Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Can weight make a difference?
I saw this and I was just confused. I don't see why a politician's weight has to be brought into the race, but I guess it's just another way for the other Republican nominees to bring up their stats for the upcoming election. Gingrich shouldn't be judged by his weight in the news but by his political prowess. I also don't think that it was right for Christie's weight to be mentioned during his run.
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Weight…? We could have the fattest person in the world become president and he could turnout to be the best president to come. What next? People making fun of a pol for being extremely religious? Mr. Sirota not fitting the Washington Image shows the judgements taken into account by people now-a-days. I feel that Gingrich is getting more known for his weight simply because he's potentially better. Making some sort of totally bizarre comparison here: In "The Great Gatsby" Daisy may not have been the most slender and fit woman yet because she carried her body image well she was an attraction. Similar, Gingrich fits the Washington image as said and because of that I feel that he's the more popular person in this case, and carrying his weight with more confidence that Sirota. Gingrich's weight should be the least of our MANY problems.
ReplyDeletephysical attributes are registered on the conscious level, sadly. many people would rather judge by an outward appearance rather than who that character is all about.
ReplyDeleteI mean, i'm no republican, and hopefully the weight on the outcome of this debacle won't take long, it shouldn't be a big difference if you ask me
In the American culture people may say that they do not judge by appearance, but in reality they do. People subconsciously make evaluations about people by their looks, weight, and race. This has been a long standing issue in American Politics. If one where to look back at the Presidential races he would notice that, more often then not, the more attractive candidate wins the election. This is recently noted in the past Presidential election, O'Bama vs. McCain, the younger more appealing looking candidate has won.
ReplyDeleteAs much as we would like to not have looks effect the race it does and always will. A more attractive looking candidate can have its benefits too. If they have to deal with foreign affairs then maybe the other countries would be willing to work more personally with a better looking person. Just some thoughts.
It's a little ridiculous that weight is ever brought up during an election, however I do believe that physical appearance does subconsciously play a role in the way we pick our candidate. For example, look at Mitt Romney. He's been near the top of the GOP race from the start, and one of the biggest reasons is because he's an attractive candidate. Yes, he has lots of great ideas and has great experience, but he is a very easy choice because he LOOKS like a president. Another example is FDR. He hid his wheelchair because he didn't want people to view him weak. There's also of course the famous 1960 television debate, where JFK pulled ahead because he looked better on TV, even though those who listened on the radio believed that Nixon had won the debate.
ReplyDeleteIn this GOP race, more than most others, aesthetics will decide the nominee. Their are two factors contributing to this circumstance: first, there are no discernible differences between any of the candidates' policies or political philosphies. If any of them get elected President, they'll all do the same thing: cut taxes, wage wars, talk about Jesus, and embarrass us in front of Europe. Voters aren't deciding between policies, they're deciding between people. And that's just the way they like it. The second factor is that most voters don't understand politics. A chicken farmer in Iowa doesn't comprehend foreign policy. In fact, I feel confident in saying that he doesn't even have a firm enough grasp on the interent to find this blog and correct me, let alone make an intelligent judgement on Greece's impending bankruptcy. Voters have demonstrated their complete disregard for political competency by supporting ridiculous candidates, each stupider than the last. They vote for which ever person they like the best. And in this GOP race, appearance, demeanor, projections, and, in this case, weight, will decide the nominee. It for this reason that the way in which Gingrich's and Christie's respective weight problems are broached is not only important, but of supreme consequence in the race to capture the Republican presidential nominee.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Garrett for this one. As ridiculous as it seems for a candidate's weight to have an influence over his political success, it is inevitable. Voters will always have at least some sort of subconscious bias based on the physical appearance of the candidate. Yes, physical attributes are irrelevant to politics, but voters cannot avoid the inevitable bias towards more attractive candidates.
ReplyDeleteI thought this article showed how a candidate must have the "right image" in order to be successful in his/her campaign. I do not think that the poor health of a heavy candidate really has an impact on voters, I think that the image itself is a huge determining factor for voters. I, myself, have to give credit to Gingrich for having a sense of humor about his weight.
ReplyDeleteI understand that we live in a pretty superficial society, but wieght should have nothing to do with a person's voting choice. A candidate's wieght in no way affects their polotics. I don't know if anyone remembers Howard Taft, our 27th president, but he was a very capable president and was atleast 300 pounds. I rest my case.
ReplyDelete"God wanted me to be a bear not a gazelle..." ?!? Not a Newt?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Garrett. Appearance is the first thing you notice about a person, and someone's weight is part of their appearance. I don't necessarily agree that people should be judged on their weight, but that's the society we live in and that's how people tend to be. It's unfair for someone to be judged on their appearance, but at the same time, I think that our President should look appealing.
ReplyDeleteWhile nearly forty percent of Americans are obese, people shy away from a obese president. Dating back to JFK's vim and vigor campaign, it is important for Presidents to encourage healthy living. This is clearly demonstrated now by Michelle Obama's push on for healthy living on the Disney Channel. That said, it is difficult for someone who is obese to encourage Americans to exercise and eat healthy. The public would find it hypocritical. That said, the presidency is not based upon keeping America healthy. The voters of our time are focused upon creating jobs and strengthening our economy, not making sure that America is healthy. It is ridiculous for the media to focus upon the weights of the presidential nominees, their weights are irrelevant, the issues and capability of the nominees should be focused upon, not their weights.
ReplyDelete