Keep on smoking, Mr. President
The recent health report on President Barack Obama was quite favorable, other than that pesky smoking thing. The health summary said “the president is in excellent health and fit for duty,” but stated that the president should also “continue his smoking cessation efforts.”
President Obama says he is 95 percent cured, but he still sneaks a Marlboro Red every now and then. And why not? Yes, he is a role model for the country, we understand that. But so were many other presidents who openly smoked. George W. Bush was a cigarette smoker, as were Ronald Reagan, Lyndon Johnson, John Kennedy and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Gerald Ford smoked a pipe, and we all heard about the fondness Bill Clinton had for cigars.
We find cigarette smoking to be a disgusting habit, but we also know how addictive and mind-controlling nicotine can be. The physical effects associated with quitting smoking play horrible games with the brain, and that’s not something we want a sitting president to deal with. Is this the time for President Obama to quit smoking? Absolutely not.
We don’t want our president to suffer from mild depression and sadness in the Oval Office. We don’t want the leader of the Free World to experience extra jitters and anxiety while negotiating with Iran. Although it may be hard to believe that President Obama could experience boredom or loneliness with Joe Biden around, many smokers who try quitting actually do. And anger and short temper are not emotions we want from our Commander in Chief. We passed on John McCain, remember?
We realize the benefits involved in stopping smoking, so spare the letters, please. We also know that only around 5 percent of people are able to quit on their own, and that the average successful quitter needs to try seven times before he or she can actually kick the habit for good. We applaud President Obama’s ongoing efforts to quit smoking, but we encourage him to wait until his term is over to give it a real effort. By the way things are looking right now, that won’t be long.
We don’t wish President Obama any ill health from his ongoing smoking. The last thing we need is a president with bladder cancer, congestive heart failure or deep vein thrombosis. We simply want him at his best. And if smoking for a few more years helps to accomplish that, then so be it.
Truth be told, our president’s first year in office wasn’t what most of us expected. But imagine what could happen in year two, three or four if this guy goes off the nicotine? A little smoke in the eyes might be just what he needs.
So light up another one, Mr. President, and make every puff count. CV
