Fat Candidate? Don't Expect Many Votes
Larger waistline . Bigger eater. Non-exerciser. At risk of dying earlier. These are all the things we think when we hear about obesity. But did you also know it means fewer votes? That's right. A new study has found evidence of voter bias against hefty candidates for U.S. Senate after controlling for other factors. Who comes to mind right away? For me, Gov. Chris Christie of N.J. He may be a great governor (jury still out on that), but the first thing his name summons is the image of a fat guy, at least to me. I know it's not fair but whenever I see him in his yards and yards of white or blue button-down shirts, all I can think about is what it would be like to sit next to him, overflowing into your chair. Would that stop me from voting for him? Maybe. (He's also a Republican, which pretty much would.) “Heavier candidates tended to receive lower vote share than their thinner counterparts and the larger the size diffe...