do you care if Obama smokes ?

[Diamond*Dana]

Date: 2/4/2009 10:04:12 AM
Author: Bia
If he likes to smoke, he should smoke.


So no, I don''t care.

I kinda feel the same way. I used to smoke, and quitting is so hard. Sure it is a nasty (and unhealthy) habit, but if it helps him relieve the stressors in his life then so be it! I just hope that people don''t go posting pictures all over the place...wishful thinking I know, but it would be nice to keep him a positive role model.

 

[coatimundi_org]

Nope--Don't care if he smokes.

 

[strmrdr]

nope, he can smoke 10 packs a day and I don''t care.

 

[SarahLovesJS]

As long as he follows the law (e.g. smokes in places where it is legal to smoke), then smoke away. Bad for his health, but it''s his life.

 

[iluvcarats]

Smoking Statistics

Here are some statistics from the WHO
Smoking related illnesses cost our country $150 Billion annually.
The pupose of the lungs is to breath in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide.
Why someone would choose to purposely breath in a toxic substance that poisons the body will always be beyond me.
I have great respect for president Obama, think he is a highly intelligent man, and hope he is a successful president.
But how can I believe he can solve our health care issues when he chooses to smoke, since smoking is largely at the core of our health care crisis?

tobacco facts

smoking costs

 

[snlee]

I just received an interesting email from the American Cancer Society. Here''s part of it -

"With the stroke of a pen, President Obama has signed into law a measure that will save lives by lowering smoking rates and reducing tobacco consumption while giving millions of uninsured children access to quality health care.

The new law expands the successful State Children''s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) by increasing the federal cigarette tax by the largest amount ever, to a total of just over $1 per pack. The increase will prevent more than 900,000 smoking-related deaths, deter nearly 1.9 million children from smoking, and encourage 1.4 million adults to quit."

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 2/5/2009 10:54:39 PM
Author: snlee
I just received an interesting email from the American Cancer Society. Here''s part of it -

''With the stroke of a pen, President Obama has signed into law a measure that will save lives by lowering smoking rates and reducing tobacco consumption while giving millions of uninsured children access to quality health care.

The new law expands the successful State Children''s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) by increasing the federal cigarette tax by the largest amount ever, to a total of just over $1 per pack. The increase will prevent more than 900,000 smoking-related deaths, deter nearly 1.9 million children from smoking, and encourage 1.4 million adults to quit.''

where can i buy $1 pack of cigs?

i could make millions.

 

[snlee]

Date: 2/5/2009 11:01:24 PM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 2/5/2009 10:54:39 PM
Author: snlee

I just received an interesting email from the American Cancer Society. Here''s part of it -

''With the stroke of a pen, President Obama has signed into law a measure that will save lives by lowering smoking rates and reducing tobacco consumption while giving millions of uninsured children access to quality health care.

The new law expands the successful State Children''s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) by increasing the federal cigarette tax by the largest amount ever, to a total of just over $1 per pack. The increase will prevent more than 900,000 smoking-related deaths, deter nearly 1.9 million children from smoking, and encourage 1.4 million adults to quit.''

where can i buy $1 pack of cigs?

i could make millions.

DF, that''s $1 of taxes for each pack not $1 packs of cigarettes.

 

[hlmr]

Date: 2/5/2009 4:44:21 AM
Author: swingirl
I don''t care if he smokes, I just don''t think he ever should do it in public. Kinda like Michael Phelps. It''s not good for his public image.

Wasn''t Michael smoking the wacky tobaccy?

I think that almost everyone has some sort of vice, and smoking, although a bad example for young people, is certainly not the worst vice a President could have.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 2/5/2009 8:06:11 PM
Author: iluvcarats
But how can I believe he can solve our health care issues when he chooses to smoke, since smoking is largely at the core of our health care crisis?

Yep, the first thought that came to my mind is that here we are in a serious health care crisis and our president is smoking cigarettes. He is setting a terrible example.

 

[Sabine]

I think he should be expected to set a good example by quitting, which I think he agrees with, hence him trying to quit. Regardless of whether he succeeds or how long, I will respect his decision as long as he continues to try to quit.

We hold professions like teachers to a higher standard because they influence our children (our principal basically got fired for public drunken behavior, totally legal, but morally inappropriate) and I think the president has a titch more influence on youth than many teachers.

 

[Rank Amateur]

My 12 year old was asking about this today.

He was shocked, crushed, bewildered that Obama smokes. All the anti-drug stuff they put into the kids heads at school does penetrate. Why does he do it? Why can''t he stop?

I explained to him that there aren''t that many pictures of Obama smoking because he knows it would be politically harmful for people to see him smoking. I told him that politicians are always trying to display themselves as something they''re not.

 

[zhuzhu]

Date: 2/8/2009 10:21:04 PM
Author: Rank Amateur
My 12 year old was asking about this today.

He was shocked, crushed, bewildered that Obama smokes. All the anti-drug stuff they put into the kids heads at school does penetrate. Why does he do it? Why can''t he stop?

I explained to him that there aren''t that many pictures of Obama smoking because he knows it would be politically harmful for people to see him smoking. I told him that politicians are always trying to display themselves as something they''re not.

He asked you why Obama could not stop smoking and you told him that politicians always display themselves as something they are not????????????????????????

Is installing hatred for politician (whom you don''t like) in the young really going to help them?

 

[musey]

I wish he wouldn't (just like I wish EVERYONE wouldn't smoke), but it doesn't really bother me that he does. Our society still treats it as a personal choice, so if he wants to make that personal choice that doesn't hurt anyone else (provided he's being careful/respectful about not exposing his family or others around him), then that's none of my business.

I can see the argument for setting a poor example, though.

 

[musey]

Date: 2/8/2009 10:21:04 PM
Author: Rank Amateur
My 12 year old was asking about this today.

He was shocked, crushed, bewildered that Obama smokes. All the anti-drug stuff they put into the kids heads at school does penetrate. Why does he do it? Why can''t he stop?

I explained to him that there aren''t that many pictures of Obama smoking because he knows it would be politically harmful for people to see him smoking. I told him that politicians are always trying to display themselves as something they''re not.

Wow. Not much faith in the political system, eh?

I think that the bigger reason is that people in positions of power are constantly reminded of the burden of their celebrity: they are, whether they like it or not, setting an example for those who look up to them. Have you considered that Obama (and other celebrities who hide bad habits) is perhaps trying to avoid setting that bad example by avoiding being photographed with a cigarette in his hand?

Moreover, if it really is about "displaying themselves as something they''re not", is that always a bad thing? If it''s in an effort to downplay a certain habit, such as smoking, that they don''t want to encourage those who idolize them to do - is that bad?

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 2/8/2009 10:21:04 PM
Author: Rank Amateur
My 12 year old was asking about this today. He was shocked, crushed, bewildered that Obama smokes.

How does he feel about Bush''s coke & booze past? Or Pastor Ted Haggard''s admitted sexual abuse of teen boys? Or Clinton hooking up with an intern for that matter? In the big scheme of things a *legal* activity like smoking seems like small potatoes.

Wait til'' he see pix of Miley Cyrus smoking ... that''s when the **** will hit the fan.

 

[Rank Amateur]

It''s true, I''ve little faith in the political system and I am instilling this in my kids.

My son''s surprise at Obama''s smoking habit indicates how high a pedestal the media had placed Obama upon. I make it clear that Obama is just the latest in the line of slick politicians who say what they need to and make themselves appear as they need to to get elected.

We haven''t delved too deep into the REALLY bad behavior of our politicians. Soon he will be asking the questions.

(he) acknowledges that he used cocaine as a high school student but rejected heroin. "Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it. Not smack, though," he says.

This quote could be from any of several Presidents, couldn''t it? It''s a sorry state of affairs indeed.

 

[beebrisk]

Date: 2/5/2009 10:54:39 PM
Author: snlee
I just received an interesting email from the American Cancer Society. Here''s part of it -


''With the stroke of a pen, President Obama has signed into law a measure that will save lives by lowering smoking rates and reducing tobacco consumption while giving millions of uninsured children access to quality health care.


The new law expands the successful State Children''s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) by increasing the federal cigarette tax by the largest amount ever, to a total of just over $1 per pack. The increase will prevent more than 900,000 smoking-related deaths, deter nearly 1.9 million children from smoking, and encourage 1.4 million adults to quit.''

"Sin" Tax
Social Engineering.
Just another excuse for the government to encroach on and punish perfectly legal behavior.

 

[Beacon]

Agree w/ above post. More over, excise taxes from cigarettes now fund a significant amount of revenues for the state budgets. If they continue to tax tobacco, it may become harder for the states to collect the revenues as people will not be able to afford cigarettes. And the states desperately need those revenues. Taking a federal level excise tax is basically taking money out of the state''s pockets.

But to the point, no I don''t care if Obama smokes. He has a stressful job - let him do what he needs to do.

 

[zhuzhu]

Date: 2/9/2009 8:07:56 PM
Author: Rank Amateur
It''s true, I''ve little faith in the political system and I am instilling this in my kids.



My son''s surprise at Obama''s smoking habit indicates how high a pedestal the media had placed Obama upon. I make it clear that Obama is just the latest in the line of slick politicians who say what they need to and make themselves appear as they need to to get elected.


We haven''t delved too deep into the REALLY bad behavior of our politicians. Soon he will be asking the questions.

(he) acknowledges that he used cocaine as a high school student but rejected heroin. ''Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it. Not smack, though,'' he says.

This quote could be from any of several Presidents, couldn''t it? It''s a sorry state of affairs indeed.

I am curious, do you have problem with ALL politicians or just the current administration?

 

[luckystar112]

I think Rank dislikes all politicians. I think his response to his son was fine. I can only imagine what the responses were when children of anti-bush folks asked why we are at war.

 

[zhuzhu]

I think there is a big difference in consequences between expressing one''s prejudice of politician(s) to an adult peer vs. to a 12 years old. That is however just my take on parenting.

 

[luckystar112]

I agree. That''s not what I said in my post though...

 

[Rank Amateur]

I like it when politicians freely speak their minds. I like the politicians who make tough decisions without regard to the political outfall. I have a great respect for those who stick to their word rather than constantly lawyer up. No too many politicians fit this bill.

 

[iwannaprettyone]

Nope, don''t care. My dad doesn''t eat broccoli and always says "if George Bush doesn''t have to eat it then I ain''t gonna". Similarly if I get drunk and decide to smoke I can say "good enough for the prez, it''s good enough for me"....LOL

 

[platinumrock]

I think Obama is going to need something stronger than a cigarette. He''s going to realize that he''s not just expected to save the country, but the whole world. He needs something to take the load off.

I''m all for whatever helps the president do his job.

 

[steph72276]

Yes, I think it sets a terribly bad example for our children. He has access to the best doctors on the planet that can help him stop. Some people say it's too hard, but think about all those millions of women who stop when the realize they are pregnant. They stop because they realize it is harmful...he should realize it is a harmful example and use his resources to help him stop.

 

[tlh]

Date: 2/4/2009 9:43:05 AM
Author: AllieGator
I''ll echo what''s been said above, I wish he would quit for his own health. But I don''t think any less of him because he smokes... everyone has their vices, and his could be a lot worse.

Bill Clinton liked Big Macs and sex... but then again... who doesn''t?

 

[FrekeChild]

I''m not about to judge him for her personal vices. I don''t care one way or another.

 

[m76steve]

with the way he is telling people he is transparrent-which he is not-that people can see the bills he passes for 5 days-then for 2 days-then not at all-then has these bills passed without the workings being read-with his expressions of gloom & doom & crisis daily expressed-with the market steadly dropping since last may when he started winning elections-he should choke!!-not alot just a little-maby this will snap some sence into him-your man not mine!!!