Barack Hussein Obama...a sneak smoker?, page 1

This thread is intended to complement the thread about Obama being a closet Muslim (which I think has been thoroughly dismissed -- he is a twenty year member of his Christian church -- enough said.) That thread can be viewed here...

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My thread pertains to Obama being an admitted cigarette smoker.

I like Obama. But his smoking habit is a real pit-fall for him and his supporters. Already, I hear people (assuredly non-smokers) questioning his character and backbone. How can he be a leader when he can't even control his smoking? Do we want a leader without the will to give up such a filthy habit? Will he lead the USA to a path of destruction, the way he seems willing to self-destruct himself?

Assuming that cigarette smoking is indefensible (and a lot of people agree with this, even smokers) how will he move past this?

Point of speculation: If Obama is like most smokers, he is not going to be quitting soon, and certainly not under the stress of a major campaign. He is likely to compound his problems by promising to quit, and then be caught sneaking around -- not a pretty picture!

Please note: I personally think this is a ridiculous challenge to Obama (JFK was a heavy smoker and nobody seemed to notice that, or care.) But I also think this aspect of Obama’s life style -- remarkably -- has the potential for bringing him down like nothing else. This bomb is ticking.

Before I get jumped by any smokers -- I personally don't think there is anything grievously wrong with cigarette smoking. This will not be something I consider at all when I cast my vote. I actually like hanging out with smokers. I am not arguing that.

Comments?

Originally posted by SimonSays
In my opinion, this is a wasted thread with no viability on the issues at hand. So he smokes !!!! .... so what ??? No offense, just my honest opinion

No offense taken

Really, one of the points of my OP was to show how a trivial thing such as smoking compares to a trivial thing such as specific religious affiliations -– neither of these illustrates a person’s basic character or abilities. Yet both of these things are very polarizing.

Anyone who has lost a close relative or friend due to smoking (and their numbers are legion) has a different attitude here. They consider smoking a VERY bad thing. I am sympathetic towards them. But a person’s character is measured by many different things, some of which are important and others which are less so.

IMO – the significance of smoking falls in to the “less so” category. But I am sure there are a lot of voters that will vote against Obama STRICTLY because he is a smoker, especially if he says he’s trying to quit and then fails to do that, and is subsequently caught sneaking a puff or two by some gleeful photo-journalist. That inevitable picture makes me squirm with its combined defamatory power and utter irrelevance!

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I think it is interesting that, in the S. Carolina debates from Thursday, Senator Thompson accused Huckabee of wanting to implement a NATIONWIDE ban on smoking. It’s true! Google “Huckabee smoking ban” and see the results, or check on a USA Today story here. Do you think – maybe perhaps – Obama’s smoking might be made an issue by Huckabee in a face-down? What are the chances? (I would say 99%)

[edit on 11-1-2008 by Buck Division]

reply to post by Buck Division

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LOL ... I understand your point
but even so, if Huckabee wants to make something out of Obama's
sneek smoke, then most will consider it a trivial tactic from Huck and
disregard it as non-sense nit-picking, at least from my point of view.

What bothers me most is with the Huck's smoking ban .... once
again Big Brother is trying to control our lives AND our habits.

And which is the bigger problem ???

one man sneeks to smoke ?? ..... OR
someone making a law that I can't do it anymore ???

I gotta tell ya if anybody comes to my property and tells me
I'm going to jail cuz I smoke cigs is gonna get some lead
pointed in their direction. It's my right to smoke on my own
property even if it is already banned in every federal building
already and most business establishments.

You have just made my mind up about Huck
he will most def NOT get my vote
if he's taking away more of my rights

Originally posted by MiKeB420
People voting for Barack: because he is black

LOL, he is not totally Black
His father was black but his mother was white
that makes him Bi-Racial ......
just for the record

There are multiple reasons for reading Barack Obama's autobiography, Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. One is to learn what an extremely gifted bi-racial person has to say about growing up in a black-white world.

Source

[edit on 11-1-2008 by SimonSays]

I could care less if he smokes or not, it won't influence my vote. I vote purely on platform. Interestingly, I wonder if smoking actually "humanizes" him to voters; it might even encourage the vast amount of smokers in America to vote for him.

On this topic, here's an interesting site that shows the medical history of some U.S. presidents: www.doctorzebra.com...

reply to post by TheScribe

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I smoke and I WON'T be voting for him. It's not the smoking
that got me thinking this way. It was his Muslim upbringing.
I have nothing against Muslims, but what kind of foreign
policy would he have with Israel if he was elected?
They probably would not talk to him much less invite
him to dinner. How many former Muslims have been invited
to visit the Israeli Prime Minister's House under normal
peaceful conditions ??

Who knows ..... that may be a good thing for some ..... ???

Yea, yea .... I know he has stated that he is a Christian now
and attends The Church of Christ in Chicago. But the Clinton
investigation of him concluded that he doesn't attend regularly.
he doesn't go anywhere, regularly. He has cut ties with siblings.
What honorable Christian man disassociates himself from his
entire family??? One that has something to hide ?? In my personal
opinion, I can't trust him to lead this country if he has no moral
or ethnic foundation to stand on. Yes, he is smart and intelligent.
You have to be in order to graduate Harvard Law School. But that
doesn't make him a good candidate for president. His past is too
rocky and kinda smells fishy to me. His past would be a detriment
to his foreign policy which I might add he has no experience in
or has a game plan that will work at present.

Just my opinion

Originally posted by TheScribe
On this topic, here's an interesting site that shows the medical history of some U.S. presidents: www.doctorzebra.com...

Excellent stuff, Scribe. This is great info.

I've heard that JFK was a cigarette smoker, but he went out of his way never to be photographed smoking a cigarette.

Also, regarding your comment about smoking resulting in a more "human" appearance -- I don't think this is Obama's problem. Maybe Hillary should start smoking, if that is the case? But really, you may have a point there.

#

So, this was an interesting thread. I hope most people realized that I intended the OP mainly as a joke! Like most jokes, there is an element of truth about it that I hope gave it a little bite.

I am glad to see that most of ATS rejects the idea that little character quirks can make or break a candidate.

Given the recent revelations about the possible sexual orientation of Obama, discussed in the thread here, I wanted to bump this older discussion back to the top.

People! People! People! Let's get to the bottom of MY ISSUE FIRST! We all need to know for a fact whether Obama is a sneak smoker before we start speculating about his sexual proclivities!

There will be time enough for that, after my issue here is resolved!

One critical issue at a time, please. Doesn’t that make more sense?

reply to post by Buck Division

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How does it honestly matter?

The best leaders in history have smoked: JFK, Churchill, Eisenhower, Lincoln etc etc

The only famous leader who despised smoking and vilified it as a "dirty habit"? Adolf Hitler...

Frankly smoking is a personal choice. Calling it "undefensible" is a bit like calling eating red meat undefensible. We know its bad for us, but frankly most of us dont give a #. I know I dont... quality of life is a considerably more important factor to me than quantity.

Judge Obama on his merits, not on his choice of vices. It's hardly like hes pulling a Spitzer is he

reply to post by Sublime620

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Ahh, it's nice to see you again Mr. Burgundy. Hell the only reason I'm responding is that I am jealous with envy of your avatar.

With pleasantries aside, may I remind you that Mr. Obama is a member of the party that has passed so many asinine smoking laws that it's almost Mel Brooks quality logic. The dems hate big tobacco...what's it going to look like when their Messiah is puffing a Camel when the RJ Reynolds is in the Republicantandneverwillhavetheballscans camp. Hell, I hope he lights one up when he's inaugurated. Hmmm. strange conflict of interest.

I love brick.
.

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