Time magazine cover: Did it call Chris Christie 'fat'?
| WASHINGTON
Did Time magazine call New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, um, rotund? That鈥檚 a question rattling around media sites Friday, given that this week鈥檚 Time cover features a silhouette of the non-svelte but newly reelected Mr. Christie, and the title 鈥淭he Elephant in the Room."
Time itself demurs. 鈥淗e鈥檚 obviously a big Republican. But he鈥檚 also done a really huge thing here this week,鈥� said Time Executive Editor Michael Duffy
Mr. Duffy went on to say that Christie had now established himself as a serious 2016 presidential contender and a cultural phenomenon on the level of Sarah Palin or maybe even Bill Clinton.
鈥淗e鈥檚 lifted himself beyond politics,鈥� said Duffy.
Pshaw. Not to the phenomenon part 鈥� Christie has indeed vaulted to the front ranks of US politicians by winning big in a blue state. But as to the obese-shaming denial, that鈥檚 a crock. Any journalist who has ever been in a page one or cover story meeting would know otherwise. Editors spend huge amounts of time shuffling through photos and asking about their impact, and whether we should crop here, and if maybe this would be improved by a puppy. If you think they didn鈥檛 see the 鈥渇at鈥� connection, you probably still believe Joe Biden dials his own phone calls.
Look, that鈥檚 perfectly legitimate. Christie talks publicly about his struggle with his weight. Generally speaking, political science shows that voters prefer attractive candidates. Think about hair 鈥� the last bald person to win a presidential election was Dwight Eisenhower. And he鈥檇 won World War II.
Also, using the 鈥渆lephant in the room鈥� phrase in connection with Christie isn鈥檛 new. We did it ourselves, two years ago, writing that if he runs his size will be the聽鈥渓arge gray mammal with a trunk鈥� in the etc, etc.
Lots of other media types have said way, way sharper things about Christie鈥檚 girth. David Letterman has made it a running gag. It was even the subject of a 鈥淭op Ten鈥� list on the ways the nation would be different if Chris Christie were president. (Our favorite: 鈥淣o. 9: Goodbye, White House vegetable garden.")
But Christie defuses these attacks well. He went on Letterman and stuffed a doughnut in his mouth as Dave was talking to him. Letterman cracked up and hasn鈥檛 been as hard on him since.
Voters like candidates who are comfortable with who they are. In that sense, Christie鈥檚 weight could be a plus. He鈥檚 a big guy, with a big personality, and big ambitions. His size is distinctive, like Ronald Reagan鈥檚 hair, or President Obama鈥檚 ears. There鈥檚 nobody who looks like him in US politics.
In the end, his physical presence will just become one part of the total package voters weigh. (See how hard it is to avoid double entendres?) He鈥檚 indeed the elephant in the room. What remains to be seen is if he becomes the elephant in the Oval Office.
