There is another, objective reason for tending to want to vote for a thinner rather than an obese politician: his or her health. Granted, being thin doesn't guarantee good health, but morbid obesity, which Christie clearly has, is associated with a host of illnesses, and I'd be very surprised if he didn't suffer high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and/or diabetes. All those drastically increase the risk of a health accident that would make him unable to govern, temporarily or permanently. I'd rather not vote for someone who I know has a high risk of not being able to fulfill the tasks of his or her office for a full term.

A "high risk of not being able to fulfill the tasks of his or her office"? Really? Do have numbers to back up that "high risk"?

I imagine you don't vote for people over 50 since their health is going nowhere but down, nor black males since they have worse mortality rate than white males. Maybe just drop males all together since they don't compare favorably to women in longevity.

To me, we should vote for the person who has the right temperament, gravitas, integrity and wants to move forward in the right direction (subjective to each person voting). Physical looks - too fat, too thin, too ugly, too short, too tall - should not play a part in that. Even a healthy person can be rendered unable to complete his/her term of office.

What is needed is the best person for the job.

"...vote for someone who I know has a high risk of not being able to fulfill the tasks of his or her office for a full term." And Roosevelt did a really shitty job during his four administrations. I mean, after all, he had polio and wasn't in very good health. He never should have been elected. Grow up this is PURE BIGOTRY...

I have a BMI of 24 or so. Not thin, but not overweight. I run 3 times a week and lift weights 3 times a week. And I have...high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type II diabetes. I also perform my job very well. Geez mareez, dude.

Corzine's orders to his driver to speed place him at high risk.

The Fiscal heath of the State is the issue in this election. Our media continues to circle the wangons aroung the Corzine admin.

Maybe I'm just in a bad mood this morning but...

Legal or not, many businesses do look at the weight of a potential applicant because ultimately, a single unhealthy employee can significantly raise the insurance premiums for everyone in the group. This has happened at my company numerous times in the past decade; one large claim results in everyone's rates skyrocketing.

Maybe voters should do the same thing too because our elected leaders do work for us.

Yes, a single unhealthy employee may be able to drive up premiums. But contrary to popular believe, that unhealthy employee can not be identified by appearance.

Fine, then as a manager I should be able to hire based on the evidence of offspring, as children more than double the insurance premiums of everyone in the office, guaranteed. Children are something that can be avoided, they are a personal choice, yet that choice affects everyone you work with. I should also be able to force people into retirement at the age of 50, because old people cost more than everyone else combined, including fat people. I should also be allowed to hire based on proximity to the place of business, because you have a chance of being injured every time you get into your car. This injury could put you out of work for a great deal of time, which costs everybody. If the accident was your fault, you raise my insurance premium. I want your license revoked if you get into an accident, because I never have gotten in an accident and I am tired of paying for all the bad drivers. Driving badly is another choice that others make that I shouldn't have to pay for. Hell, for that matter, I shouldn't have to pay for your streets. You choose to drive many more than I do, why should I get taxed the same as you.

This is a stupid argument that gains ground because fat people are easy to pick out of a crowd therefor easier to discriminate against. If everyone who ever did something that resulted in more insurance premiums being paid out were forced to wear uniforms for the rest of their lives, fashion designers would go out of business. Everybody makes choices that affect other people's premiums. You buy a sports car and drive too fast, she buys a house with a giant fireplace because it looks pretty, they move to the Florida coastline because it's warmer, he decides to have that 5th kid, they decide to fix the garage themselves and saw off their fingers in the process. I have never made a claim on any of my insurances and I have paid thousands into them. I have paid much more than I have gotten out, but that's how insurance works. You pay for other people's choices all the time because you want to make some choices of your own without having to worry if something will happen in the long run to bankrupt you. It isn't just fat people raising the premiums, everyone raises the premiums. If you start eliminating people who raise premiums then you have to cast a much, much wider net than just picking on fat people.