My face is definitely frowned up at this, but probably not for the reasons you’d think:
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie made a huge announcement to the The New York Post—but not the one everyone has been expecting. The paper reported on Tuesday that the famously rotund Christie underwent “lap-band” stomach surgery three months ago, in a desperate effort to lose weight. The procedure, which involves placing a restrictive tube around the top of the stomach to limit the amount of food a person can take in at one sitting, is considered less risky than the more invasive gastric bypass surgery. Christie didn’t reveal what his weight was before or after the surgery, but sources say he’s already lost 40 pounds.
Naturally, the first instinct from political pundits is to assume that Christie’s dramatic decision is about more than just getting fit. The obvious spin is that this is the first salvo of Christie’s 2016 presidential campaign. It doesn’t take a strategic genius like Karl Rove to tell you that being overweight would have been a huge liability in a national campaign, but if the summer of 2015 rolls around and he’s suddenly looking fit and trim, he might look like a front runner. [source]
No one else is giving this the side-eye?
We damn near elected a 70 year old man into office in 2008, but a young fat person’s size is a liability?
Listen. Far be it for me to defend Christie but, if he had an invasive procedure like this just because a majority-fat country would penalize him in the polls for being just like them, then I seriously don’t know what the hell is going on anymore. Actually, maybe I do.
Damn, and here I thought Americans were all about embracing people who were most like them. Whew.