January 14, 2013--Superhero
The 2016 presidential campaign is in full swing.
On the Democratic side there is Hillary Clinton all set to go even though Joe Biden--now almost daily in the headlines--is indicating that he too is interested. In his dreams!
On the Republican side, all the hubbub is about Chris Christie. There he is literally larger than life arm-in-arm with Barack Obama on the devastated Jersey Shore, on Morning Joe expressing his view that automatic weapons should in some way be controlled, and then in his state-of-the-state pointing out how he has worked successfully in a bipartisan way to get things done for Jersey.
If this keeps up we'll have Hillary and Chris running against each other by the summer. It will be the first fully three-year campaign. Fox and MSNBC will love it. I, on the other hand, will get rid of my TV.
Ironically, the only thing that gives Biden, Andrew Cuomo, Jeb Bush, Michele Bachmann, and Herman Cain hope is the questionable health of both Christie and Clinton--he because he weighs 340 pounds and she because of her tendency to throw blood clots.
Of course both deny that they're running or that there is anything wrong with them.
But, as Rona observes, if after Hillary steps down as Secretary of State (after her obligatory testimony next week about Benghazi) and takes a few months off to fulfill a $5-million book contract, if she reappears having had an eye job and is shot full of Botox, you'll know she's running. And, Rona adds, if after taking a little time off Christie returns having had Lap-Band surgery, and starts to slim down, you'll know for sure he's in the race.
"You know how you know husbands are cheating on their wives," Rona said, "when they lose weight and get in shape. That's what you did when you met me. Well, the same is true for Hillary and Christie."
"That may be true," I said, "But politics is not the same as cheating. Though they do seem to go hand-in-hand. It's my view that some, just some part of Christie's appeal is that he is larger than life. Like a superhero. The feeling he gives off is 'I will speak my mind uncensored and not politically-correctly; and if you mess with me I'll crush you.'"
Rona agreed, "That sounds right."
"Christie's leaning on people," I noted, "which is a traditional political strategy--Lyndon Johnson was the master of this; he did it figuratively and literally as he towered over people--would have all sorts of consequences. On the one hand his very bulk contributes to his persuasiveness because it is physically intimidating. Enough so that it's easy to understand why potential opponents get out of his way, which allows him to get things done."
"So," Rona said, "we know what to look for as 2016 heats up. No more bags under Hillary's eyes and Christie weighing 'only' 300 pounds."
"I'll pass that insight along," I said, "to Bill O"Reilly and Chris Matthews."
"And as a longshot," Rona added, "note that Joe Biden has already had hair transplants."
On the Democratic side there is Hillary Clinton all set to go even though Joe Biden--now almost daily in the headlines--is indicating that he too is interested. In his dreams!
On the Republican side, all the hubbub is about Chris Christie. There he is literally larger than life arm-in-arm with Barack Obama on the devastated Jersey Shore, on Morning Joe expressing his view that automatic weapons should in some way be controlled, and then in his state-of-the-state pointing out how he has worked successfully in a bipartisan way to get things done for Jersey.
If this keeps up we'll have Hillary and Chris running against each other by the summer. It will be the first fully three-year campaign. Fox and MSNBC will love it. I, on the other hand, will get rid of my TV.
Ironically, the only thing that gives Biden, Andrew Cuomo, Jeb Bush, Michele Bachmann, and Herman Cain hope is the questionable health of both Christie and Clinton--he because he weighs 340 pounds and she because of her tendency to throw blood clots.
Of course both deny that they're running or that there is anything wrong with them.
But, as Rona observes, if after Hillary steps down as Secretary of State (after her obligatory testimony next week about Benghazi) and takes a few months off to fulfill a $5-million book contract, if she reappears having had an eye job and is shot full of Botox, you'll know she's running. And, Rona adds, if after taking a little time off Christie returns having had Lap-Band surgery, and starts to slim down, you'll know for sure he's in the race.
"You know how you know husbands are cheating on their wives," Rona said, "when they lose weight and get in shape. That's what you did when you met me. Well, the same is true for Hillary and Christie."
"That may be true," I said, "But politics is not the same as cheating. Though they do seem to go hand-in-hand. It's my view that some, just some part of Christie's appeal is that he is larger than life. Like a superhero. The feeling he gives off is 'I will speak my mind uncensored and not politically-correctly; and if you mess with me I'll crush you.'"
Rona agreed, "That sounds right."
"Christie's leaning on people," I noted, "which is a traditional political strategy--Lyndon Johnson was the master of this; he did it figuratively and literally as he towered over people--would have all sorts of consequences. On the one hand his very bulk contributes to his persuasiveness because it is physically intimidating. Enough so that it's easy to understand why potential opponents get out of his way, which allows him to get things done."
"So," Rona said, "we know what to look for as 2016 heats up. No more bags under Hillary's eyes and Christie weighing 'only' 300 pounds."
"I'll pass that insight along," I said, "to Bill O"Reilly and Chris Matthews."
"And as a longshot," Rona added, "note that Joe Biden has already had hair transplants."
posted by Steven Zwerling at
5:37 AM
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