Controversy swirled last week over remarks made about New Jersey Governor Chris Christie that he is too fat to be president.
It would be a dangerous step to add conditions as to how people can serve their country in whatever capacity.
Christie’s New Jersey colleague Senator Frank Lautenberg is almost 90 and thinking of running again. Should it be allowed?
Christie has been a very effective governor despite the avoirdupois, and would likely be an effective president in spite of it.
As a family man and in terms of his health for his wife and kids, that is an entirely different but private matter.
But putting conditions on physical appearances would represent a dangerous departure.
We should not forget that George Washington had wooden teeth and Abraham Lincoln a face only a mother could love, yet they were arguably our greatest presidents.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.stanJames | Feb 16, 2013, 08:48 PM EST
Isnt Christie guilty of one of the seven deadly sins? Gluttony...............I note all the people ranting against our first black president. Racism is not dead in America - it has a new name - tea party.............Now Obama is their triple nightmare come true - a black president, re-elected - and supports the constitutional requirement for equal right under the law for our gay citizens. BTW the socialist (and often commie things) are just a repeat of the McCarthy era - Old Joe McCarthy is seen by most pscychologists as a sociopath who hated almost everyone except himself. Which in particular he hated Jews. His associate Roy Cohn also hated himself - he was gay in a time when it was horrible to be such. Poor man died of Aids in the beginning of the epidemic about 1982. PS my Jewih wife long ago told me that Cohn was shortened from cohen and he was a 2nd cousin of her parents.
Smyrnian | Feb 16, 2013, 04:15 PM EST
I second that, Bippy!!
BippyBellito | Feb 16, 2013, 10:18 AM EST
The Guv. of NJ is full of bombast sometimes but opared to the incredible incompetent fool in the White House, Christie is by far the Better Man. We know that he is a Man, not some gay bathhouse "party boy" that is Obama's true legacy. Give me The Fat Guy.
SyndiHolmes | Feb 16, 2013, 09:23 AM EST
He is one of the most decent human beings in politics today-everything else is superficial. Oh, I forgot, we do live in a superficial society .....
Smyrnian | Feb 15, 2013, 10:00 PM EST
Fine specimen if a skinny socialist.
seanomelb | Feb 15, 2013, 06:46 PM EST
fine specimen of a man.
Smyrnian | Feb 15, 2013, 04:27 PM EST
The skinny guy we have now is a disaster!
RobinForester | Feb 15, 2013, 01:12 PM EST
The NJ Governor Chris Christie made a very good impression with his handling of the Hurricane Sandy crisis and the way he welcomed the President during the Presidential visit aftermath of the storm. If he wishes to run for President fine, he's money can be just as well wasted as the next mans and I'm certain he must know or suspect that President Obama is a certainty for a 3rd term election. As for Mr Christie weight you'd think by now he'd know to cut out the fried chicken, extra-helpings of steak and all bread. As for George Washingtons teeth it's a myth they were made from wood, his teeth were a mixture of human teeth and horses teeth held together with a spring. President Lincoln has a fine honest Irish face and look about him, his health was always poor because the vitamin tablets he took contained mercury which made him irritable, angry and erratic. We know today that mercury is not good for you and a deadly neuro poison.
johnshiel | Feb 15, 2013, 11:26 AM EST
this guy makes me nervous... so much bombast; coming from who knows what angle; I'd prefer a guy with a more concictent ideological compass...
cillowen | Feb 14, 2013, 10:42 PM EST
grotesque - piggish - lowlife oaf.
Pittsburghkid | Feb 14, 2013, 09:34 PM EST
Christy is a RINO. Hugging Obama was not a good idea. He is not going to get Tea Party approva.. So his chance of a Republican Nominaltion are slim The Democrats don't want RINO's either.
Smyrnian | Feb 14, 2013, 09:20 PM EST
Sure beats a skinny socialist community activist from high crime Chicago!
bunkerisland | Feb 14, 2013, 07:39 PM EST
"...would likely be an effective president..." On what grounds is that assumption made, being a governor? The last one of those the States had was GWB and look what that gave you, two wars, endless debt and thousands of military deaths along with thousands of disabled veterans, all for 2 Trillion $.
merefalow | Feb 14, 2013, 05:45 PM EST
if you dont have the pride and self control to stop yourself being obese you dont have the pride and self control to run the afairs of a nation,usa is a sort of democracy like the uk,other countries are despotic dictatorships or theocracies that deserve their fat obese despots.
seanomelb | Feb 14, 2013, 05:08 PM EST
Christie's weight is not a problem, his dumb arrogance is.
anglo-norman | Feb 14, 2013, 04:25 PM EST
Of course Brian Cowen & Mary Harney were hippos as well but didn't they do a great job in office...
donal1951 | Feb 14, 2013, 03:34 PM EST
William Howard Taft, president and chief justice of the United States was no lightweight either, I've read histories that questioned his policies but none that say his weight affected his job. John Adams, one of our Founding Fathers, was called "His Rotundity" behind his back.
blackbearpause | Feb 14, 2013, 03:01 PM EST
George Washington's wooden teeth is a myth.
Smyrnian | Feb 14, 2013, 02:04 PM EST
No correlation. For example, we have a skinny incompetent in the White House right now.
Nicomax | Feb 14, 2013, 12:33 PM EST
There should be no physical test to hold any public office in the US, just as there is nor religious test. We can only recall how Nancy Pelosi was ridiculed for her appearance as she became speaker of the house, although I always thought she looked quite good for a person in her 70's. I felt the real reason for the attack on her was the unwritten rule that women should know their place, and not reach for such lofty offices.
JoePatAl | Feb 14, 2013, 12:23 PM EST
Well, guv666-tie too much of anything to become President! I voted against him the first time. Unfortunately, now no longer living in The Garden State. Unable to vote in opposition for the 2nd time. However, would find it interesting for him to run on numerous levels for various reasons. Nevertheless,I would like him to run as that way I will be sure to vote against him again! he is the most disgusting person ever! he should be a poster boy on what happens when . . . At any rate, when the fatal heart attack does finally occur, he will then serve as as the one to avoid looking and eating like for generations to come.
irishpjk | Feb 14, 2013, 12:10 PM EST
It seems to me that the liberals will stop at nothing when it comes to finding fault with a competent conservative leader.
Eschetic | Feb 14, 2013, 11:30 AM EST
It's not "the morons in the media" perpetuating this story but the moron in Trenton making "fun" of the problem scarfing a glazed donut on Letterman and belittleling those concerned with his weight. As someone whose father (based on his family history and doctors' warnings) took at least 20 years off his life by refusing all assistance to keep his weight under control, it is beyond offensive to see a putative political leader not only setting a bad health example but glorying in it. Times have changed since the days of William Howard Taft - both in political philosophy ('though you'd never know it from our Neanderthal governor who tries to balance his budgets on the backs of the school children of the state) and health knowledge. This is NOT "adding another requirement" to becoming President. It is about rational voters looking at ALL the aspects of a candidate in making their choices of who to support. There are solid practical reasons why every presidential candidate since Eisenhower has released health records. If voters chose to support a vice president like Cheney, they had a right to KNOW about his cardiac history (some voters may have relied too much on it). If I agreed with Christie on a majority of issues beyond his admittedly good handling of "Sandy" storm damage, I'd support him if he weighed a hundred pounds more than he does - IF he were taking a responsible position leading practical health awareness. With his current attitude, a responsible voter shouldn't support him if he were right (more than merely right wing) on almost ALL of the issues.
Eschetic | Feb 14, 2013, 11:12 AM EST
John Taft died at 72 and was of similar stature as Chris Christie. Christie, presently 50 years of age with our present health care should have no problem serving as president should he be elected. Sounds like the doctor just wanted 15 minutes of fame and made an unnecessary and unwanted "political" comment about a potential presidential candidate. Why the media would bother to continue this story line is as absurd as the media attention given to Ted Stugent (Nugent). Who ever heard of either of these two fools before this ?
lafayquinn | Feb 14, 2013, 10:05 AM EST
President Taft was morbidly obese, so why can’t a President Christie be fat? The waistline has nothing to do with leadership abilities.
Chaytahn | Feb 14, 2013, 08:44 AM EST
I can't believe the morons in the media that keep perpetuating this story. It is a non-story. As Mzaz said, weight has nothing to do with his ability to do the job. But now that that has been said, we should run a story..."is the media too stupid to cover news objectively?"
mzaz | Feb 14, 2013, 08:32 AM EST
Weight has nothing to do with a person's ability.