservative. Second, some anecdotal evidence agrees with our result. For instance, Reed Irvine and Cliff Kincaid (2001) note that "The Journal has had a long-standing separation between its conservative editorial pages and its liberal news pages." Paul Sperry, in an article titled the "Myth of the Conservative Wall Street Journal", notes that the news division of the Journal sometimes calls the editorial division "Nazis." "Fact is", Sperry writes, "the Journal's news and editorial departments are as politically polarized as North and South Korea."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street_Journal#Editorial_page

[though I found it through Wik, the actual quote is from a university study]

 

[BryanP]

Honestly, what the hell is going on with this world?

 

[WarPhalange]

Reporters are reporters. It doesn't matter who owns the company (he's not writing any stories, is he?).

No, of course not. He only owns the paper. He has no influence over it at all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street_Journal#Editorial_page

[though I found it through Wik, the actual quote is from a university study]

He took over it recently. The jury is now officially still out.

 

[stickythighs]

How tall are Obama and McCain? The taller candidate wins 80% of U.S. Presidential elections.

I am only 5'1". I will never be President.

 

[stickythighs]

How tall are Obama and McCain? The taller candidate wins 80% of U.S. Presidential elections.

I am only 5'1". I will never be President.

I hadn't scrolled down the page when I wrote this post. According to the link that was posted after the original post, Obama is 6'1" and McCain is 5'6". There is no way on God's green Earth that a 5'6" guy is going to be President in the 21st Century.

Obama is the next President of the United States.