Fox News and Friends recently aired an entire segment where John Gibson said that voters shouldn't vote for Obama because he is a smoker. He had on guests to discuss Obama's "dirty little secret," and if people would vote for a smoker as President. At one point in the segment Fox airs a picture of Obama in front of the White House with two packs of Marlboro cigarettes next to him posing the question "Would You Vote For a Smoker?" The title of this graphic is "Obama Behind Closed Doors." Gibson also invites the fact that since Obama is a smoker and has this "dirty little secret," how much can we really know about him and what else is he hiding? The topic of Obama as a smoker has stirred up some controversy, especially with those who are trying to find holes in Obama's armor.
I also found an article from the Houston Chronicle, of an opinion piece where the author stated that her hopes for Obama as a candidate were crushed after she learned of his smoking, saying in the article that " She would never date a smoker and won't vote for one either."
The Washington Post also ran an article stating that Michelle Obama is appalled by her husbands smoking habit and will only help him run if he quits smoking, perhaps the campaigns attempt at some damage control.
How do you feel about this controversy? Would the fact that a canidate smoked turn you off from voting for them? Are we continuing to stray from the big issues and focusing on all the wrong issues? Do you think that Obama's habit will hurt him politically and force him to "go up in smoke?"
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I honestly do not think it is a big deal that Obama is a smoker. I would never not vote for a candidate just because they were a smoker. Yes, smoking is a bad habit but it doesn't really have to do with any of his policies or issues. I think that the opinion piece calling smokers "in denial" and "ignorant" is taking it a little too far. I agree with the article that it humanizes Obama and puts him more at our level. We've seen many presidents with scandals, lies, and other imperfections. I think a smoking candidate should be the least of our worries as Americans. Although I don't really have a problem with it, I feel that many others are going to stray away from supporting Obama. For this reason, I'm glad that he is trying to quit. I'm sure his consultants are going to be on his back about it now as well.
I don't think that whether or not a Presidential candidate is a smoker should affect the way people vote. I am certainly not a fan of being around people who smoke, but I wouldn’t discriminate against a candidate just because of a bad habit that in my opinion would not affect the way he did his job. I commend his effort for trying to quit, which is typically very difficult to do. I feel he quitting at a hard time, because not only is there media scrutiny over his habit, but running for office probably adds a great deal of stress to one’s life and that’s when many people turn to smoking. I think instead of criticizing Obama for his vice, people need to accept that he is human and support his actions of trying to quit. If a smoker is going to do the best job of running the country, then I’m all for him, whether I agree with his habits or not.
After reading through this post as well as watching the YouTube clip of the Fox News broadcast of the Barack Obama controversy and reading the two articles that accompanied this posting, I am surprised that this is the first, I am hearing about Obama, being a cigarette smoker. According to the YouTube clip, Obama is appealing to the American people because he is a charismatic speaker and he brings the hope of a better future and the desire to change current politics. The fact that many Americans, including Kate Murphy writer of the article, “Smoking Obama: What a drag,” find smoking repulsive, I do not feel should deter anyone from voting for Obama as their Presidential candidate. In her article Murphy exposes her feelings towards a smoker becoming our Head of State: “It's not just that it stains teeth and the smell clings to hair and clothes. It's indicative of a mind-set. Anyone who smokes despite its health ramifications either has delusions of invulnerability, a self-destructive streak, is in denial or is willfully ignorant. Not the kind of guy you want to go out with much less the kind of guy you want running the free world.” It is widely believed by many that everyone living on this Earth has vices. Why then is a presidential candidate being criticized for his?
Regardless of whether or not I support smoking, I do think this controversy is ridiculous and that a person’s character should not be judged on the basis of them having a habit of smoking cigarettes. Malia Lazu, a guest speaker on the YouTube, Fox News broadcast, states that millions of Americans have a habit of smoking. It is no surprise that Obama, being an American, may have a tendency to smoke. When voting on a presidential candidate, in my mind, the way someone chooses to spend their spare time, should not come in to account. As far as I know besides medical problems that may result from smoking, it has not been proven that smoking changes someone’s ability to lead. A candidate that smokes does not turn me off from voting for them. I am more concerned about the policies that the candidate will bring to the presidential candidate position. I do think we continue to stray from the big issues and the issues we choose to focus on are minor compared to the troubles facing our world today. It is understandable that individuals running for president are in the public eye, thanks to the media and there every move and vice is tracked by every American. But, I think Americans needs to stop being so excessively interested in the private lives of political officials and become more concerned about the issues that effect our nation and world and the policies that the person running support. Instead of Americans pointing out vices of each candidate running, they should be judging each candidate on how can each will work to benefit the nation and the world. I feel Americans spend more time criticizing candidates rather then investigating ways of assisting in making essential improvements to our world. My final I leave as an open ended question to those Americans who are so concerned with a presidential candidates personal habits’, if Obama had a minor habit such as biting his nails would it be such a controversy?
If we are all being honest, we all have habits that we should kick, from smoking, too drinking to much coffee or soda and over-eating. Why do we focus on the fact that Obama used to smoke? I think the media wants us to only focus on the negative. In the grand scheme of things that fact tha Obama smoked is unimportant. The questions we should be asking ourselves, is can he do the job, can Obama lead this great country ins the future?
I don't think the fact that Obama smoked or did drugs will hurt hime in the elections. The fact that he is so open just lets us know that he is human and down the earth. Sometimes the perfect candidate is not necessarily the right one.
When I first heard about this I laughed for quite some time. How does America look to other countries when we're bashing our politicians because they smoke? How does lighting a cigarette affect the way an individual runs a country? Especially since some of our past presidents had drinking problems at some point,I would assume that would affect the way they lead a country more than nicotine would.
I absolutely would not let this issue influence the way I vote, it's absurd. It is a good PR tactic that he's announced he's trying to quit, and what his wife has been quoted on saying.I'm hoping this won't hurt him politically--however Howard Dean's yell destroyed him and I never found that to be a big deal.
It's certainly ironic that we're supposed to advocate freedom of choice as American's, and highlight that we vote for the person who best represents the average citizen--yet our politicians have no freedom.
I think that this report from Fox News is completely ridiculous. I dont think that being a smoker is a dirty little secret. It might be a habit that some consider disgusting, but it should effect our decision as to whether we would vote for him.
Would you not pick a the best doctor for child's surgery if you knew that he was smoker. Then why wouldnt you elect the best candidate for President if he was a smoker. The bottom line is that if the candidate is the best person for the position then unimportant minor issues such as smoking, would not be important enough to effect why you would or wounld not vote for the candidate.
It is ridiculous that the fact that Obama smokes cigarettes has made this much news. When the Fox newscaster said, "He is, get this...a cigarette smoker!" I laughed out loud. The build up in his voice and the short pause before announcing his irrelevant habit would make anyone think he was revealing some jaw dropping news. But this is not the case. Millions of Americans smoke cigarettes but people are looking for anything to put down Obama's image. I can't believe the Fox newscaster would even pose the question, "would you vote for a smoker as a president?" What does this have to do with his policies and plans for office? Past presidents such as Ford, FDR and JFK have all smoked on a regular basis or at particular times during their presidency. What makes Obama any different?
The article in the Washington Post about Michelle Obama's thoughts on her husband's habit was interesting. I think it's great that she is openly against it and that Obama respects this and is taking steps to quit. If smoking cigarettes is the best dirt you can get on Obama then he already has plenty of American's votes.
I agree with Melissa in that when I watched the clip, I could not help but laugh to myself and think "this is absolutley ridiculous"..........oh FOX. Anyway, I think if people are going to change their feelings about Obama just because he is a smoker is incredible. Smokng is clearly looked more down upon now, but I bet there are people that we all know who could be closet smokers and we do not know about. Is smoking really going to effect him as a politician? I think not, unless he gets sick. If I saw footage of him smoking on the news channels, or saw a cigarette box peek out of one of his pockets, I may think that he needs to be a little more careful with concealing it - but I would not look down upon it. It seems like people are finding extraneous things to attack this candidate on. Get over it, smoking will effect him and his health a thousand times more than it will effect any decision he will potentially make in office.
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