Obama's smoking bomb
Do Americans really care if a presidental candidate smokes? It seems that some do. A few weeks ago, Fox News ran a story about Senator Barack Obama's fondness for Marlboros. It's not a smear campaign, since it's true, but the senator has been careful not to be seen with a cigarette in his hand publicly. (That last sentence sounds ridiculously McCarthyite, doesn't it?) Americans expect the first family to be a model American family, at least in public. Needless to say, the senator has already pledged to give up smoking before the end of the campaign. Smoking is not merely a health issue for some voters. The image of a black man running for the presidency who has already admitted to dabbling with both cannabis and cocaine in his troubled teenage years reinforces quite a few racist stereotypes in the minds of some voters who should know better.
From smoking bombs to ticking bombs. And this one has more of the appearance of a smear campaign. Was Senator Obama educated for two years at a -- a fundamentalist Muslim school -- during his childhood in Indonesia? The Clinton team have been whispering in media ears about this for a few weeks. A reasonable voter might regard this as a non-story even if it's true. Senator Obama also attended a Catholic school for two years in his childhood. Couldn't it even work to his advantage that he has such a wide exposure to contrasting religious experiences in his youth?
But, alas, an electorate that cares about its president's smoking habit may not see it that way. And the repeated use by some in the media of the single name "Obama", rather than the titled phrase "Senator Obama", may also hint at the most feared name in American culture -- Osama.
The right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh has, on more than one occasion, used the phrase "", and Senator Ted Kennedy has spliced the two names together CNN made , apparently by accident, in a television caption and issued an immediate apology.
Senator Obama, for his part, maintains that he was not educated at a madrassa; he attended a predominantly Muslim school in Indonesia for a period of two years in his childhood. A distinction that may be lost on some voters -- that's if Hillary Clinton has anything to do with it.
Comments
So what if he smokes!
This sort of character assaination is disgusting, FOX "news" first reported the story of Obama being taught in Indonesia. CNN did a follow up(this was reported on Jon Stewarts excellent Daily Show) it was NOT a Madrassa type school it was simply a normal school.
It does not say much for Hilary-who is ironically a hate figure for Fox to use them to spread this pathetic, muck-raking excuse for journalism.
And it's a very cheap(and pathetic) shot to take to deliberately confuse Obama/Osama.
DD
I would probably ask the following questions:
Would you vote for those who have committed adultery against their wives?
Would you vote for those who have had at least 2 divorcees and 3rd marriage?
It is these cheap shots that reinforce why I am an Independent [Libertarian] and why the Republicans and Democrats should be banned as criminal organizations. The US Media's Behaviour also reinforces why I have been a regular Ö÷²¥´óÐã Listener since the age of 8 in 1970. For serius entertainment and news, the Ö÷²¥´óÐã. For Comedy in poor taste, US Media.
John- What makes you think those are relevant concerns? When we elect someone to office, we're not trying to audit their entire lives, if you ask me. Perhaps that's been our problem in the past. Surely we're trying to find the person that can do the job best, not the person who best fits the description "Superman". If someone is a smoker and a great president, I'll take them anyday over someone who has never smoked and does okay. (Besides, some of the greatest world leaders have been smokers of some kind, whether it be cigars or pipes or whatever.)
Obama as president, smoker or not? Now that's a debate for another day.
A smoker will be always a bad example.
Maybe will quit smoking, but the lies remain. The religion issue, well, this will be a real problem after he will start to explain something, anything and only if he will try to be friend with anyone. The best solution is to choose a team, an idea and to fight, not to loose time and trust with lot of excuses. Bush is now president grace to the fact that he believe in what he said... more than his opponent.