A Swedish newspaper - the biggest Swedish newspaper, in fact - just published a column titled (in Swedish, of course), 'It's his weight, stupid!'. The columnist examined Obama's height and weight and found that he is tall, but not uncomfortably so, but he really is kind of skinny. Does he really have the weight and pondus necessary to fill the suit of a president?
As I'm sure you understand, the columnist was taking a dig at many people's propensity to talk about other things than those that really matter. Let me say, for the record, that I don't think anyone here has discussed irrelevant things about Obama or McCain. Also I don't think it is a particularly American phenomenon to discuss trivialities. A few years ago here in Sweden, there was an enormous outcry over the fact that a Social Democratic minister had used government money to buy herself a bar of chocolate. The minister eventually had to resign. Hmmmmm.
Well, I liked that column about Obama's weight, because I think it is good to ask, from time to time, whether the things that are discussed most hotly regarding politics and politicians really are the issues that matter the most.
Ann
