Can A Mormon Be President? Forget That – Can A Smoker?
Question for the day, if any care to answer it: will Barack Obama’s smoking habit derail his presidential ambitions? I’m not in the least joking – as an ex-smoker, I can tell you from experience that many, many Americans positively have a fetish about hating cigarette smokers.
Obama has admitted to drug use – but I don’t see that as too big of a deal, since it’s in the past, and there’s not a huge distance between George W. Bush’s former drinking problem and being an ex-drug user. But this is in the very real present. What do you think? Non-issue, or genuine liability?
[...] Can a smoker become president? If no, then Obama is in trouble. [...]
Hi Mark,
I don’t smoke, but I am more inclined to vote for a smoker because I think the anti-smoking crowd has gone to far in how they treat smokers.
This may be one of the most interesting questions of the campaign. Democrats are pretty good at allowing major inconsistencies between their personal views and the behaviors of their candidates, but smoking has been a great evil to the activists for quite some time.
I bet Senator Obama will propose a cigarette tax increase to diffuse any controversy.
Unless he’s lighting up during the middle of his nomination speech, I really doubt this will be a problem. Aside from a few true believers who actually would like to see tobacco made illegal, most antismoking activists seem content to tax the industry as much as possible, safe in the knowledge they look like good guys why most smokers are so addicted they’ll just keep paying the taxes.
I don’t know what rules there are regarding smoking in a federal building. Theoretically, could he be forced to shiver outside the Oval Office on some cold February day, rather than light up inside? Interesting.
FWIW, on The West Wing, they showed Bartlet occasionally sneaking smokes, and I don’t recall the liberal base who loved the show being up in arms.
I don’t think it will matter. At worst he will be viewed as a victim of the evil tobacco industry. Look at what voters have forgiven: prior substance abuse (Bush), infidelity (too many to count), murder/negligent homicide (Kennedy), buggery (Studds), just to name a few.
Not an issue that will prevent his nomination nor his election. Although he may have to do some sort of public mea culpa, possibly even quit for the duration of the campaign.
Now, if he were a member of a non-mainstream religion (LDS) or, worse, an atheist, then, yeah, no way.
He should openly declare himself a Jedi. That should get out the powerful geek vote.
I’ll send Obama a copy of my latest CT scans to show him what 35 years of smoking can do to your body. Cancer ain’t purty.
A pox on the anti-smoking crowd. If it’s legal, one ought to be able to indulge with some measure of fairness.
Just because one can’t ’smell’ pollution, doesn’t mean that one’s body is not reacting to everyday breathing. Simply put, the day we’re born is the day we start dying. Depending on who’s in play, I might, might vote for Obama just to spite those who would impinge my liberties.
Before anyone gets their panties in a wad, I think if a restaurant/bar decides they want to be a smoking establishment, they should have every right to do so. Too bad for the non-smoker, there’s plenty of other places to go to that are smoke-free — free market willing. Politicians have no business legislating smoke-free environments in a private business or space while facetiously allowing the consumption to be legal. All or nothing and butt out.
I like Obama, but I won’t vote for a smoker. Can’t do it. If he quits, he’ll have my support. But I cannot support putting a bad example in the White House. Plus, I do see it as a major character flaw. If you are too weak to quit, then how can you be strong enough to lead a country. I’m not kidding. In this day and age, when I see someone under 60 smoking I just think they are a loser. And as for smokers rights – that is an absurd notion. I’m all for personal freedoms, but when your freedom impinges on my health and freedom, then my rights trump yours. It’s a no brainer really. It’s why companies can’t pollute the rivers, why I can’t blast loud music all night long, and why I can’t drive as fast as I like. Get over it smokers. You choose to smoke, you choose the life of an outcast. I have no sympathy for you. And, it seems, no vote.
Riley, with all due respect, you have proven my point on the fetish of hating smokers…you need to get over it and let people live their lives. You talk about smokers as if they are subhuman…do you feel the same way about obese people? After all, they drive up your health care costs…
The last thing this troubled, messed up country needs, is a cigarette smoker (nicotine addict) occupying the highest office in the land! The President, serves as a national role model, and it would be a disgrace to have a confirmed drug user and smoker in the white house. Obama is parroting the worn out platitudes of the past 50 years, saying that help is needed for education, health, and expand the welfare entitlements, meaning that taxes will be increased, as the U.S. degenerates into a social welfare state. He has done nothing except polly-parrot, and introducing no legislation, in his two year presence in the Senate. If the U.S. voters are gullible enough to elect him, it will not be God, Bless America, rather God, save America!
John, your points on the welfare state are well-taken, and I do believe that presidents serve as a role model…that’s why the Lewinsky affair was so troubling. I have a higher opinion of Obama than you, but you make some good arguments…
I agree, the President is a role model and it is a disgrace to have a confirmed drug user currently in the White House. The last thing this troubled, messed up country needs, is a self-riotous liar in the White House. The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches, while slashing veterans’ benefits and combat pay. Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, providing health care to all Americans is socialism. Global warming is junk science and creationism should be taught in schools. It is okay that the Bush family’s “Carlisle Group” has done millions of dollars of business with the Bin Laden family. A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense. A president lying about WMD existence, to enlist support for an unprovoked, undeclared war and occupation, in which thousands of soldiers and civilians die, is, somehow, solid “defense” policy in a “War against Terrorism”. Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a “spirit of international harmony”. The United States should get out of the United Nations, but our highest national priority is enforcing U. N. resolutions against Iraq. That God major combat operations in Iraq are over (Mission Accomplished). What a terrible idea to talk about providing help to education (the only thing more expensive than education is ignorance). To take it to an extreme, can you imagine if everyone in this country had a Masters degree or a Ph.D. from an accredited state supported school? Would we be in better shape or in worse shape? Thank God for Bill Clinton who did more to downgrade welfare entitlements, more than any President before or since him (not to mention a balanced budget with a 0 internal deficit). Seven years of peach and prosperity under Clinton were a national nightmare that we can all be thankful ended with the election of Bush Jr. Bush’s entitlement program for the pharma companies and Medicare is a travesty like no other entitlement program before. Do a little research (see what Rush Limbaugh has to say about this program). If Obama smokes there is no way I can vote for that guy. Like smoking presidents before him (e.g. FDR, Harry Truman, Teddy Roosevelt) I am sure this habit would negatively affect his ability to lead. Does Laura Bush still smoke? Role models in high office are important people like these political types who have either been convicted or are currently indicted or being investigated (Scooter Libby, Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, Bill Frist, Ken Lay, Tom Noe, Randall (Duke) Cunningham, Bob Taft, Chuck McGee, Bob Ney, David Safavian, George Ryan, Lawrence Novak, not to mention Bush himself who has been severely criticized for his role in the domestic NSA wire tap program). I do like good role models. Thankfully none of these people are pro-choice, but they are OK with the at least 30,000 deaths of innocent Iraqis and Afghanis who have been “collateral damage” over the past few years (no problems with those pro choices). I am sure though that the friends and family members of these 30,000 souls now love and respect the United States our citizens. No, the war on terror hasn’t created more potential terrorists. But at least some very wealthy people at the top of the industrial military complex of this country have done well these past few years and the majority of people in this country haven’t had to sacrifice a thing (we even got a tax break [I got a check for $400]). Smoking is a terrible habit (so is religion).
Thanks for dropping by, Michael Moore…er, Duggan…
Sorry I couldn’t help myself. There is no problem with not voting for someone because you don’t like their party or their politics, but to blame this choice on a smoking habit seems trite and disingenuous. It is my feeling that 40% of the people in this country are going to vote democratic and 40% are going to vote republican regardless of who is running. It is that 20% of truly undecided generally independent voters who actually pick our leaders. Right now the Republicans know that they are probably going to loose the White House (as they recently lost both houses Congress) and I only prey that the republicans fight fairly in this upcoming campaign. Karl Rove is the devil incarnate; just ask John McCain and what Rove did to him and his family in the 2000 GOP primary. The problem is, Rove’s tactics have proved successful and I suspect he is drooling right now trying to figure out how he can use cigarettes against Obama. It will be interesting and funny, as I don’t think there is much the GOP can do to salvage the Presidency in 2008. The best they can do it try to mess up Iraq terribly and then pass on the mess to the Democrats to ensure that they can get it back in 2012.
Sorry, but this really rankles my ass. I used to be active in the Democratic Party. I was on my town committee and a delegate to several state conventions. I was also a smoker.
As a smoker I was treated like a pariah in the Democratic Party, esp. by all those Massachusetts liberals. I wound up leaving the party and becoming an Independent because of that.
To think that these same liberals would excuse Obama for what they persecuted so many people for is an outrage. I can’t help but think that there is a double standard here because he is black.
And by the way, I’ve seen too many smokers who claimed they only smoked 3 a day. If that were really true he could quit in a minute. He’s got to be smoking at least a half a pack.
By the way, I quit on my first attempt. (And I smoked for over 20 years.) It was surprisingly easy. It was not because of the harassment. It was because I ignored the anti-smoking extremists and suddenly thought that I could quit.