There have been obese presisdents in both parties...

[WI_DEM]

Democrat Grover Cleveland tipped the scale at over 300 pounds:



Republican William McKinley also sported quite a gut:



Of course William Howard Taft is the all-time champ of presidential obesity:



These were essentially 19th century men who believed in limited government, cigars, good glass of bourbon and letting big business alone. So Christie would be a perfect fit for returning the country to the Laissee-faire attitudes of the last three obese presidents.

[tblue]

1. Oh dear. That poor critter looks like he's about to collapse.

That ox/buffalo, I mean.

[SoCalDem]

2. Since TV, appearance matters more

Before TV, many people probably never really knew what the president looked like..all they could go by was grainy photographs in papers, and the occasional glimpse if he ever showed up in your town,

[dmallind]

7. only to shallow morons

[Angleae]

9. That would describe about 90% of the country.

[dmallind]

14. Meh - a bit pessimistic IMO. 75% maybe. nt

[SoCalDem]

11. shallow morons seem to be voting with more and more regularity

:hi:

[Raine]

12. Like it or not THAT is the reality in the 21st century

it's naive to think otherwise.

[dmallind]

13. Yes - because a lot of people ARE shallow morons - never said otherwise. nt

[LanternWaste]

15. Only in format, not in content.

"appearance matters more..."

I believe that appearance merely matters vis-a-vis format, not in content. Appearance cannot, in any meaningful way, make one more or less effective and efficient at governance.

Let's try not to buy into Madison Avenue's dogmatic insistence that looks supersede content.

[meegbear]

3. Caloric-Americans have always been a part of American politics

[woo me with science]

4. Yeah, but that was before slick corporate media and Richard Nixon's flopsweat.

Now we get this:

[DFab420]

5. Lol and this was back when doctors prescribed a good belt of scotch for the humors......

Seriously this is the argument that being over-weight is a health concern?

These men were lucky they didn't drop dead one day out on a walk...

BTW

TAFT : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Howard_Taft

"Evidence from eyewitnesses, and from Taft himself, strongly suggests that during his presidency he had severe obstructive sleep apnea because of his obesity. Within a year of leaving the presidency, Taft lost approximately 80 pounds (36 kg). His somnolence problem resolved and, less obviously, his systolic blood pressure dropped 40–50 mmHg (from 210 mmHg). Undoubtedly, this weight loss extended his life.<48> Soon after his weight loss, he had a revival of interest in the outdoors; this led him to explore Alaska.<49> Beginning in 1920, Taft used a cane; this was a gift from Professor of Geology W.S. Foster, and was made of 250,000-year-old wood.<50>"

[dmallind]

6. The two non-assassinated ones both outlived normal expectancy, 19 and 24 yrs more than Christie now

So much for weight and political responsibility being a sure early death.

Both of course lived with much poorer medicine and fewer exertion-saving devices.

Concern-trolling Christie's weight makes us look like idiots, and is nothing more than a flimsy fig leaf for sizeism.

[Proud Public Servant]

8. But Christie would be the fattest!

At 5'9 and 300 lbs, he'd have a BMI of 44.3, the highest of any president (Taft's was only 42.3; he was 6' tall)

And I didn't realize he was that short; if he were elected, he'd not only be the most-obese (and second-heaviest) president, he's also be the shortest president of the last 100 years (tied with Truman).

[orion007]

10. Calories needed per day at 5'9"-300 lbs to maintain that weight

2,684.5...the calculator didn't ask if male or female

To me it doesn't seem like that much food to maintain that weight..
I have wondered just what and how much he does eat on an average day?