# Jonathan Chait is an idiot (Bush exercises too much)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [July 23, 2005, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839 "2005-07-23T20:26:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@yoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoman)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2005, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839/1 "2005-07-23T20:26:01Z")
[In this article](http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-chait22jul22,0,3359930.column?coll=la-news-comment-opinions) Jonathan Chait of the LA Times criticizes President Bush for exercising too much for a man with his power. What the hell? I can’t say I agree with many of the President’s policies, but this is one thing the man does right. How can you criticize him for doing something positive that we should all strive to do? I don’t understand this.
> [@](#):
>
> Bush’s insistence that the entire populace follow his example, and that his staff join him on a Long March — er, Long Run — carries about it the faint whiff of a cult of personality. It also shows how out of touch he is. 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.
He’s accusing Bush of not taking his job seriously enough because he spends so much time keeping in shape. This guy is an idiot if I understand him correctly.
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2005, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839/2 "2005-07-23T21:13:19Z")
Unfuckingbelievable. Rather than select an item from a whole list of tyrannies, the dumbass elects to criticize his exercising. I’m begining to believe that Rove is not a genius; it’s just that his enemies are idiots.
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2005, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839/3 "2005-07-23T21:54:10Z")
[Blame JFK](http://members.cox.net/kellybob/LanceMonthlyRetrospective.html):
> [@](#):
>
> President Kennedy had a fitness program that he was promoting [in which] **he asked everyone to walk fifty miles**. So as a D.J., I proclaimed that I would not only walk fifty miles around Loop 12 in Dallas, but I would broadcast all the way. (Actually I did walk all the way, but I was only on the radio between songs and news and commercials.) When I finished the walk, there were lots of people there to greet me—and who was the first with his strippers in see-through blouses? Jack Ruby, of course.
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### Author:  [@Idlewild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idlewild)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2005, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839/4 "2005-07-24T00:13:18Z")
Gee. I am pretty critical of the Bush administration with regard to many policies, but the head of State exercising daily? Can’t get worked up about that. I think it’s a good example to set. And I think that crack about many of us having more demanding jobs is just silly. If exercise is a leisure time priority, then yeah, quite a few of us can swing an hour or so a day for it. Having a more demanding job has nothing to do with it. Granted someone pulling a 60 hour a week work week might have an issue, but considering the vast swathes of leisure time lots of us spend watching tv, surfing the web, and just generally slothing, well… hard to get too riled up about someone using some time every day to work out.
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### Author:  [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839/5 "2005-07-24T01:24:12Z")
Well, that settles it. Let’s impeach him. Bloody bastard getting in good shape. The noive. The colossal noive.
I’d call him the worst president ever, but it seems that he could kick my ass if I did.
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### Author:  [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2005, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839/6 "2005-07-24T02:33:44Z")
Dunno about working out giving you the capacity for more intelligent thought, but it certainly is associated with better mental health.
You get the feeling the major exercise this columnist gets is walking to the kitchen cupboard for more doughnuts.
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### Author:  [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2005, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839/7 "2005-07-24T02:38:59Z")
> [@Liberal](#):
>
> Unfuckingbelievable. Rather than select an item from a whole list of tyrannies, the dumbass elects to criticize his exercising. I’m begining to believe that Rove is not a genius; it’s just that his enemies are idiots.
You have no idea how much restraint it is taking to avoid using this quote in so many different ways. Thanks **Liberal** 😃
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### Author:  [@Psycho\_Pirate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Psycho_Pirate)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2005, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839/8 "2005-07-24T02:39:33Z")
This just proves that George W. Bush is a great President. The only thing that his detractors can complain about is that he exercises too much.
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### Author:  [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2005, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839/9 "2005-07-24T02:41:33Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#):
>
> You get the feeling the major exercise this columnist gets is walking to the kitchen cupboard for more doughnuts.
They are the [breakfast of champions](http://snltranscripts.jt.org/77/77fdonuts.phtml).
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### Author:  [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2005, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839/10 "2005-07-24T02:43:09Z")
See, if the guy had any actual examples of where Bush’s devotion to exercise clearly caused him to postpone or neglect urgent matters, then I’d say that he might have a point. But just grousing that he spends too much time exercising is ridiculous.
Chait asks, “Does the leader of the free world need to attain that level of physical achievement?”
Well, he doesn’t necessarily _need_ to be in such good physical shape, but I’m glad that he is. A physically fit person is better able to handle stress and discomfort. And as we saw on Sept. 11, sometimes whether you live or die depends on how fast you can run. We are now living in a world where the thought of a direct attack on the White House is plausible. So if the president is strong enough to pull himself out of the rubble or run like hell, so much the better.
Chait also says, “The notion of a connection between physical and mental potency is, of course, silly.”
But the notion of a connection between physical and mental _well-being_ is anything but silly. Chait’s disparaging attitude towards physical activity make me think he is either a 98 pound weakling or a flabby oaf and is trying to justify his own sedentary lifestyle by taking potshots at the obviously hale and hearty Mr. Bush.
Besides, the presidency is a long haul. 4 or 8 years? Yikes. I’m all for the president trying to achieve some balance in his life.
I hate Bush as much as the next bleeding-heart New York liberal Jew, but his exercise habits? Good for him.
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2005, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839/11 "2005-07-24T02:51:13Z")
> [@Psycho Pirate](#):
>
> This just proves that George W. Bush is a great President. The only thing that his detractors can complain about is that he exercises too much.
The only thing? You mean you haven’t heard anyone complain about even one other thing? You need to get out more.
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2005, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839/12 "2005-07-24T03:19:31Z")
> [@Psycho Pirate](#):
>
> The only thing that his detractors can complain about is that he exercises too much.
Not true. We can complain about him **hating his Mom** , and old people too:
[Bush, Mom Pitch Social Security Overhaul](http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050722/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush)
> [@](#):
>
> “I’m here because I’m worried about our 17 grandchildren,” said Barbara Bush.
>
> At another point, Mrs. Bush told her son she was proud of him.
>
> “I was thinking how great you look in your new brown suit,” she said.
>
> **Bush gave her a long look and said, "You turn 80, and you run out of things to say."**
>
> That brought groans from the audience, and he quickly amended it to say his outspoken mother indeed still had “a lot to say.”
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### Author:  [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2005, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839/13 "2005-07-24T03:36:37Z")
> [@Green Bean](#):
>
> See, if the guy had any actual examples of where Bush’s devotion to exercise clearly caused him to postpone or neglect urgent matters, then I’d say that he might have a point. But just grousing that he spends too much time exercising is ridiculous.
Not to defend the ridiculous article, but Bush did hit that cop while biking
[http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050707.wbush0707/BNStory/International/](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050707.wbush0707/BNStory/International/)
And he was out biking during a red alert when an airplane violated D.C. airspace [http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7817210/](http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7817210/)
So it could be argued that some vital duties were neglected due to Bush’s exercise regime. However, I consider it mere coincidence that it happened while Bush was out biking. After all, if he didn’t use his free time exercising, he’d use it on something else, ehich may pull him equally out of the loop.
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### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839/14 "2005-07-24T19:38:24Z")
I’ll criticize Bush for taking too many vacations and not interrupting his vacation for the tsunami, but making sure he flew back for the Terri Schiavo fiasco. But spending time exercising? I’d rather Mr. Bush exercise than spending his time doing cocaine or getting drunk.
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### Author:  [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2005, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839/15 "2005-07-25T02:47:06Z")
You can either have a President who “exercises too much” or someone who tones up with [entirely different methods](http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=972150).
Yeah, I know, George probably has a budget for this too. The lessons of Richard Nixon have been well learned.
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### Author:  [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2005, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839/16 "2005-07-25T03:47:25Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#):
>
> You can either have a President who “exercises too much” or someone who tones up with [entirely different methods](http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=972150).
Wow, I think this might be a sillier complaint. Three whole thousand dollars in six years?
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### Author:  [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2005, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839/17 "2005-07-25T17:22:01Z")
As previously noted by **Green Bean** , Chait apparently thinks that there is no connection between exercise and “mental potency”. I certainly find such a connection. After running a few miles, I feel much more alert, energized and able to focus. I can only assume from this that Chait does no aerobic exercise at all. Most people I talk to about this say that they experience an increase in energy and productivity after exercise. Daily exercise is creepy?
And blathering about subjects about which one knows nothing doesn’t seem like a very demanding job to me.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2005, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839/18 "2005-07-25T18:02:05Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#):
>
> You can either have a President who “exercises too much” or someone who tones up with [entirely different methods](http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=972150).
You can either have a President who “exercises too much” or someone who tones up with [entirely different methods](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/players/lewinsky.htm).
😉
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### Author:  [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839/19 "2005-07-25T20:20:08Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#):
>
> You can either have a President who “exercises too much” or someone who tones up with [entirely different methods](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/players/lewinsky.htm).
>
> 😉
Unfair comparison.
George has Laura. Slick Willy had Hillary.
I suspect HRC hasn’t done any :o since college.
Regards,
Shodan
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2005, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-chait-is-an-idiot-bush-exercises-too-much/313839/20 "2005-07-25T20:32:02Z")
> [@Shodan](#):
>
> George has Laura. Slick Willy had Hillary.
>
> I suspect HRC hasn’t done any :o since college.
>
> Regards,
> Shodan
So Laura does :o daily?
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