I Didn't Know Obama Smoked....Does He?

[orleans]

"When a reporter asked him in 2005 about his oft-rumoured habit, he turned to the gospel of Matthew for an explanation: “The flesh is weak.” Lately, he has professed a desire to quit, and insisted he is “not proud” of his dependency.

snip

"A danger unless he kicks the habit. Quitting is a form of penitence, and American voters have demonstrated a willingness to embrace those, like George W. Bush, who have donned the garb of the reformed sinner. Some observers, like Ross Baker of Rutgers University, believe this could humanize Mr. Obama in the eyes of the electorate, allowing him to spin a tidy virtue out of political expediency.

"“I think a presidential campaign is a bad time to break the habit,” Prof. Baker said. “I suppose you could argue that presidents should be role models . . . but Americans are not necessarily turned off by someone who is a little bit wicked. We don't tend to like Boy Scouts for presidents. I think in terms of conventional vices, sincere repentance is usually accepted. In some ways, it can be a very endearing quality.”

snip

"“Interestingly, it might give him a more macho image in the South, which is a tobacco-growing region,” Prof. Sabato said.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070203.wxobama03/BNStory/International/home


this article also mentions that people magazine had a picture of him on a beach in hawaii. anyone have a link to that?

[Bluebear]

1. Pass the butter and salt.

:popcorn:

[orleans]

5. why? what's the big deal? i just googled "laura bush" under news

and found this article

seemed kinda random--and i hadn't heard that he smoked.

(clinton had a thing for cheeseburgers didn't he?)

[Kingshakabobo]

9. Clinton's cheeseburger habit didn't murder bystanders and babies....

...and songbirds with his secondhand grease.

[Bonobo]

13. "Murder"!? Are you for real!?

[Katherine Brengle]

36. Did you miss the memo? Second-hand smoke kills. nt

[orleans]

16. somehow i don't think obama has murdered anyone either.

(it's a little early in the morning for such drama)

[Kingshakabobo]

17. It ain't early if you've been up all night......

.... I was hoping "songbirds" would negate the need for this: :sarcasm: :)

[Bonobo]

20. Sorry, pal, you never know on DU...

[Bluebear]

11. The big deal = any thread here dealing with smoking lol

See:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=3155101

"It's over. Obama's toast. He smokes...Too bad. Now he's suddenly non-electable. It's a well known fact that all smokers are filthy, vile, disease spreading creatures with absolutely no regard for their fellow citizens.
Sayonara, Obama. You seemed like a decent guy. Appearances can sure be deceiving."

[orleans]

15. oh. i see what you mean

my favorite was:
"Great, another smoking thread, can we get a SUV thread going this morning too?" post #3 by sapere aude

[poiuytsister]

21. I thought that he was clean and articulate?

Now I am confused.

[pnwmom]

2. Yeah, he admits to being a smoker. Here's a link to the beach photo:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/202672,CST-NWS-sweet09.article

[orleans]

4. thanks for the link.

cute picture--very youthful. kinda reminds me of when clinton & gore would go out jogging & how everyone loved that. (youthful presidency--reverting back to jfk days)

[DemocratSinceBirth]

7. I Doubt If Either Were Pictured Without A Shirt On They Would Look Anything Remotely Close To That

Even at the Same Age

[pnwmom]

33. Remember JFK Jr's shirtless photos?

[Hekate]

6. Looking good in his home state!

I'm reading his first book right now.

Hekate

[CarbonDate]

3. He should quit for his health, not the campaign.

I quit almost two years ago. Best thing I ever did for myself. I didn't truly realize how much damage it was doing to me until I gave it up. Suddenly I can breathe again. It's amazing.

[133724]

18. As a Cancer survivor I agree,,, If he want to be POTUS he should quit...

[NanceGreggs]

8. Yuppers, he smokes ...

... if we find out he lives in a big house, he's politically doomed.

[Robeson]

10. Yep, he does. It might help him get votes in Kentucky....

...you never know.

[Nutmegger]

12. Hi orleans!

Yes he does smoke. :smoke:

[rumpel]

14. the people that emit and allow

toxins a 1000 times more dangerous than someone else's cigarette smoke are sitting in the Executive branch and their financiers.

[arcos]

19. HE SMOKES?!?!?! OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!

:sarcasm:

[Dulcinea]

22. Who cares?

Does that disqualify him from being POTUS? I read that Eisenhower was a chain smoker. This is a non-issue.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

24. I agree...

Chuckle Nuts and Laura are chain smokers too...But who says anything about that?!
Fucking hypocrites.
Duckie

[OregonBlue]

23. Oh Lord PLEASE!!! not another one of these threads. Who gives a flying f___k..

[lonestarnot]

25. Who gives a shit. That's his business.

:boring:

[michaz]

26. I could care less.

So he smokes, big deal.

[Suziq]

27. Gee . . .

Did I miss something? Did tobacco become illegal overnight? :eyes:

[Bluebear]

28. I'd rather that my president smoke cigarettes than drive drunk or use cocaine. but that's just me.

nt

[Devlzown]

29. FDR smoked and mixed cocktails

all the time and dealt with polio, the Depression, and a world war. The country survived.

[goodhue]

30. He was smoking in 2004 while on campaign trail

I heard he was going to try to quit, but I don't know if that ever happened.

[seabeyond]

31. hang him............ n/t

[Rosemary2205]

32. Ya and he snuffs his butts on the heads of white babies.

I can see the primaries are going to be a riot here on DU........

[Cha]

34. Get a fucking patch.

You can do it, big guy!

[Katherine Brengle]

35. I find that... off-putting, to be honest.

Not saying I won't support him, bc he's on my short list at the moment, but it shows a weakness that makes me a little uncomfortable.

I understand it's hard, as an ex-smoker myself, but I think he should make an effort, for his health, for his image, and to show the American people that he is both strong and a good role model.

On the other hand, it's sort of nice when they aren't perfect :D.