"He is just too fat"

That's the verdict given by Michael Kinsley in the wake of speculation surrounding the possible candidacy of New Jersey governor Chris Christie. He continues:

Unfortunately, the symbolism of Christie’s weight problem goes way past the issue of obesity itself. It is just a too- perfect symbol of our country at the moment, with appetites out of control and discipline near zilch. And it’s not just symbolism. We don’t yet know much about Chris Christie. He certainly makes all the right noises about fiscal discipline and seems to have done well so far as governor of New Jersey. Perhaps Christie is the one to help us get our national appetites under control. But it would help if he got his own under control first.

Timothy Noah recounts the United States' short history of overweight presidents, and Jonathan Chait asks why it matters:

The premise here is that weight is a marker of personal discipline, and anybody who’s fat must simply be too lazy to take care of themselves. This conveniently fulfills the desire to categorize obesity as a character flaw, but ignores the extreme difficulty of sustained weight loss.

Ta-Nehisi Coates nods. (Image: "A group of influential Iowa GOP donors meet Tuesday with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, in what appears to be another sign that many Republicans aren't satisfied with the current crop of candidates running for the GOP presidential nomination," via CNN)