The (over)exercise of power (*'s Obsession with Working Out)

[RamboLiberal]

A week ago, when President Bush met with Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III to interview him for a potential Supreme Court nomination, the conversation turned to exercise. When asked by the president of the United States how often he exercised, Wilkinson impressively responded that he runs 3 1/2 miles a day. Bush urged him to adopt more cross-training. "He warned me of impending doom," Wilkinson told the New York Times.

Am I the only person who finds this disturbing? I don't mean the fact that Bush would vet his selection for the highest court in the land in part on something utterly trivial. That's expected. What I mean is the fact that Bush has an obsession with exercise that borders on the creepy.

Given the importance of his job, it is astonishing how much time Bush has to exercise. His full schedule is not publicly available. The few peeks we get at Bush's daily routine usually come when some sort of disaster prods the White House Press Office to reveal what the president was doing "at the time." Earlier this year, an airplane wandered into restricted Washington air space. Bush, we learned, was bicycling in Maryland. In 2001, a gunman fired shots at the White House. Bush was inside exercising. When planes struck the World Trade Center in 2001, Bush was reading to schoolchildren, but that morning he had gone for a long run with a reporter. Either this is a series of coincidences or Bush spends an enormous amount of time working out.

<snip>

Bush's insistence that the entire populace follow his example, and that his staff join him on a Long March — er, Long Run — carries about it the faint whiff of a cult of personality. It also shows how out of touch he is. It's nice for Bush that he can take an hour or two out of every day to run, bike or pump iron. Unfortunately, most of us have more demanding jobs than he does.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-chait22jul22,0,5080026,print.column?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

[Missy M]

1. It is probably the only subject he has any knowledge of.....

because he is so void of any intellect.

[Demeter]

6. It's The Cheerleader In Him

the only job he's ever actually worked at.

[flordehinojos]

2. maybe it was just a pretense interview ... so like bush who is such a

pretend president ... maybe bush already knew, or had been told, who the nominee was going to be ... he was just putting on a show..just like his pResidency.

[TomPainesBones]

3. You're not getting it

Tom Cruise' rantings aside, exercise does indeed help with symptoms of anxiety and depression to a certain degree. Even Linda Hamilton, who is bi-polar swears it kept her sane (that's how she got so pumped in Terminator 2).

Just something to think about.

[DURHAM D]

4. Also common for people with ADD or ADHD to feel compelled to

move around (exercise) constantly.

[bunkerbuster1]

5. That's a stretch, Jonathan.

I'll be the first to condemn Bush's intellectual laziness and crappy work habits. He was legendary, as Gov. of Texas, for keeping very short hours, and we know that he'd take 90-120 minute lunch "hours" in order to train for a marathon.

That said, I have no problem with what Bush told Wilkinson; actually, he's right. While it's fine to be able to run 3½ miles per day, a person is better served to do some cross training, especially some strenth training, to help avoid injuries.

And I don't think there's anything especially creepy about it. Obviously Bush tolerates some porkiness--Unca Karl, anyone?

[liveoaktx]

7. The (Over)Exercise of Power-Bush's Obsession with Exercise Creepy

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-chait22jul22,1,7232266.column

Given the importance of his job, it is astonishing how much time Bush has to exercise. His full schedule is not publicly available. The few peeks we get at Bush's daily routine usually come when some sort of disaster prods the White House Press Office to reveal what the president was doing "at the time." Earlier this year, an airplane wandered into restricted Washington air space. Bush, we learned, was bicycling in Maryland. In 2001, a gunman fired shots at the White House. Bush was inside exercising. When planes struck the World Trade Center in 2001, Bush was reading to schoolchildren, but that morning he had gone for a long run with a reporter. Either this is a series of coincidences or Bush spends an enormous amount of time working out.
....
Bush not only thinks so, he thinks it goes for the rest of us as well. In 2002, he initiated a national fitness campaign. The four-day kickoff festivities included the president leading 400 White House staffers on a three-mile run. As then-Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said: "When it comes to exercise, there are many people who just need that extra little nudge to go out there and do a little bit more exercise."

Sometimes it takes more than a nudge. In 2002, Bush fired Lawrence Lindsey, his overweight economic advisor. Lindsey's main crime was admitting to Congress that the Iraq war might cost $200 billion, at a time when the administration was trying to cut taxes and was insisting that the war would cost nothing. But compounding things was the fact that, as the Washington Post reported, Bush "complained privately about failure to exercise."

[whistle]

8. Bush doesn't do squat as president, he is just a marketing agent

....for the neo-conservatives.

[Dogmudgeon]

9. Bush's pulse rate is about 35

That is an average resting pulse rate for extremely, athletically fit people. At age 58, it takes several hours of aerobic-level exercise per day to attain that kind of fitness.

--p!

[lachattefolle]

10. How sweet: his IQ matches his pulse rate!

[Patty Diana]

11. I seriously believe schrub doesn't have a real heart_BUT a plastic

one like Cheney___it's how his masters (world corporations control him) step out of line and you're terminated. remember the bulges in all his clothes (life vests). He's way to fucking ignorant and hateful to do a damn thing right on his own

[CAcyclist]

14. Where did you read that?

That seems extremely low to me. I'm skeptical.

I have never been impressed by Bush's reports of exercising. He rides a poorly fit mountain bike. He falls all the time. The reports gushing about him riding 18 miles on his bike just make me roll my eyes. 18 miles is no big deal in Texas where the steepest hill is 600 feet.

I don't think Bush is in nearly the sort of physical shape he'd like others to believe.

[Dogmudgeon]

16. It's in most cardiology texts

The pulse rate was reported in mid 2001, before he took his 45-day-long summer vacation.

A pulse rate below 40 is pretty common among athletes, though it is more difficult for older people to achieve. It indicates a very healthy, very efficient heart muscle, and good for George for that.

So I suspect Bush spends a lot of time on those pieces of work-out gear, and wonder when he gets any time in to do things like "Presidenting".

--p!

[CAcyclist]

17. No I Meant Bush

Where did you read that Bush has a resting heart rate of 35? I find THAT hard to believe.

[CAcyclist]

18. These Numbers Are Far More Believeable

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2002-08-06-bush-health_x.htm

His blood pressure was 106/70, and his resting heart rate was a low 44 beats per minute.

***********************************************************

These numbers, although still too low in my opinion for the amount of exercise he does
(same article - "The president, a teetotaler since age 40 and a non-smoker — except for an occasional cigar — jogs 3 miles, mostly on a treadmill, at least four times a week. He works out with free weights for 45 minutes at least twice a week.")

are far more believeable than a resting heartrate of 35.

Some pathological conditions also cause a slow resting heart rate and low blood pressure. I am more suspicious that all this promotion of Bush as the exercise president is actually cover for a heart condition like first degree heart block.

[MadLinguist]

12. It's not the leak Karl, it's the paunch.

Get out Fatty! said a lean mean W. It's all gonna be in the Blue Room Tapes.

[DavidDvorkin]

13. It's also fake

I'm convinced of that. I know about exercise, and I know how people who exercise seriously look. Bush swaggers, and he holds his arms out to give the impression that he has highly developed lats, but when you see him in a shirt, you can tell there's nothing there. He's a wimp.

[Skittles]

19. you know David I have often thought that

for a guy who supposedly exercises so much, he looks UNHEALTHY.

[Demeter]

21. The Pallor of the Damned

[DavidDvorkin]

23. Exactly

Everything about the man is fake, including his supposed exercising.

Some time ago, I put something up on my Web site about this:

http://www.dvorkin.com/ddgwb.htm

[teryang]

15. Exercise is a luxury

If you aren't required to exercise as part of your job, such as in the military, try taking time from your day to become and remain fit.

If you can, you are doing very well in life.

[Skittles]

20. oh I dunno teryang

too many people I know claim to have no time to exercise yet they can recite the plot developments of every inane show on TV - I think if you make a commitment to exercise, it can be done, even if it has to be squeezed in. And the more you exercise the less sleep you'll need - it is a good trade-off

[teryang]

22. Well I respect your view

I measure my own well being by the opportunity I have for recreation and that recreation for me takes the form of exercise. When I can do it regularly, my whole quality of life improves. When I'm consistently working at night, and on weekends to meet deadlines, I don't get the opportunity. I agree with you that those who watch tv and complain about not having time to exercise are just rationalizing. My perspective is from someone who has exercised regularly for 30 years and now finds himself unable to do it because of a rat race economic vocational scenario I have been reduced to.

When I have time to return to my regular exercise habits, I will feel fortunate.

[Skittles]

24. I do agree with you that it is easier for the wealthy to stay fit

the less fortunate definitely need to work harder to squeeze it in but it can be done.

[Lisa]

25. it's a real bragging point with him

Part of it may be, as people have suggested earlier in the thread, that keeping those pounds off (some of them, anyway -- he has gotten a bit pudgier around the middle since he stopped running) is one of the few things he's managed to accomplish on his own. So much so that he even boasts about his running times to visiting world leaders. (Even if they happen to be runners themselves, this can get boring and irritating very quickly.)

And there's also a bit of Walter Mitty about this guy -- he didn't volunteer for combat duty during the Vietnam era, but he's very keen to associate himself with the military by wearing the uniform, giving jingoistic speeches in front of the troops, etc. And maybe in his own mind, working out and cutting back on sweets (as he's vowed to do several times since 9/11) is his vicarious way of pretending that he's actually making sacrifices and putting himself in danger. (He's even convinced himself that he's "been to war", as his quotes have shown on several occasions.)

Remember when he said that he fantasized that he was riding in the Tour de France? He probably thinks he's Lance Armstrong now.