August 01, 2008

Oh, fer Gawd's sake

The WSJ asks: Is Obama "Too Fit to Be President?"

But in a nation in which 66% of the voting-age population is overweight and 32% is obese, could Sen. Obama's skinniness be a liability? Despite his visits to waffle houses, ice-cream parlors and greasy-spoon diners around the country, his slim physique just might have some Americans wondering whether he is truly like them.

Um. George W. Bush to Runners World in 2002:

Usually I run 6 days a week. When I don't run, I use an elliptical trainer, lift weights, and stretch. But when I run, I run hard. On Sundays, if I'm at Camp David, I'll go for a hard, morning run-these days about 20:30 to 20:45 for 3 miles on a tough course-and then I'll go walk 2 to 4 miles with Laura [the First Lady] afterward.

Is Bush too physically fit to be President? Probably not.

(Note: I'm not saying he's morally or mentally fit to be President; I have my own opinions about that.)

Update: Good grief. The author of the WSJ article did her research; she went to the Yahoo Message Boards and posed this question:

Is Obama too skinny to be president?
15-Jul-08 06:04 pm

Does anyone out there think Barack Obama is too thin to be president? Anyone having a hard time relating to him and his “no excess body fat”? Please let me know. Thanks!

So she created her own story. If you had any good will toward the WSJ under its new Murdoch ownership, I suggest you get rid of it.

Sadly, No has the details.

Posted by Linkmeister at August 1, 2008 10:19 AM | TrackBack
Comments

Did you read the Anna Quindlan article in Newsweek about McCain and his lack of technology? He is not technologically fit.

Posted by: annie at August 3, 2008 05:41 PM

his slim physique just might have some Americans wondering whether he is truly like them

It's true that I seldom have ice cream, and I do go to the gym at ungodlily early hours 4 or 5 times a week, but my physique is naturally slim. So, if I'm easily slim, there must be something wrong with me? My wife does think that I stay thin because all the calories I ingest go to another me in an alternate reality.

Posted by: Serge at August 4, 2008 08:09 AM

Y'know, the last time America elected a skinny Senator from Illinois with little governmental experience, we got a pretty good President out of the deal.

Posted by: Christopher Davis at August 5, 2008 08:36 AM