Chris Christie: Too fat to be president?

(Image credit: Screen shot / msnbc.msn.com)

last updated 8 January 2015

The video: During his successful bid for the New Jersey govenorship last year, Republican Chris Christie's "burly" build was the subject of much debate and controversy. His opponent, Jon Corzine, even airing a television ad that referred to Christie "throwing his weight around." Now, with strong approval ratings and growing support in the Republican party are generating speculation about a presidential bid as early as 2012, his size is once again becoming a hot topic. Appearing on a Philadelphia Fox affiliate, Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, a Columbia professor and political analyst, opined that Christie was too fat to make a successful presidential bid. "He doesn't have the body type to win," Hill said. "Let's be honest… he's fat."

The reaction: "Keep taking juvenile potshots at Christie's weight, liberals," says Guy Benson at Townhall.com "It worked so well for Jon Corzine." Yeah, "I'm not so sure," Christie's weight would lose him the presidency, says Alex Balk at The Awl. Who knows, it might even help him "if the election comes down to the 'Which candidate would you rather have a sack of Sliders with?' query, which, given the way we're going, it probably will." I'm not so sure, says the TJ Walker Interactive blog. "America voters have shown little tolerance for fat presidential candidates since the era of Television." Sure, "Clinton was a little chubby in 1992, but he never had a double chin." Watch Dr. Hill discuss Christie's weight on Fox Philadelphia: