ABC poll: Obama smokes cigarettes- Would you vote for him?

abcnews.go.com...

What a rediculous way to attack Obama. But hey, controversy sells.

Edit to add:
This popup is linked from their front page under BE SEEN, BE HEARD as the message:

VOTE: Obama Smokes: Would You Vote For a Presidential Candidate That Puffs?

Scroll down a bit. It's there, mid left.

[edit on 16-1-2007 by TrueAmerican]

I probably will not be casting my vote as it currently stands for Obama, however the fact that he smokes has no bearing on how I cast my vote. For others it might but i doubt this will be a key issue.

I think instead that the media or looking for excuses to keep their current favorite politician in the headlines.

I've always said smoking is a sign of weakness. Not as definitive as it sounds, but there is a reason they can't and won't quit in the face of obvious health issues. I understand it is not easy to quit, but quiting has everything to do with fighting an urge, and if Obama can't fight the urge to smoke, perhaps he will fold under other pressures.

Now before you start holding me to your interpretation of my words, please note that I am not claiming smokers are all weak because they can't not smoke. everyone has weaknesses, EVERYONE! Cigarette are just a red flag that can't be hidden by clever elusiveness.

I'm sorry if I have offendedm it is just my opinion.

AAC

[edit on 16-1-2007 by AnAbsoluteCreation]

Originally posted by AnAbsoluteCreation
I've always said smoking is a sign of weakness. Not as definitive as it sounds, but there is a reason they can't and won't quit in the face of obvious health issues. I understand it is not easy to quit, but quiting has everything to do with fighting an urge, and if Obama can't fight the urge to smoke, perhaps he will fold under other pressures.

[edit on 16-1-2007 by AnAbsoluteCreation]

Having been a long time smoker that has been smoke free for almost two years I can attest to how hard it is to quit. The hardest part about quitting though is that you never want to. Most people that want to quit can but most smokers don't want to. I dont think the fact that he continue's to smoke makes him weak but it might say something to his character the fact that he started in the first place. But I dont think it says very much at all.

It seems to me that if all other federal employees are prohibited from smoking inside of a federally owned buildings that this should apply to the President as well. Just imagine President Obama pacing nervously near a side door of the west wing in the rain getting a quick smoke.

[edit on 16-1-2007 by df1]

JackJuice, though I commend you for quiting I must disagree on one point. When smokers say they don't want to quit (most of them) I believe it is more that their subconscience knows that they can't, and don't want to be faced with that reality. It is demorralizing to acknoweldge any type of weakness upon ones character. Would you not agree?

AAC

Originally posted by AnAbsoluteCreation
JackJuice, though I commend you for quiting I must disagree on one point. When smokers say they don't want to quit (most of them) I believe it is more that their subconscience knows that they can't, and don't want to be faced with that reality. It is demorralizing to acknoweldge any type of weakness upon ones character. Would you not agree?

AAC

The first time I attempted to quit smoking was indeed demorralizing, the realization that I could have a chemical dependance that I couldnt fix by sheer force of will. At one time i might of viewed it as a weakness, however that view really didn't stick with me. I guess i always viewed it as that I am prone to addictive behavior. Some smokers are casual and never develope an addiction, Ive met them for sure. Most do however but I don't think I could judge someone because they smoke or not. I view it as there are people that have to watch every little thing they eat or they will gain weight, and then there are those that can eat a horse and never gain a pound. I think we have all met those people but i would never call the person that doesnt gain weight as being a stronger or better person than the other, Just different. Another example would be alcoholics, myself having been an addictive smoker never had problem putting the bottle down. After lusterious career of drinking in college at about the age of twenty three I no longer had much of a desire to drink again, now i drink casually only once in a great while. Just like some people can eat drink and smoke whatever they want but live until their 90's and some do everything healthy and die earlier. I would say neither had a stronger character or would be more prone to folding during a crisis. Thats the thing with people, you will never know how good your instincts are until it is time to use them. Smoker or not.

JackJuice,

I agree with you. Although when it comes to "having" the addictive personality, or not being effected by what you eat, these things are different to some degree. I used to smoke and I have told many people that I never really had the urge to want a cigarrette therefore it was easy to stop. I believe it is all the way you look at it, consciencely or subconscienely, the level of importance it plays. A wise man once said, "the more you think of a thought the heavier that thought gets." So when a heavyset person watches their weight, they think about it way more than the skinny guy that doesn't gain. The same with smokers, if you've tried to quit many times and failed, that pressure gets heavier wouldn't you agree?

But I also don't think a smoker would be a bad president, BTW.

AAC

Hope he doesn't quit. Who wants a flip-flopper for president?

I think he should 'stay the course'.

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!


President Bush snorts crack, does coc aine, is usually drunk during his speeches, and he's gay. Did we vote for him? YEAAA

Obama only smokes cig's? Why wouldn't we vote for him? OH yea cuz hes black and the electoral collage has the final say.

Originally posted by nextguyinline
Hope he doesn't quit. Who wants a flip-flopper for president?

I think he should 'stay the course'.

That is some funny shyte. Here's a little of for proof!

AAC

Ok... He smokes.... and his middle name is Hussein... and he dresses in the manner as Ahmadinejad... Gee, that makes it a hard decision, doesn't it? I mean, we all know that Presidential qualifications include a strong American middle name like Walker or Milhouse and sporting the proper attire for an American politician. And knowing that Franklin Roosevelt, Ronny Reagan and Gerald Ford smoked tobacco makes me sure that we don't want a puffer in the White House!

Maybe Obama can switch to Jelly Beans before the election!

Check the Constitution and see what it says about middle names and cigarette smoke, will ya?

Clinton, Carter, Truman, and the Bushes are the only smoke-free presidents in the modern era.
Source

Perhaps you'd prefer a president with other faults and addictions. Like compulsive lying, alcoholism or drug addiction. White House intern, anyone?

nextguyinline, that was hilarious!


[edit on 17-1-2007 by Benevolent Heretic]

Actually, I'm curious at the lack of discussion on the intended purpose of this thread- which was to discuss the angle of ABC trying to demean Obama through the poll itself. The fact that it shouldn't matter if a president smokes or not is sort of over obvious.

Ah, I see. So you think there's more to it that ABC being sensationalistic for the purpose of getting viewers? Because that's all I think they're doing. Do you think they secretly want Hillary as the candidate? What do you think is behind it?

Yes, I think it's low, but it's ABC News. I expect as much. When CNN showed Obama in a split screen with Ahmadinejad to show that they dressed the same, I lost all hope of Obama getting a fair trial by media.

Originally posted by acctnosam
President Bush snorts crack, does coc aine, is usually drunk during his speeches, and he's gay.

Wouldn't it be .... snorts coc aine and does crack? Do people 'snort' crack? I thought that had to be shot-up???

'Usually drunk' before speeches. hmmmm .... I know that there has been some speculation that he's been on medications (I personally believe that to be so) but 'usually' drunk?? That doesn't make sense. Being drunk is something easily identified (the smell, etc.) and if he was going to ingest some kind of drug into his body before going in front of hundreds of people live and the entire country on TV, it wouldn't be alcohol because it's so easily identifiable by so many.

Gay? Nope. He has a wife and two daughters. He could be 'bi' ... but I highly doubt that. There is no evidence of that.

ON TOPIC - I don't care if someone smokes tobacco and they want to be president. That's their business. If someone wants to be president and they smoke then there could be a problem for THEM because of regulations against smoking in federal builidings and I'm pretty sure that the West Wing and the White House (non residence) would count as such. He'd have to take stroll in the Rose Garden to light up.

As long as they are smoking TOBACCO and not crack. Obama said he 'struggled with' crack earlier in life. As far as we know he's over his addiction (or are crack addicts just in remission like alcoholics??) I'm sure he wouldn't light up crack while president. That would be insane.

GRANT smoked a whole lot. Cigars. He eventually died of throat cancer. Other presidents have smoked. I don't think it's a big deal. It isn't nice to look at or smell ... but it's no big deal.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
Perhaps you'd prefer a president with other faults and addictions. Like compulsive lying, alcoholism or drug addiction.

Sex addiction, internet addiction, porn addiction, gambling addiction, ....
you are right BH .. the list could go on forever.

Smoking tobacco is the least of the worries someone should have about POTUS.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
Do you think they secretly want Hillary as the candidate?

YES. Absolutely. No question. I 100% agree with that.

edited to add - it's not so 'secret' is it ... once people look at it?!

[edit on 1/17/2007 by FlyersFan]

Thanks BH and FF for starting to address the real issue here. That's exactly what I think. Hillary's political tentacles have spotted the prey and are beginning to squeeze. Defamation of character, in this case by a third party, will work early on to lessen the bite of the relatively inexperienced, rising political candidate.

The Clinton machine in action? We all know the press love the Clintons, always have and always will. Because they are great copy.

Mr. Obama is in for a hellish next few months, I hope he is ready for it. I'm still not sold on him, but what he is about to recieve no one deserves.

If i ever voted for Obama it wouldnt be for anything other than politics.
What do i give a hoot what he smokes?
Good for him. Its his release!!! He may not get drunk like some in Washington!!!
Who cares???

Smoke away, Obama. I'm starting to like you.

When they've dug through all of his dirt and we find that the worst they can come up with is that he's a smoker, then he would be the cleanest candidate we've had since Abe Lincoln.

I'm not voting for him. Ron Paul looks like he'll be getting my vote But that decision has nothing to do with Obama's dirty little secret that he's a smoker.

I'm not a smoker, but I'm sick of people picking on them. If people want to smoke, who the hell am I to tell them not to??? Do what you want and stay out of other peoples business.