WSJ: Obama is Fit and Black

Campaign coverage from The Washington Independent.

Today's Wall Street Journal publishes a correction of a weekend article that asked, in all seriousness, whether Barack Obama's health is a political liability. Here was the actual header:

Too Fit to Be President?
Facing an Overweight Electorate, Barack Obama Might Find Low Body Fat a Drawback

The article was inane, reporting that Obama's "slim physique just might have some Americans wondering whether he is truly like them." It was also a reach -- the author resorted to a chat room just to find a member of the anti-fit voting bloc. The voter's reply, "I won't vote for any beanpole guy," was reported as the recent writings of a "Clinton supporter" on a "Yahoo politics message board." Today's correction concedes that the "article should have disclosed that the reporter used the bulletin board to elicit the comment." Indeed. But why stop there? The article could have also disclosed the entire comment for some context:

Yes I think He is too skinny to be President. Hillary has a potbelly and chuckybutt I'd of Voted for Her. I won't vote for any beanpole guy.

More important, it could have disclosed the fact that this was the only on-topic reply to the reporter's query on Yahoo. That's far below average for the Yahoo election board, indicating that out of all the criticisms of Obama, fitness is not an issue. So while the posted question was stupid -- "Anyone having a hard time relating to him and his 'no excess body fat'?" -- the reporting was worse. The article should have reported that fitness elicited scant criticism online, except for one post from "onlinebeerbellygirl." (The reporter did not identify herself as a journalist when posting the question, either.)

Slate's Timothy Noah dug up the message board question, and tackled the bigger problem in a column criticizing this weird focus on Obama's physique:

When white people are invited to think about Obama's physical appearance, the principal attribute they're likely to dwell on is his dark skin. Consequently, any reference to Obama's other physical attributes can't help coming off as a coy walk around the barn. A whole genre of humor turns on this reality. [A]n episode of the TV sitcom Happy Days ("Fonzie's New Friend") had its 1950s-era characters nervously discussing the fact that a black man in their midst was so ... skinny. Was it true that skinny people liked fried chicken? That they were good at basketball? And so on...

The sad fact is that any discussion of Obama's physical appearance is going to remind white people of the physical characteristic that's most on their minds...Better either to leave the whole topic alone -- or to address the question of racial prejudice head-on... the press would be wise to avoid discussing how ordinary Americans will respond to the size of Obama's ears, the thickness of Obama's eyebrows and so on. Is that prohibition too inhibiting? I doubt it, unless you happen to be a political cartoonist...

It doesn't help that the Journal ran a photo of Obama in a Nike sweatsuit, palming a basketball, next to shots of McCain and President George W. Bush clad in full suits. (The White House has released multiple pictures of Bush working out.) Of course, that doesn't mean the Journal is biased against black candidates. Maybe Democrats, though. The only other president featured without a suit in the graphic is Bill Clinton.

From The Washington Independent.

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Comments

[blueshield]

I'm never sure which is more depressing - the right's cleverness in turning the Senator's assets (his wide international popularity, motivating public speaking, physical prowess and fitness) into distasteful faults; or the willingness of members of the media and public to instantly buy into these Alice in Wonderland twists?

When the monday morning qbacks dissect how Senator O's momentum was bled off heading into the general election, they'll notice these slick Orwellian works. They'll wonder how it caught on and became credible.

A few might notice in passing how the senseless bloody Iraq occupation was repackaged as a "war" in Iraq, implying America was somehow under mortal attack, and justified in expending lives and treasure for our defense. How a man able to inspire millions with hope and optimism in the better side of America was denigrated for his talent and willingness to stand up and take a chance we'd listen.

[S1m0n]

I suppose the connection between Obama's reported smoking and his slim physique is worth exploring, but it's hardly newsworthy. In any case, he's fitter than most of the media and a large part of the electorate.

[silverball]

omg....mor­e of the SAME from the "liberal press"....­.lol