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: The Once and Future Lawyer

Too fit to be president? Has our country become this lazy or has the media through its 24-7 coverage?

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This headline makes the article almost worth reading for its ridiculousness. See WSJ's Too Fit to Be President? Facing an overweight electorate, Barack Obama might find low body fat a drawback. Now there have been some poorly marketed commercials coming out of both sides lately, and the only effect it is having is on the mental acuity of the nation. But this article puts the icing on the cake.

Regarding the McCain ad comparing Obama to a celebrity like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. I agree with the majority of pundits that this is a very unfocused commercial and sends out mixed messages. I'll not consult my marketing and advertising notes for the exact reason, but I'll simply make a conclusory statement that it's ineffective.

If anything, it's playing into the undercurrent of this campaign that McCain is cranky since it reminds me of something nonsensical that my grandfather would say when he didn't like something but couldn't quite articulate why. There's nothing wrong with opinion; I just see this one being irrelevant. On the other hand, we have become a gossip hungry society complete with voyeuristic tendencies, so maybe it's more effective than I think. On the other hand, if these celebrities haven't been hurt too monetarily by their shenanigans, I doubt this ad will fare any differently when it's all said and done.

Regarding this WSJ article, is it attempting to argue something along this logical premise? Americans are fat and overweight and have positive associations with being fat and overweight. Obama is not fat and overweight. McCain is fat and overweight. Therefore Amerians prefer McCain over Obama. If this is the case, it makes no sense. Yes, maybe all of us overeat and should be in better shape. Who better to look toward than the president to set an example for the rest of the country. I remember when the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal broke and thought how many children are going to hear this story and how it was going to affect their moral compass over the years to come. I'm beginning to think, even in my own case, it had a deeper psychological impact than I initially thought. But after eight years of having a president who ran on the concept "hey, he's someone I could have a beer with" (not that that was bad), maybe it's time to have a president who is not so buddy buddy and is going to take the business of bringing America back up to speed in this world market a little more seriously.

The true mark of leadership is that people are willing to follow because they want to and are inspired to, not because they are told to. Will either candidate's promises bear fruit? Probably not. But which candidate will inspire the next generation to chase after the American Dream? Right now I think there's only one. And his campaign is a little more focused and slightly less negative.

But maybe I'm overlooking something. I'll think about it as I am working out.