home

Obama to Quit Smoking as He Enters Race

By Jeralyn, Section Elections 2008
Posted on Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 02:41:16 PM EST
Tags: Barack Obama (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

Barack Obama is making two big decisions this week: to file a statement of candidacy for President and to quit smoking.

"I've never been a heavy smoker," Obama told the Tribune, "I've quit periodically over the last several years. I've got an ironclad demand from my wife that in the stresses of the campaign I don't succomb. I've been chewing Nicorette strenuosly."

More from the Chicago Tribune, here.

Is this a campaign stunt? To get millions of America to join him and thereby become vested in his success? Probably not, but I could see it happening.

< WI. Hmong Hunter Killing: Retaliation? | Putting Time Limits on Rape >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    Obama to Quit Smoking as He Enters Race | 16 comments (16 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

    Good for him! (none / 0) (#1)
    by Gabriel Malor on Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 02:45:15 PM EST
    On the smoking, I mean. I'm rather agnostic about his presidential aspirations.

    Barack Obama; Assassin of Youth (none / 0) (#2)
    by aahpat on Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 03:15:44 PM EST
    Maybe Obama will have better success with his own addictions than he has with controlling the addictions of the nation.

    The drug warriors call this "success".

    Barack Obama; Assassin of Youth

    Barack Obama (none / 0) (#3)
    by barbarajmay on Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 04:08:34 PM EST
    He's gotten some grief from the right wing talking heads about his addiction.  My guess is he wants to take that out of play, and to eliminate any potential "personal weakness" they an exploit.

    Because somebody had to say it (5.00 / 1) (#9)
    by scarshapedstar on Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 09:28:56 PM EST
    He should pick up a right wing-approved addiction, like Jack, coke (the other coke), gambling, meth, hillbilly heroin, sexytime IMs with teenage boys...

    Parent
    Quitting is easy, ... (none / 0) (#4)
    by roy on Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 05:57:12 PM EST
    ... I do it all the time.

    Seriously, I wish him luck.  I don't have much interest in him for '08, but I expect he'll make '12+4*N real interesting.

    Poor guy.... (none / 0) (#5)
    by kdog on Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 07:43:40 PM EST
    I know what it's like to have your special lady nagging you to quit...I don't know what it would be like to have every anti-smoking zealot and health-nut advocacy group on your case.

    I don't think the poor guy has a choice if he wants to run.

    Words of wisdom (none / 0) (#6)
    by jimakaPPJ on Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 08:32:53 PM EST
    If you put a three pack a day smoker on a desert island with no smokes and no way to get any...

    they wouldn't die.

    So no one should tell anyone they can't q