So, Chris Christie isn’t running for President. I’ll go on record as stating that I don’t really care if he runs for President or for re-election as Head Guido of New Jersey. No, my gripe this time concerns Christie only insofar as he’s the target of insults and deprecation he doesn’t deserve…at least for the reason he’s getting it.
It’s no secret that Christie is fat. Morbidly fat. Obese, if you must be clinical about it. When it comes to his ability and/or qualifications to hold the highest office in the land, though, Christie’s weight means nothing. Yet, there are those (yes, I’m looking at you, Michael Kinsley and Eugene Robinson) Liberal pundits who seem to think that Christie’s weight is fair game. It’s not exactly a stretch to say that Christie’s ethnicity and religious beliefs aren’t permissible targets (most Liberals do, after all, still have a standard of decency that escapes many Conservatives), but someone his weight is fair game? Really? That’s the best we can do?
It’s not as if Christie’s politics aren’t a target-rich environment. Deride him because of his kill-‘em-and-grill-‘em Conservatism. Wonder how his support for the Ground Zero Mosque will play among the knuckle-dragging Tea Party faithful. Hate him because he’s a wholly-owned subsidiary of Koch Industries. All of those things and more are legitimate and available targets. Leave the weight alone. We on the Left wouldn’t dream of tolerating such pointless, mean-spiritedness among Right-wing pundits, so why do some think it’s acceptable to go after Christie for the size of his waistline?
Yeah, Christie’s fat. So what? Does that make him less of a person? Does it make him a less formidable and credible politician? Does it mean he’s not “Presidential timbre”? Of course not. Discrimination against fat people is one of the last remaining widely-accepted reasons for discrimination. That doesn’t make it right. Those of us who want to deal in issues and ideas should be careful to ensure that we’re doing exactly that. Chris Christie’s weight isn’t an issue and it should be off limits.
We’re better than that.
