Bill Maher - 'liberal' talk show host - has a form of bigotry he's fine with - weight.
On his show last Friday - and it's not the first time he's done this kind of thing - he called Chris Christy (double quotes since I think this is exact):
"a fat slob who can't stop eating unless he puts a tourniquet on his stomach".
Amazing the level of judgement by people who can't point to anything Christy is bad at as governor over weight. It's called 'the last acceptable bigotry' for a reason.
I said some of Charles' statements I found offensive; Maher is clearly much worse. Of course he called his old show 'politically incorrect', since it's ok for him.
I don't mind people who have the view posted above participating in the discussion - he seemed to say it about as non-offensively as he can.
It's good to let him talk and then respond.
I'd tell him what I've said to others - he can just read my posts - and clearly again his position is well beyond Charles' position.
I think Charles gives it too much weight, no pun intended, but he places it 'well below cheating', while the person above would base a vote on it.
It shows the person cares way too much about it - he didn't articulate any rational reason why it should matter the way it does for him, other than uninformed assumptions he makes.
But that's a big purpose of this forum IMO, to take a person who feels that way and votes that way, and ask them to back it up, to get informed, to think about it - and improve.
Would he really vote for someone he disagrees on policies with over someone he agrees with but who is morbidly obese?
If so that's his right but it's his right to make a mistake. To be pretty disgraceful as a citizen in my opinion in addition to just the immorality of bigotry.
But again let's put this back in context as well - it's not the only 'irrational' issue. A lot of voters care about various types of physical appearance in who they vote for.
Not all, we have some ugly and good politicians, but John Kennedy's and many other politicians' looks did not hurt them getting elected.
Weight is part of that - but it has its own prejudices in addition to 'good looks'.
Today, I still boggle at how often television shows avoid any fat characters unless it's a very negative stereotype, almost always munching on screen.
Quick, who's one tv show star that's morbidly obese not named 'Rosanne'? Even very obese?
Now, the UK has done it a bit - there's a show called 'Cracker' with an overweight (and unhealthy, over-drinking, over-smoking slob who is pretty rude), but his weight is 'accepted'.
You might find a tiny bit of exceptions on US TV but I can't think of any others off the top of my head, and Roseanne took plenty of grief.
It's one of those things, if you keep your eyes open for it - watch the next few heavy people on TV shows - munch, bag of chips, ice cream, munch munch, negative things.
They'll often have that overweight person say something idiotic for the thin people to correct and such.
