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Thank God He Smokes
AP Photo
Barack Obama all but admitted in an interview yesterday that he still sneaks a cigarette now and then. Bravo, says The Daily Beast's Mark McKinnon. Obama's perfection was getting mighty annoying.
An NBC medical reporter Wednesday asked President Obama the question that dare not be asked—is he still smoking? She got a response with a tight smile: "I’m doing quite well, thank you." Which, of course, means not so good.
Relax, Mr. President. We're just glad you're not perfect.
You know things had gotten out of hand when the media started writing stories about whether or not President Obama is “too perfect”.
Thank goodness Obama smokes. That’s the only thing that seems to keep him tethered to mortal ground these days.
And in addition to the Obama thrill continuing to run up the leg of the collective media, there has been evidence of Obama himself wandering into dangerously perfect territory. Obama suggested last month that he had read “all the great Urdu poets.” All of them? I would have been impressed with a couple.
The problem with “perfect” is that I think voters are suspicious of someone without any flaws, even if he’s the president. Voters are moved more by humanity than perfection. They want someone who is human, accessible, and real. And they know that no one is perfect. So, if someone tries to come across that way, or is presented that way, the BS detectors come out.
For all their flaws—in fact, because of some of them—Clinton and Bush were and are loved even more.
But Obama? Perfect family. Model father. Terrific kids. Even perfect dog. Great game (who can forget the three-pointer he sank during the campaign?). Good dancer. Ultra cool. Very fashionable. Great orator. Highly literate.
So thank goodness Obama smokes. That’s the only thing that seems to keep him tethered to mortal ground these days.
His staff goes apoplectic when pesky media ask him about it. And when he does get asked, he admits it, but like Wednesday there’s some classic addict denial:
“The president said that he does not smoke in front of his kids or the rest of his family, and compared his situation to that of a recovering alcoholic. 'I've said before that as a former smoker I constantly struggle with it,'” the president said, as reported by CBSNews.com. "'Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes. Am I a daily smoker, a constant smoker? No. I would say that I am 95 percent cured, but there are times where, there are times where I mess up, he added.'”
Hell, I was 95 percent cured for about 15 years.
Of course he should quit. It’s a terrible example and bad signal to send to kids or anyone else from the Oval Office, not to mention just bad for his own health.
But, I’m amused by the notion that he’s sneaking off occasionally and huffing a butt. Don’t you know that in the G-8 meetings someone like Berlusconi is dragging him into a back room for a smoke.
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Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
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As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, corporations and causes, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono. McKinnon is co-chair of Arts & Labs, a collaboration between technology and creative communities that have embraced today's rich Internet environment to deliver innovative and creative digital products to consumers.
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As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, corporations and causes, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono. McKinnon is co-chair of Arts & Labs, a collaboration between technology and creative communities that have embraced today's rich Internet environment to deliver innovative and creative digital products to consumers.
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As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, corporations and causes, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono. McKinnon is co-chair of Arts & Labs, a collaboration between technology and creative communities that have embraced today's rich Internet environment to deliver innovative and creative digital products to consumers.
Loved is hardly the word to describe President Bush; Clinton pulls it off much better judging by the standing ovation he received at the convention last summer.
"For all their flaws-in fact, because of some of them-Clinton and Bush were and are loved even more."
Really? god another useless article
Why can't he just relax and smoke cigars?
Wait did McKinnon submit this article back in December and it is just being published now?
Because I am incredulous he ignores all the "uhuhuhuhuhuh"'s when the teleprompter goes out.
Or he could pick from his complete misstatements on the Ricci case (hint- it wasnt an affirmative action case Mr. President) or his state visit to Russia where he calls their President by the wrong name
"Mr. Obama has seemed tired here, several times fumbling the pronunciation of Mr. Medvedev's name and Mr. Putin's title. Beginning a speech here, he mistakenly said he first met his wife in school instead of at the law firm where they actually met. And he misstated his younger daughter's age.
Yes, he should really consider resigning. What kind of person gets tired after working hard? I'm suspicious.
LOL!
Personally, I find the demonization of smoking a little suspicious.
Nobody ever smoked up a carton of cigarettes and then held up the local convenience store.
Nbody ever smoked up a carton of cigarettes and then beat his wife or children.
So how come drinking and pot still have some cachet and smoking is evil?
Besides, it is good that Obama is human.
Means he can learn from his mistakes, and maybe, just if he is lucky, from the mistakes of others.
The demonization of smoking tobacco occurs because -IT WILL KILL YOU- and is a disgusting habit. Also comparing smoking tobacco (which doesn't intoxicate you)to getting drunk is ridiculous and I wouldn't be surprised if you recognized how ridiculous this was while typing it out but decided "whatever.".Also, where are all these marijuana smokers that are smoking a bowl then decide to go rob a liquor store or..ROFL..beat their wife or children, you know absolutely nothing; maybe if you would have just stuck to alcohol I could agree with you, but this is silly.
Yeah, the only thing the pot smokers would attack is a large pizza
Asthma pal.......it kills the ability for those around the smoker to even catch a breath.
As a 95% cured smoker myself, I found the article amusing.
"I want the leader of the free world to take a load off. Unpack some stress. If an occasional cigarette helps him relax, I'm for it."
Funny, that's what I said about Clinton's blowjobs...
HAAAA!!!! good one lmktacwa...
I wonder if Evan Thomas from Newsweek wants his god smoking?
Nice observation.
Interesting difference - Obama isn't denying the smoking under oath, or using government resources to falsely destroy a young girl's reputation.
Better observation.
Senator then ..and now President Obama wouldn't be CAUGHT in a photo a smoking a CIG..the pic attached to this article is a FAKE..plus as I understand herbal CIG is his liking..
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"This is akin to Coolidge or Hoover having "just a few sips" of whiskey during prohibition"
You'd be right, if you weren't completely wrong. The fact is that President Obama's actions, while shameful, aren't illegal. That's a rather huge distinction to attempt to pass off as equal, don't you think?
If you are hunting for examples of hypocrisy within politics or the media, surely you can do much, much better.
Um. No.
The reason people 'demonize' Tobacco is because smoking is:
A. Bad for you
B. Addictive
Obama started smoking somewhere in his early 20's if not before that (Hint: he wasn't President then). Now, despite having the attention of the world on him, he struggles to kick the habit. This is despite him _obviously_ being aware of how bad it is for him.
It would be hypocritical if President Obama was walking around saying smokers are weak willed, stupid people who should man-up and quit. He's not doing that and neither is the Democratic party. What IS being said is that smoking should have as many disincentives as possible because it KILLS YOU and once you start it's HARD TO STOP.
i wonder the re-action if palin was a smoker. why wasnt this article published before the election. what a rag
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The media is all a twitter.
Oh, Mr. President,
how could we possibly behave like journalists
and question your agenda ?
Your soooo cool, and charismatic, and that's all that matters.
We can go to our cocktail parties and brag to
our colleagues about just how "down" or cool we are,
by association.
Who cares if your healthcare plan,
takeover of private industry, cap & trade,
appointment of over 30 unaccountable czars,
a possible 57% tax that will run this
country into the ground with perhaps
the largest government expansion in U.S. history
that could bankrupt us all, and pretty soon we'll
all have to speak Mandarin
because we'll all be China's Bee-Otch.
God, you are so cool. God, it's like you are God.
Policies. Who cares about policy. You're so cool, and perfect.
How dare we question you.
Oh please, do that trick where you walk across the water.
The tiny view from Jealous Mountain.
@ jdx60009
The Big Vision from Delusional Valley.
I was so close to predicting your response, only one word off, nice to know
I've still got it.
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You far left flaming liberals are
the most angry, humorless people on the face of the earth.
The kind of flaming liberals that plaster
socially irate bumper stickers all over your cars,
as if the rest of us care how MAD AT THE WORLD YOU ARE.
@sophia
Funny...
Where I'm from, the cars with stickers feature Jesus, what church they go to, and why they didn't vote for Obama.
Huh. There is a shift going on here in public mood which is pin-pointedly disturbing. A backlash at Stimulus Programs which reward some at the expense of others, while everyone is watching every penny. This is not your run of the mill Carter Malaise. This one has the teeth of real anger for Governmental misconduct. Maybe it's about time, both in terms of it's arrival and how best to smooth ruffled feathers.
I await the data you undoubtedly have to back up your claims.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
McKinnon also leaves out his graven idol's imperfection in bowling, his throwing out of the first pitch a week ago which came up short of the plate and his reference to the stadium as "Cominskey Field".
There are plenty of on-perfects to chose from so this article is even sillier than it appears at first blush.
Mark- you never need to worry about the "annoying perfection" again.
This article is silly. It's hard to believe McKinnon has a job writing. Isn't he the one who got on everyone's case about Sanford going "hiking"? Then it turns out he is 100% wrong?
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Obama is a winner, not a leader. He won the election so he is our "leader." He is not in over his head, but the water is up to his chin. Others would be chain smoking. I suspect he is smoking more than he admits.
I loved this article! I'm a closet smoker myself so I feel his pain. Death is incurable. Everyone needs to lighten up. An occassional cigarette isn't going to kill anyone. Everyone has their vices...even healthy people.
The article's a puff piece, but it's not without merit. As a former smoker myself, I know what Obama's going through and what McKinnon is trying to convey. There's some truth to his assertions that having a flaw does make Obama more likable because he seems more normal, rather than a demi-god speaking from the mountain.
Personally, I loved being a smoker. I enjoyed the lifestyle, the friends I made huddled outside my office building during smoking breaks, having a cigarette to lend emphasis to gestures I'd make while talking, and the high from taking that first big puff. If I didn't start huffing and puffing five minutes after running around with my dog, I'd still smoke.
Does McKinnon have to deliver an article even when he has nothing original or even interesting to say?
I hardly see Obama as "near perfection"...far from it. He has us embroiled in now a new war with Afghanistan, he is muddling the one clear shot at true health care reform, and let's face it, I don't know of what promise Obama is keeping that would move us int he direction of this infamous "change".
New war in Afganistan?? Where have you been the last few years?
"muddling the one clear shot at true health care reform"?
Yeah, like he just waves a magic wand and makes it happen. There is an obstruction that needs to be worked through, it's called Congress.
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Another vapid, insipid column from Andy Rooney Lite.
With your party ablaze with infidelities and racism and ineptitude, you choose to whine about the "perfection" of the opposition leader. Could you be any more lame.
And irrelevant.
Just a reminder that "racism" today means "I disagree with you."
Where is Christopher Buckley when you need him?
Yes indeed, just where has Chris Buckley gone? I might not always agree with him, but, unlike this writer, he is a fun read
We all know the samctimonious McKinnon is pure as the driven snow.
McKinnon reminds me of the New Testament passage where the scripture says, "and many shall run to and fro". It refers to their changing their stripes and running around from denominations of one sort or another, yet never finding the truth.Just getting his holier than thou nose into politics proves he is still running.
McKinnon is a good guy - he is thoughtful.
McKinnon is about as thoughtful as a croc about o amke a kill.
His ilk follows the political winds, because that's where the money flows. And boy does McKinnon worship the Almighty Dollar, that is why he worked so hard to help Bush/Cheney steal the 2000 election. So Hallibuton,Carylyle Group,Blackwater, et al, could profit of the wars the Project for a New American Century had planned.
How many American lives have been lost in Iraq since the beginning of the war? Under 5,000?
Guess how many Americans die from smoking in the U.S. EVERY YEAR?
400,000.
Digest that.
So all of you who want to rail against the 'demonization of smoking' etc. etc., that's fine - just spend a little time in the local cancer ward with people who are dying, people who thought it would never happen to them. And meet their devastated friends, families, and loved ones.
Then multiply all that pain and sadness by 400,000 for each year in America.
If you want to really taste it for real, go to http://www.blacklungcorp.com and watch a 10-minute video made by a son losing his Mom to lung cancer.
I wonder how many young people that look at Obama and think 'it can't be that bad if the President does it' will themselves actually die from it.
Judging by the statistics, probably a lot.
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I'm like, a better driver when I'm drunk. True story. I drive drunk ALL the time and don't crash. So like, if you're a good drunk driver you should keep doing it but if you're bad you should stop. The best way to determine if you're good or bad is to just give it a go for a while. Drive drunk as often as possible and if you don't crash, that must mean you're a super awesome drunk driver like me and the law doesn't apply to you!
/heavily sarcastic analogy
You Mom has taken a huge risk and has been extremely lucky so far. I wonder if she could see what her lungs look like she would still do it. It's russian roulette, plain and simple.
Bush wasn't flawed, he was a failure. And Obama's not perfect, we saw his first pitch at the all-star game.
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I hope he quits for the kids. That is the best motivation. More years with the children and grandchildren.
Thank you.
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