Or, Another Mark Against Obama.
Okay, so Obama is going to quit smoking. Whooppee! If this is all about politics, and this skeptical observer says it is, then I have a problem with it.
Is it a crime that a president would smoke? Does the prospective president have to be an angel? Does the president have to be a good example to all people in all aspects of his/her life? Most of us were were willing to forgive Bill for having an affair since, as long as it doesn't affect one's ability to carry out the responsibilities of the office of the president, it is none of our business. What about a cigarette? This reminds me of Bob Dole's presidential campaign and all the hoohaa (not vagina, BTW) about his temper. The president had better damn well have enough passion and conviction in that office to have a bad temper at times.
Now, I don't want to provide any more negative examples for kids than they already get. So, since I do look so cool with a cigarette and an espresso, I don't smoke when there are kids around. In a cafe or sitting outside at a restaurant, if a family with a kid sits down near me, or downwind of me, I don't smoke. Not wanting to set a bad example for my boy, I never smoke around him and I never smoke indoors. Yes, even in freezing weather such as we have now in the NE, I go outside onto the deck and smoke.
If it's all about examples, well, I have never seen Obama with a cigarette. Admittedly, it wouldn't be too cool to have pictures splayed all over the newspapers of our president standing behind a bush outside of the WH with a cig hanging from his mouth (since it is probably illegal to smoke inside the WH) and you know that the papers would do exactly that with a Democrat in the WH if they had the chance.
Just as with Dole's temper, I would hope that a president, or candidate, is human and willing to stand on and fight for their own political convictions and why they think those convictions are best for the American people. Otherwise, in our media-driven BS political culture, it is all about image. In the pop words of someone* more apt to be concise than I, "Can you hear the sounds of hysteria, Calling out to idiot America?"
I am still lukewarm about Obama although I'll take him in a heartbeat over Hillary at this point (the only good I can see at this point coming out of a Hillary presidency is if she is going to use that office to absolutely destroy the freaking nutbags who have spent the last 15 years attempting to destroy her and her husband and the rest of America - I'll take unmitigated revenge from her directed at them but everything she does these days is tempered by DLCism).
So, Obama, if it is for your health, good for you. If it is about politics and image, my vote for you falls back to where it was last week which was, "Uh uh, too willing to suck up to the DLC's right-wing-perceived-to-be-middle-of-the-road-because-it-offends-no one stance." If it is not about health, then smoke away as it may help you focus on beating the hell out of the right wing with your brain and by communicating the practicalities and common ground and logic and historical proofs and Constitutional righteousness of your politics rather than trying to outdo them on image.
Okay, smoke break!