<p>Lighten up girls and boys -smoking is not the point.</p>
<p>You can’t have it both ways Liz…</p>
<p>Editor of the Harvard Law Review and he’s killing himself with cigarettes?</p>
<p>Something is wrong here</p>
<p>…you can’t tell people that your favorite pop-star politician let you down for the nasty-of-smoking (unclean) and then tell all the boys and girls to “light up…”
…see what I mean?</p>
<p>“You believe it is OK for the leader of the free-world to encourage his interns to bow and perform oral-sex on his scepter”</p>
<p>Who thought that was OK? If you thought that was OK, please raise your hand.</p>
<p>Smoking is not a litmus test for suitability for office, but once upon a time, politicians were considered role models for young people, much as professional athletes are now. I would encourage professional athletes to take their role responsibly.</p>
<p>Somewhere…amongst the rolling lawns and pillared porches of Westchester…Bill Clinton is raising his hand (and giving the finger to Al Gore, one more time!).</p>
<p>As to your question it is quite simple, bride-of Satan:</p>
<p>Given the abilities of a seer (something I would expect of a woman in your unique position [see, SN]), and knowing in advance, as you would, that Bill Clinton would be gritting his teeth whilst staring down at the top of Monica’s bowing dome, would you have still voted for him?</p>
<p>How about if Obama smokes, as he, regrettably for Liz, does?</p>
<p>I like Senator Obama…liked him more when I found out he smoked (I don’t smoke, and although I do believe smoking would give me an intellectual, if ephemeral, air of sophistication, the coughing inevitably interrupts the Greta Garbo illusion of “maybe in your next life, loser”).</p>
<p>The pundits, Russert, Brooks et al, have thus far missed a significant point in the ‘Obama 2008’ discussion; politics.</p>
<p>His star quality, while not irrelevant, will become ineffectual if he is not politically. The truth is that Obama, as he acknowledged, is where he is today greatly due to unbelievable political luck. He was vehemently opposed by the established Black Democrats (including his own congressman) in Chicago in the 2004 senate primary. Obama eventually made peace with the Dems, but only the embarrasing scandal of his Republican opponent very late in the season, left Obama as the sole remaining credible alternative in the general election. As a senator, Obama has thus far made few, if any, mistakes. And his tours around the country are quite shrewd (as a reporter said yesterday, “make your strike while it’s hot”). But he has to convince rank-and-file Democrats that he is popular not simply because he’s neither Jesse Jackson nor Al Sharpton. Then again, that may be the rationale that might get him ahead in the Democratic party. We’ll see.</p>
<p>…if he is not politcally ADEPT.</p>
<p>FS. It was used merely as a ploy to get attention and somewhat of a pimp to people that pick apart candidates for stupid reasons. It seems we are always looking for Mr. or Mrs. Perfect when it comes to the presidency. </p>
<p>I don’t like being around smokers but it doesn’t stop me from seeing them as a person. I don’t particularly see it as poor judgement since it’s an addictive behavior and a choice that’s usually made when one is a teen. Some people are more prone to addiction than others. I know that from my own family where all of my siblings smoked but me. ( two out of three have quit, thankfully) I don’t see myself as any better, just luckier that I don’t have that particular physical and psychological make-up.</p>
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<p>The next time you eat something fatty/high in cholesterol, you might want to get off that highest of elevated horses there.</p>
<p>We all have bad habits. Some are just less acceptable than others, now that the thought police have gotten to them. Wait until wine gets targeted.</p>
<p>Nah, UCLAri – wine, red in particular – is practically a health food these days. Certainly at my home it is.</p>
<p>Barack Obama is an intellecturally brilliant, former president of the Harvard law review. After school, he spent years as a cival rights lawyer and activist
(when he could have had his pick of corporate jobs), and seven years as a
Illinois legislator. He’s been in the Senate two years as of this writing. Barack Obama is a 45 year old MAN, he is not a kid, by any means. George W. Bush spent, what ? Gov. of Texas for 4-6yrs? </p>
<p>Obama is a tremendous potential candidate. As for the smoking, It’s a horrible habit (I should know, I smoke.) But for the post’s that he should go around lecturing on the evils of smoking. Why should that be his job, he choses to smoke, so be it. Grow up, live in the world, all is not well in this great country of our’s folks.</p>
<p>Whats your favorite thing that he has done?</p>
<p>katliamom,</p>
<p>Pfft. Doctors used to tell people to smoke in certain circumstances. Wait for it. Wine will have its day. :p</p>
<p>He’s encouraging Democrats to embrace religion again.</p>
<p>Actually, more than that, he is encouraging religious folks to embrace Democrats. (Why that’s a good idea is beyond me.)</p>
<p>Makes more sense than embracing Bush, who they have realized is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.</p>
<p>I think that’s called “Foleying”.</p>
<p>If smoking cigarettes happened to be the worst thing about a sitting President, we would all be very lucky indeed.</p>
<p>As much as I like Obama, I worry that in 2008 he may not be ready yet. He might be over his head if he were thrust into the presdency. After all, it has recently been made abundantly clear to us that merely having an Ivy League degree and several years in your first public office are not enough to adequately prepare someone to be president.</p>