Obama's Admitted Cocaine Use

By Jeralyn, Section Elections 2008
Posted on Wed Jan 03, 2007 at 01:32:18 AM EST
Tags: Barak Obama (all tags)

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Barack Obama may not be my number one choice for a Presidential candidate, but I hardly hold this against him:

Long before the national media spotlight began to shine on every twist and turn of his life's journey, Barack Obama had this to say about himself: "Junkie. Pothead. That's where I'd been headed: the final, fatal role of the young would-be black man. . . . I got high [to] push questions of who I was out of my mind."

....In the book, Obama 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.

Why did he make the admission?

In an interview during his Senate race two years ago, Obama said he admitted using drugs because he thought it was important for "young people who are already in circumstances that are far more difficult than mine to know that you can make mistakes and still recover.

If only Bush had been as honest.

This won't hurt Obama. If anything, it makes him more human.

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Obama's Admitted Cocaine Use | 17 comments (17 topical)

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Obama Barak? (5.00 / 1) (#1)
by jd007 on Wed Jan 03, 2007 at 02:16:40 AM EST

Who's that?

: Must be the snow in Denver (none / 0) (#2)
by Maggie Mae on Wed Jan 03, 2007 at 03:04:22 AM EST

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Funny..... (5.00 / 2) (#11)
by kdog on Wed Jan 03, 2007 at 10:49:06 AM EST

I got high [to] push questions of who I was out of my mind."

I get high to push questions of who I am to the front of my mind.

Just what we need...another politician putting their career ahead of the country. I won't hold my breath waiting for Obama to speak out against the national plague we call prohibition.

Redemption hasn't yet died, it's just very ill. (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by Bill Arnett on Wed Jan 03, 2007 at 11:48:02 AM EST

What will hurt Obama (1.00 / 1) (#5)
by jarober on Wed Jan 03, 2007 at 07:40:59 AM EST

There are three things that will prevent Obama from making it to the White House, IMHO:

His name. Unfair, yes. It's an odd name, and, as we saw this last week, too close to some other unpopular names. Not his fault in any way, but there it is
He's a smoker, and smoking is not mainstream in the US anymore (and it's positively looked down on in a lot of the country). He should quit, both for the sake of his health and for his political ambitions
He's single. Perhaps this shouldn't matter, but I think it does.

I really don't think his lack of national political experience matters a whole lot. If you look back over all the Presidents, experience (or the lack of it) doesn't really seem to correlate well with having a successful Presidency - mostly, it seems to have not mattered a lot.

: Well, let's see - 1 of 3? (5.00 / 1) (#10)
by Kitt on Wed Jan 03, 2007 at 10:41:03 AM EST

Okay - we've established he's married and has been for awhile. Anyone who has followed the news and has seen him in action would know that. His wife is very prominent.

The other two problems remain though.
As for his name, it's only a big deal to those who mentality hasn't expanded beyond that of a 4 year old.
And smoking - he doesn't smoke either.
So.....
Why did he make these admissions? To diffuse the idiot's fire. I've done drugs, I've smoked cigarettes, cigars, even tiparillos, and I've even drank myself into oblivion. So what? There are many out there who have done the same things, just as there are those who haven't. And - if that's the worst of what's been done, he's relatively benign though I'm not a particular fan.

: Congress.... (5.00 / 2) (#18)
by kdog on Wed Jan 03, 2007 at 03:07:24 PM EST

Looking at our congress and govt. in general...inexperience is a plus.
I'll take a guy who is inexperienced in running up trillion dollar debts, legislating away freedom, and starting wars.
The fact that he advocates for tougher drug laws, when as a former user he should know better, is reason enough for me not to vote for him.
Riddle me this Obama, when you were young and "lost" and sniffing lines, would a prison cell have helped?
...Calling all Greens, Calling all Libertarians!!!

: Single? (none / 0) (#7)
by piotr on Wed Jan 03, 2007 at 09:36:42 AM EST

He's married, actually.

Obama (none / 0) (#3)
by barbarajmay on Wed Jan 03, 2007 at 04:57:36 AM EST

I think he's clever enough to be "popping their bubble", an age old trial tactic when you know that your opponent has dirt on your case. You bring it up first to take the sting out of it.

Barak (none / 0) (#4)
by sedipple on Wed Jan 03, 2007 at 06:00:16 AM EST

How about that, hes human.

The old pickled sub-humans should be so honest.

he did it (none / 0) (#6)
by HeadScratcher on Wed Jan 03, 2007 at 08:44:27 AM EST

because it's going to come out anyway so you might as well be upfront and honest. Gee, what a concept!

I don't think it'll make too much difference. He's not going to make it to the White House anyway. Just a charismatic media darling who can articulate his thoughts clearly.

Whoops (none / 0) (#8)
by jarober on Wed Jan 03, 2007 at 09:57:01 AM EST

Not sure why I thought he was single, maybe it was bad reporting on him, or my misreading of said reporting. The other two problems remain though.

Will he be a hypocrite? (none / 0) (#9)
by Pete Guither on Wed Jan 03, 2007 at 09:58:54 AM EST

Obama's past drug use was discussed during his Senate race and quickly became a non-issue. I don't think that admitting past drug use will in any way disqualify him. The issue is what he'll do about drug policy.

As a politician in Illinois he bragged about having voting for tougher drug laws. It concerns me that he feels he may need to do this to "counter" his past drug use politically (just like Clinton countered his "didn't inhale" nonsense by starting a war against medical marijuana users in California).

If Obama had been jailed for his past drug use would he or the country be better off today? Will he deny others the same opportunity to make something with their lives that he had? Or will Obama be willing to step up and say "We need to do something about this expensive, racist, and counterproductive drug war."?

Obama could make a difference here, but I haven't heard it from him yet. One good thing is that he spends some time with Illinois' other Senator -- Durbin -- and may pick up some good ideas from him.

Bushie's coking up on the air? (none / 0) (#12)
by scribe on Wed Jan 03, 2007 at 10:55:23 AM EST

Raw Story is reporting a developing story, re a Fox reporter who saw Bushie use coke live, on the air. Supposedly, there's a clip Raw is seeking to acquire (or is in the process of acquiring). Keep eyes open, I guess....

: Boring (none / 0) (#16)
by scribe on Wed Jan 03, 2007 at 12:13:32 PM EST

nothing new here, on the Fox & Friends YouTube.
But, boy, do the two guys try to get the woman in the middle off the cliff of talking about Bushie using....

Horse tranquilizer (none / 0) (#14)
by jondee on Wed Jan 03, 2007 at 11:05:15 AM EST

scribe (none / 0) (#17)
by HeadScratcher on Wed Jan 03, 2007 at 12:19:57 PM EST

scribe,

that's not what Raw Story was reporting. Read it again...or spread a false rumor again. There's plenty to hate Bush for, we don't need to make up anything