President Obama is stupid (my doctor said so)

It took my wife's pregnancy and my blunt doctor to get me to quit smoking.

My wife told me the day before Father's Day 2008 that she was expecting our first child. I vowed then that I would stop smoking, that I would stop sneaking around and pretending no one noticed my bad habit. I'd made such promises before. I made that promise before I got married, before I assumed parental responsibilities for my wife's two daughters, now teenagers. Still, I didn't quit. I only smoke when I drank, of course. Except for those few I snuck at work. And on the way to work. And on the way home from work. I thought I was kidding people. I thought people didn't know. And I was lying to myself and everyone around me, and fooling no one. For a cigarette.

Then, on July 11, I had a routine physical exam, and my doctor, who had never met me before, asked me if I smoked. I didn't lie to him. I said yes.

"So, you're stupid," he said.

I wasn't accustomed to such unpleasantries. But I had no comeback. The best I could come up with was, "Well, it's not my smartest habit."

No, the doctor said, it's stupid. As in unintelligent. As in dumb.

And, as if he needed to, my doctor rattled off everything we all know about the hazards of cigarette smoking. You've read it before. You don't need me to recite it here the way my doctor recited it to me. Shortened life expectancy. Decreased quality of life. The physical stench of your presence. Don't kid yourself. Everyone knows you smoke. Sure, it's a free country, and you have the right to smoke if you want to. I'm not disputing that. It's just stupid. My doctor said so.

I keep thinking back to that picture of President Obama, some time back, with a cigarette in his mouth, along with that empty promise he made not to break the White House rules against smoking. Smokers have made promises like that before. I won't smoke at all, unless... unless I'm drinking. Unless I'm away from home. Unless I'm really stressed. Unless I'm...

Stupid, my doctor said.

"But I figure, seeing as I'm running for president, I need to cut myself a little slack," he said last year.

Stupid, my doctor said. You're not cutting yourself slack. You're selling yourself short. Now that you actually are president, what's your excuse? Too much free time? Not enough to keep yourself occupied?

President Obama took office with an enormous amount of goodwill behind him. I submit a public decision to quit, coming from him, would have a profound effect on many lives.

I can think of two in particular.
Obama%20girls.jpg

Are you smarter than a U.S. President? Prove it. Quit smoking. Visit Tobacco Free Florida for details, or just talk to your doctor. Tell him you're serious this time. And mean it.

POSTED IN: Health (86), Rafael Olmeda (91), Step-parenting (48)

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Comments

Yes the President is stupid for smoking. Yes, he should quit for his daughters (if not for himself, and the promise he made to the rest of the country).

And yes, the spittle-spewing, anti'socialist'-ranting, 'you sure he isn't Muslim?'-whining, 'OMFG, he _bowed_ before a Saudi King'-hyperventilating, anti-Obama crowd are _also_ stupid for bleeding this issue for every drop of blood they can get.

For them, I say this: Light _that_ up and smoke it!

Posted by: Garth Patterson | April 13, 2009 8:03 PM

1. The shoes in your second paragraph don't fit.

2. Is the right wing really making a big deal of this? They dislike him for all sorts of reasons, but I don't recall this being one of them.

Posted by: Rafael | April 13, 2009 8:14 PM

Smoking Is one of the stupid things we do along with a whole host of other things.
Thank goodness you have decided to be strong and honest with your self.. and take steps to giving your self the gift of life. My little brother had his first heart attack at 42. The Doctor told him the main cause was his cigarette smoking it took some surgery and another painful episode before he finally quit for good. I am so glad... I love him and would hate like the dickens to not have him around to argue politics with.
Kudos to you and here's to a longer smoke free life for you, your wife and your daughters.

Posted by: Annie | April 13, 2009 8:37 PM

That was very nice. Thank you. Of course, I do not think the President is "stupid," anymore than I think I was "stupid." Lots of really smart people smoke, even though we know better. My doctor chose a blunt approach that worked with me. Smoking is stupid, so why do smart people continue to do it?

Posted by: Rafael | April 13, 2009 8:53 PM

"2. Is the right wing really making a big deal of this? They dislike him for all sorts of reasons, but I don't recall this being one of them."

... yet. Who'da thaought that people would make a big deal out of Obama's bow, ... yet, they did.

But, I could be wrong. ... Hopefully.

In any event, he _should_ stop smoking.

Posted by: Garth Patterson | April 13, 2009 9:18 PM

I agree, and I am old-fashioned enough to remember when the President was supposed to be Example-in-Chief. Not fair perhaps, but then it's an elected office, not an ordination.

My son and DIL smoke, though they lie about it. Sorry kids, the nose knows.

I quit many years ago for health reasons. So of course I bug everybody I can. Working in a cancer hospital for many years helped form my attitude. I agree with Mr. Olmeda and his fine physician - it's stupid!

Posted by: Sophie Maxx | April 14, 2009 11:07 AM

We do need to allow for changing values, though. Reagan appeared in cigarette ads way back when. Ford was a smoker. Kennedy was depicted with cigarettes in his mouth from time to time. And we all know FDR smoked.

A friend just reminded me that Sheriff Andy Taylor smoked. I mean, Opie's dad? Really? Ugh!

Posted by: Rafael | April 14, 2009 3:52 PM

Of course, the best anti-smoking commercial I've ever seen is a movie called Frequency with Dennis Quaid and (I know I'm going to misspell this) Jim Caveziel. Saying why would spoil it the movie, though.

Posted by: Rafael | April 14, 2009 3:54 PM

The best smoking "commercial" I ever saw was some guy gasping for breath in the waiting room of the department where I worked in the cancer hospital.

Posted by: Sophie Maxx | April 14, 2009 6:26 PM

I can't believe we have elected a president that is so stupid, that he smokes cigarettes. had I known, I would never have voted for him. how can he control a country if he is unable to control what he puts into his own body.

this nation can save billions of dollars in health care simply by not smoking cigarettes. and yet we now have an idiot setting this kind of example. and then on the other hand raising taxes to pay for health care for other idiots who smoke cigarretes. makes no sense. take responsability for your own actions, and don't expect others to pay for your stupidity.

Posted by: mike | April 21, 2009 7:10 PM

Some people are extra-ordinarily Stupid, apart from the writer of this ariticle take for instance MIKE up there who also calls the president stupid for smoking. Smoking is not as a result of stupidity, otherwise, we all in america should be smoking now especially The past president; but as a result of a chronic dependency which takes time and not a little effort to break. Smoking is not done by stupid people anymore than being a surgeon is populated by potential serial killers anymore than driving is don by suicidal maniacs. Smoking is a habbit. By the way Article Author, I think the doctor called YOU stupid, and not Obama Stupid. SMoking may be a stupid thing to do but does not make the smoker stupid. So watch what you write. otherwise you will be considered Stupid.

Posted by: Joy Ocean | June 2, 2009 4:17 PM

Joy,

You obviously missed this comment, or didn't realize I was the one who wrote it. I'm happy to repeat it for your benefit:

"Of course, I do not think the President is 'stupid,' anymore than I think I was 'stupid.' Lots of really smart people smoke, even though we know better. My doctor chose a blunt approach that worked with me. Smoking is stupid, so why do smart people continue to do it?"

Posted by: Rafael | June 2, 2009 4:23 PM

All I know is that Obama has done a lot of stupid things since he became president. Does that make him stupid? Not any more stupid than the people who voted for him I guess. We all saw the interviews at the voting places and the Obama voters were really stupid people.

Posted by: Mike P. | June 22, 2009 3:51 AM

Posted by: Mike P. | June 22, 2009 3:56 AM

If your doctor said BARACK OBAMA is STUPID then your doctor is right

Posted by: Birdzilla | August 28, 2009 12:55 PM

Birdzilla,
Lest anyone think my comment on Obama is political in nature (as yours is) let me repeat what I said earlier:

"Of course, I do not think the President is "stupid," anymore than I think I was "stupid." Lots of really smart people smoke, even though we know better. My doctor chose a blunt approach that worked with me. Smoking is stupid, so why do smart people continue to do it?"

Posted by: Rafael | August 28, 2009 1:02 PM

Your doctor is a rude xxxxxxx as are many in the medical field.There are gentle approaches that work too. President Obama said he finally quit. Maybe he did. Maybe he did not but that is another example of choices we have in America. Some people smoke, some people don't. Why are you really upset with our great President Obama?

Posted by: Rain | August 28, 2009 2:40 PM

I'm not. I'm upset with you for unnecessarily using profanity in your comment, creating unnecessary work for me. You're entitled to your assessment of "our great President Obama," but to think that criticism of his smoking masks an ulterior motive is paranoid. Relax. Have a beer or something.

Posted by: Rafael | August 28, 2009 2:53 PM