Repost: Tazi's Corner #45 - The Stronger Man?

Dear Readers,

This week while nosing about I came across an assignment my Mommie has for a summer class she is taking (because she couldn't just graduate and leave it at that, could she? Sheesh!). The question posed was, "Who is the stronger man?" and gave the names of Senator John McCain and President Barack Obama.

The stronger man? As in who can bench press more? That would be a no-brainer, considering that Senator McCain cannot lift his right arm above shoulder height! Since I did not think that is what the point of this question was, I decided I delve deeper. I jumped into my yoga suit and gave this subject some deep thought.

Did I fail to mention that I do yoga naked?

In an effort to keep things civil, my first decision was to eliminate any political comparisons. I was worried that in doing this I might be left with nothing but two empty suits, albeit very expensive ones, but eliminating the politics actually made things a little clearer for me…in time. At the start, everything was still as clear as mud. Coming from a family with a long history of military service, I thought perhaps McCain was the stronger man simply because he has served in the military and Obama has not, but I quickly realized that this was unfairly prejudicial; Obama has served as a Community Organizer in some of America’s poorest neighborhoods, many of which resemble a demilitarized zone and present the same dangers of being in one. No, military service could not be the way to judge the stronger man. Without politics or service records, I was not left with much. This is when I realized what I had inadvertently done – I had stripped each man down to his bare skin (figuratively speaking), leaving nothing to judge but how comfortable each man felt in that skin. I noticed something startling: I have never seen Barack Obama sweat. President Obama is a raging basketball fan, so much so that he had a basketball court built in the White House…but has anyone ever seen a photo of him sweaty and disheveled from playing? The one sporting photo I have ever seen of Barack Obama was from when he was vacationing in Hawai’i and the press snapped a shot of him coming out of the ocean…bare-chested, dripping water and masculinity, looking tall, dark, and handsome and making women everywhere jealous of his wife Michelle.  I don't go for humans and even I am a little turned on! Compare this to a previous President, Bill Clinton; Bubba, as he was affectionately known, was often photographed while jogging…red-faced and puffing, sweat poring from his chubby body. He looked most unpresidential at those times, but he looked real; you could see that beneath the expensive suit there was a man who needed a shower after a workout, just like what Bill Cosby calls "regular people". He could also use some longer, more fashionable shorts... Barack Obama is not one to allow his “regular people” side to show; the one time he was photographed looking like “regular people” Americans complained about his “Grandpa jeans” and schlubby white crew socks, the ones he wore to throw out the first ball on Opening Day at a Chicago baseball game. The backlash from that photo op sent those Grandpa Jeans further back into the closet than a gay 5-Star General. As much as I respect the Presidency, I am afraid my President lives in fear of looking less than perfect at all times. Some would say his teleprompters would agree with me. On the flip side I decided to take a look at John McCain. Married to trophy wife Cindy some could say that he, too, is overly concerned about public image…except for his disability. McCain was injured in war, and cannot lift his right arm above shoulder height. While some would argue that war disabilities are seen as honorable, I have read (and published) enough letters from people with disabilities to know that the public looks down on them as a weakness and that the only “honorable” disability is the one you have managed to overcome. Take a look in the newspapers and look for a story about the veteran who lost both legs and resigned himself to a wheelchair because learning to walk on prosthetics was too painful. Didn't find that story, did you? As I was saying, McCain is disabled, and his disability is well documented. He has never tried to hide it; it is a part of who he is. He has never managed to overcome this disability; rather, like many disabled, he has learned to accommodate it. This is frightening for a lot of people because if a disabled person can learn to accommodate their disability surely we can, too? Humans, by nature, do not like to be pulled from their comfort zone. John McCain, by not hiding his disability, does this to a lot of people. While it is now common knowledge that FDR was in a wheelchair it was not common knowledge during his presidency. In fact, he did all he could to hide the fact that he was disabled, fearing people would see him as weak. While we like to think that attitudes towards the disabled have changed since the 1930’s, I fear the only change has been to expect the disabled to do more to try and cure themselves of their afflictions. This is why I think the fact that John McCain’s casual public acknowledgement of his disability – his imperfection, if you will – shows great strength. Greater strength of self than Barack Obama has shown. McCain has what author bell hooks calls “white privilege” on his side, but that is another argument for another article. To stay on point: Old rich white guy wins again. In closing, I would like to add that this assessment is not a criticism of President Obama, but rather an insight on societal attitudes. If has often been said that minorities (of color, gender, or handicap) need to work twice as hard to earn half the success of an able-bodied white man. I think the comparison of these two men illustrates that point. Can a black man be seen to sweat and still be seen as the most powerful man in the world? Something tells me that President Obama does not want to test those waters. --T.K.

Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.