Fat men are more authoritative?

Who knew?

Christie projects authority; Ryan radiates youth. Yes, the New Jersey governor “projects authority” in part because he’s extremely overweight. But I suspect that Americans are more likely to elect a heavyset politician who seems commanding than a brainy*, fast-talking politician who seems much younger than his years.

I guess today is the day all the young media talking heads come clean on the physical appearance prejudices they subscribe to out on the East Coast.

Trust me: Paul Ryan has as much chance of winning a primary, or a presidency as Tim Pawlenty did. But it's not due to his youthful looks, really... It's because he's overrated and inexperienced -- same as candidate Obama, actually -- but has a no historical black skin to add onto the package. (Remember the late Geraldine Ferraro positing a white "Barry O'Brien" wouldn't deserve a second look? Unfortunately, the superficial-characteristic voters are aplenty, it seems, even today...)

Maybe the macho, fat, straight-haired crowd is -- for some odd reason -- seen as envied by these more caged, corporate-scribe types? Fat is power? Out here in the Midwest, again we've got lots of the type, who knew??


ADDED: "This isn’t a charisma issue: Ryan has charisma and media savvy to burn. ... And it’s no insult to Ryan’s considerable gifts to say that conservatives who are counting on him to sell it [Ed. note: his fantasy budget plan] to the American people are putting way too much stock in his powers of persuasion."

Oh dear. If Paul Ryan has "charisma to burn" and "considerable gifts", then please tell me how dull the typical East Coast political man must be?

I've written before, I suspect a blue-eyed, slight family man might be a novelty in East Coast political circles, but here in Wisconsin? He's not even registering more than a blip here, and this is his home court. Like Pawlenty, if your own people don't get excited by you, why do you think -- short of the East Coast media drool types -- the rest of the country will catch fire on his candidacy either?

His type is just a dime a dozen downstate, in the Milwaukee and Janesville suburbs. Sheltered white guys, with decent sized families, really aren't all that big a thing here. But that's what you get when you're electing on style, it seems, over substance.

Can't we just say of him, like Obama, the actual substance just isn't there?


ADDED: Oh, and have you properly vetted that "brainy" credential already, Ross? Say it with me now: Over-Rated**. Bank on it, and as always, time will tell...

** (probably because so many are just crushing on the blue-eyed, nice clean-cut, family guy thing. Style over substance, this is what you end up with on your plate short term: over-rated meat. Nice-looking maybe, but not too nutritious in the end. Ask Mr. Cristie, who surely knows a thing or two about quality cuts...)