First of all, this is not a political piece. I don't know if you've noticed, but we have plenty of angry people who love him or hate him, and you don't need another podium-pounder from me. Besides, that's not what's got me mad.
No, I've kept my powder dry til something big came along, something that demanded a stand and a line in the sand, the kind of issue that riles a man so much he's ready to take the musket down from the mantel, jam Grandpappy Yokum's corncob pipe in his mouth, kiss Claudette Colbert goodbye, and march off down the road.
In fact, corncob pipes are actually the point, because what I'd like is this: Let's all back off President Obama, and let the man smoke.
Now, take it easy, don't get steamed, sip a little tea, imagine a beautiful scene with a gentle wave rolling in. Feel better? Here's the point. I'm not suggesting smoking is good. It's a bad habit, it's bad for you, and no one should ever start. Okay? I used to smoke myself, and quit a few times before the last one finally took, and now I've stopped for good. (Except when I'm alone and on the road in a bar, and as any doctor will tell you, the road doesn't count anyway.)
Are we worried about the president being a good role model? Isn't he a pretty good one already? It doesn't matter whether you like his agenda or not, but here's a guy from a single mother who buckles down and works hard, gets the best education in the world, writes books, becomes a senator and a president and a family man? Any kid, black, white or purple, could do far worse than aiming for all of those.
Besides, I'm sure the President's not smoking two packs a day, or one, or a half. I'm guessing the man just goes off for one or two a day, and what's the big deal about that? He's a grown up, he's responsible, he's successful, he's in a job with a lot of pressure... and he's known to be a great athlete and basketball player who "runs it off" anyway.
I'm sorry, but if stepping outside for one or two butts a day relaxes him, I just don't think it's the worst thing in the world.
And speaking of the world, don't the most important people to us all over the globe already smoke like chimneys anyway? The Russians, the French, the Chinese, Arabs, Israelis? Come on, folks, I worked in India for a month, and I saw more smoking there than a Bogart movie.
And as far as "stepping outside" goes... Does he have to? Because I don't think he should. It's pretty cold in Washington this winter, and every winter, and the White House is big enough to give him plenty of spaces to have a few drags without needing his winter coat and twelve secret service agents to go with him.
In fact, isn't there a bowling alley in the place? Sounds like the perfect spot to me. Throw in a few neon beer signs, and now you're getting somewhere.
Come to think of it, that may be the best way to sell America anyway. Nevermind all that Oval Office nonsense with the Queen Anne chairs and the rugs from the ninth century, and all those giant oil paintings the Smithsonian doesn't want. Next time he's in the middle of a big negotiation that's not going well with North Korea, take a break and head downstairs to the bowling alley. Pour a couple of cold ones, take the suit jackets off, slip on a couple of bowling shirts -- one that says "Barack" and one that says "Kim" ... have a few smokes, talk about the women in the St. Pauli Girl posters, and give him a personalized, souvenir Zippo. Then go back upstairs and see if that didn't break the ice.
It's always annoyed me anyway that most politicians all over the country use cigarettes as a "smokescreen" to cover all the other problems they won't touch.
No mayor will ever stop gangs, but they'll sure see to it that kids don't smoke. Every high school has a fifty-foot anti-smoking mural that the students paint themselves -- right before they drop out. They'll be killed, but not from smoking.
My folks used to say that every president comes into office with dark hair and leaves with gray. It's a tough job, and if this president has a foible or two here or there that doesn't make him perfect, so what? Let the man smoke.
Hell, if I thought it would do any good, we should all insist the Congress and Supreme Court join him outside, too.
What you clearly don't understand: Decades of smoking causes a set-up for cancer. Also causes changes that manifest as COPD, which is INCURABLE. When smoking is stopped totally, then the body can start to reverse some of the damage that has been done. When smoking continues with just a couple/day, damage will continue much slower, but repair will NOT happen.
1) Smoking makes your lungs black and hard, and not soft and pink.
2) It is a vice that kills people around you (usually spuse and children)
3) It is a drug addiction that is socially sanctioned.
4) It makes anything you smoke in toxic. It is practically impossible to get the smoke and toxic chemicals out of anything a smoker has been in. You cannot easily get smoke residue off of the interior of a car window, so what is this doing for your lungs?
If you want to be addicted, stay inside your house with them.
Larry- Thanks for making me laugh. I just got off of another blog (about the city council in Pasadena, Ca. that wants to ban all smoking.. tobacco and weed... anywhere within city limits) where one guy was directing all of his (her?) hatred towards all smokers by saying that we should all just drop dead. The extremism is getting so out of control that it's become scary. After reading that, I was in dire need of a good laugh. Oi.
Let Obama alone. With the nonsense he has to put up with from Congress and the press, I'm amazed that an occasional cigarette is all he indulges in.
Becuase we are tired of poiliticians who think the laws they pass don;t apply to them.
Good luck to all the proud "individualists" among us, and I hope you all have very good genes....
Peace!
We expect this experiment to translate into more-to-come successes for both BigPharma and social modification. And, of course, yuppies are such easy prey."
there are a lot of poor folks who have the same addiction, it would be nice if they could buy nicotine gum at the same price as a regular pk of gum... $1.25? (if they can put spearmint in gum they can put nicotine in it) a lot of folks don't want to smoke but can't afford an alternative... the president of all people should have empathy for those less fortunate since he knows how hard it is to quit. and he can afford any alternative he chooses.