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President Obama has been in office for just over an eighth of his term, now, and despite the state of the economy and clamor about healthcare reform, CNN decided it was time to conduct a poll about whether or not Americans condone Obama's smoking.
Huh.
Setting aside the obvious issue of whether or not this is a matter of grave importance, I found the results of the survey somewhat unremarkable:
The poll suggests no ideological divide over the president's habit.
"Liberals are accused of getting into people's business. Do they care if President Obama smokes? No. About half say it's OK with them if he smokes every day," said CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider. "Conservatives? About half of conservatives also say it's also OK with them if the president smokes every day."
I suppose the argument could be made that the lack of difference between the two groups is, in itself, an interesting finding, but I think it merely proves that different people have different opinions, and smoking turns out not to be the domain of one side of the political spectrum or the other.
If you must know, I wish Obama didn't smoke. I think smoking is a nasty habit. And he's stated his desire and intention to quit, so I'd love to see that happen, to speak nothing of my aversion to having a president who ends up with lung cancer. So, yes, if forced to give my opinion: I'd rather he didn't.
On the other hand, I don't know that it's any of my business, you know?
But us pesky Americans -- we have opinions. Lots of 'em. Here's what the CNN poll didn't reveal, that female bloggers are talking about:
On the Raising Maine blog, FamilyFUN posts about Obama's signing of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009, whereupon an enraged commenter points out (in all caps, natch) that "OBAMA HIMSELF SMOKES LIKE A CHIMNEY!" The original author comments back:
I thought he quit or was quitting. Or was that all smoke and mirrors? Sorry, bad pun. Couldn't resist.
Peggy Rowland of Blisstree is wondering why Obama isn't drawing more criticism on this topic:
Will his smoking habit affect his health while in the White House? Also, shouldn't we be concerned about the message he’s sending to youth? AND adults!
[...]
No, I’m not bashing the President. This isn't political. It's a health issue. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure if Obama continues to smoke regularly or not. [Reports that he refrains from smoking inside the White House] certainly makes me think he still smokes. I wish he'd clarify.
Neo-Neocon is concerned less about the president's smoking than about his reluctance to be more forthright about it:
"I don't, honestly, see the need to get a whole lot more specific than the fact that it's a continuing struggle," Gibbs said. “He struggles with it every day."
Honestly, Mr. Gibbs, I bet you don't see the need. I wouldn't either, to tell you the truth (I assume the White House is amply equipped with smoke alarms), except that it is typical of Obama's cageyness (love that word!) or downright secretiveness on other aspects of his life that are far more relevant.
The New Yorker's Amy Davidson reports on some of that answer-dodging, too:
"Do you smoke alone?" Margaret Talev asked President Obama at his press conference yesterday. She wanted to know a few other details, too, like the number of cigarettes and whether he thought the anti-smoking bill he'd just signed might help him quit. Obama replied,
I think it's fair, Margaret, to just say that you just think it's neat to ask me about my smoking as opposed to it being relevant to my new law.
Things can be neat and relevant. (He did concede that he doesn't smoke "daily," or in front of his kids.)
And finally, Minnette Coleman of Speak Without Interruption has a long history with tobacco, and is rooting for the president to kick the habit:
I am an Obama supporter, I have been for a while. But I am like his wife and I want him to quit, even though he smokes now just ’a little’. It is not an easy habit to break, the nicotine addiction is like any drug addiction. But if you have people who smoke and don’t smoke on your side telling you not to do it, to stop it, you might quit. You might not even start. I was lucky- I had lots
