WSJ: Obama May Be Too Thin To Be President

The Wall Street Journal's Amy Chozick warns Barack Obama of another potentially elitist personal trait -- he's too thin:

Speaking to donors at a San Diego fund-raiser last month, Barack Obama reassured the crowd that he wouldn't give in to Republican tactics to throw his candidacy off track.

"Listen, I'm skinny but I'm tough," Sen. Obama said.

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.

The candidate has been criticized by opponents for appearing elitist or out of touch with average Americans. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll conducted in July shows Sen. Obama still lags behind Republican John McCain among white men and suburban women who say they can't relate to his background or perceived values.

Comments

[Cappy]

So now the Presidency is only for FAT, rich, old, white men?

[Bitsko]

It's all because of that darned television. We'll never have another Taft, darn it!

[apoyo]

Talk about superficiality. I would hope no one makes such an important decision based on such baseless drivel. How sad if this is true. Instead of portraying him as an example of healthy living, he is portrayed as "not one of us" just because he exercises and doesn't get fat. Unbelievable.

[YouDisgustMe]

newsflash:

6'1.5" at 180lbs is fairly average

i guess that's too skinny when the vast majority's made up of lard asses

[Amalek]

It may be ideal, but it sure aint average.

[Bitsko]

What's the average American brain weight?

[Agentlady007]

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/facts.html#brain

[Zhonni]

Wow!

8-l

[AFPISCES]

You Ma'am obviously have too time on your hands and a shortage of imagination!

[Bitsko]

This must be the most ridiculous waste of column space in the history of American journalism.

[Bibsap]

I agree with you 100% . Too skinny?!! That's just stupid. And if he were a little huskier, the compliant would be that he is too FAT. Shame on WSJ for even allowing Ms Chozick to write such a column. I guess it was a slow news day.

[Bitsko]

They did the same thing with Bill Clint0n and his weight and his campaign stops at McDonalds, which I always thought backfired because McDonald's is as American as, well, McDonald's apple pie. Never seen a mention of W.'s big wide hips.

[indypete]

Ridiculous until you scratch down a bit below the surface. Thin is one of the last "differences" that can be attacked without viloating PC (the other is gay, and I don't think they could get any traction with it even though the parrot cage liners in the checkout lines have had a crack at i)t. At age 50, I "bulked up" by 15 lbs to 165 (I'm 5'10") and to this day I hear people tell me how skinny I am without any clue that they might be insulting me. It's something the 29 percenters (is the number still that high?) can latch on to as proof he's "different".

[desertdweller]

No such thing as a thin "fatcat"

[petuniafish]

It's eating all that arugula.

[AFPISCES]

What is arugula?

[scouserinlondon]

Rocket.

[petuniafish]

It's a type of lettuce originating in Italy and has sort of a niche market with "elitist" diners. Even tho you can buy it at your local grocery store. Obama and elitist liberals are accused of eating arugula in a negative way- like 'latte drinkers' and eaters of arugula in their salad. It came around about the time of Obama's "bitter" comments at the private dinner in SF.

I love arugula in my salad. The Romans considered it an aphrodisiac.

[Gracehoper]

The favored vegetable of elitists, apparently.

[Freesia2]

Good. That's what it is. It's delicious. It has a slightly smokey flavor. As if it had been grilled. Great with fish.

[nowRnever]

Surely you jest!

[rgersmrk]

Why doesn't the WSJ just quit beating around the bush and go ahead and say it. His skin may be too dark for their taste. What a bunch of D-bags. I'm waiting for them to say that his ears may be too big for America...

[Crake]

'the day we don't elect someone because they're not a land manatee who can't stop shoveling dennys into their face is the day i drive my car off into puget sound'

[MissKaren]

Jay Leno is going to have a field day with this.

[doug108]

That's what we need, another guy in the White House we can have a God damned beer with. 'Cause the one we have has worked out so well. We sure don't need any elitists in there. We sure don't need anyone in there who might make us feel a little embarrassed about our own meager accomplishments or our bulging waist lines.

This is the same country we had in '04 and 2000. It's largely no different. We could very well end up with McCain as our president.

[Ajegunle]

How about seeing him as a model of how Americans should look? Are we now praising and encouraging obesity???

[Bitsko]

Amy Chozick must have an eating disorder, or just an obsession for getting her name in print as often as she can.

[Sloane7]

Has anyone calibrated his elbows??? We need to make sure they're not too elitist!!!

[naschkatze]

Next we'll be hearing that his teeth are too perfect. Amurkins don't like someone who can afford all that good dental care.

[cre8ivecurt]

Oh good lord...I can't even roll my eyes big enough over the stupidity of this! "Oh, can't possibly vote for anyone who is skinnier than ME!!" What a crock!!