Excerpted from IBD, “A Tale Of Two Presidential Workout Fanatics”, Malkin, December 26, 2008
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Former Washington Post writer Jonathan Chait famously attacked Bush three years ago in an opinion piece for the Los Angeles Times headlined “The (over)exercise of power.”
Recounting how President Bush ran 3.5 miles a day and preached more cross-training to a federal judge, Chait fumed: “Am I the only person who finds this disturbing? . . . What I mean is the fact that Bush has an obsession with exercise that borders on the creepy.”
Chait argued that Bush’s passionate devotion to exercise was a dereliction of duty. “Does the leader of the free world need to attain that level of physical achievement?” he jeered. “It’s nice for Bush that he can take an hour or two out of every day to run, bike or pump iron. Unfortunately, most of us have more demanding jobs than he does.”
“Bush says exercise helps sharpen his thinking. But some of his critics view his exercise obsession as an indulgence that takes time away from other priorities.”
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[Fast forward to] Christmas Day 2008, the Washington Post delivered a front-page paean to Barack Obama’s workout habits: “Gym Workouts Help Obama Carry the Weight of His Position.”
For adoring journalists, you see, Obama’s workout fanaticism demonstrates the discipline and balance in his life. “it’s his time for himself, a chance for him to reflect. It’s his break. He feels better and more revved up after he gets in his workout.”
And when Obama feels better, the skies will part, the sun will shine (in moderate, environmentally correct, non-global-warming-inducing amounts, of course), and peace will reign worldwide!
Too bad the doughy, coffee-guzzling members of the White House press corps couldn’t see the merits of White House exercise over the past eight years.
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Fit Republican president = Selfish, indulgent, creepy fascist.
Fit Democratic president = Disciplined, health-conscious Adonis role model.
Full article:
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=315188478171644
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