# Does this campaign ad suggest Obama is smoking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 30, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-campaign-ad-suggest-obama-is-smoking/558897 "2010-10-30T18:09:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-campaign-ad-suggest-obama-is-smoking/558897/1 "2010-10-30T18:09:06Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/eHysz8kE6n8/hqdefault.jpg "New TV Ad: "Rubber Stamp"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHysz8kE6n8) Cute. It’s obviously intentional, and completely stupid and pointless. Thank God this election is almost over. It’s not safe to turn on your TV if you live in the 5th district in Virginia. When I say every other ad is about the race between Tom Perriello (D) and Robert Hurt (R), I’m not joking. EVERY. SINGLE. BREAK. I’ve seen three in a row, six in one commercial break. They must be breaking records for ad buys for a house seat. I’ve never seen such total saturation. It _is_ an interesting contest. Perriello won by 700 votes as the underdog two years ago, and he trails against a new rival this time. Obama came to Charlottesville last night, stumping for Perriello. It was pretty cool, there was a huge and enthusiastic crowd on the downtown mall. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-campaign-ad-suggest-obama-is-smoking/558897/2 "2010-10-30T19:02:52Z")
I don’t think so, exactly: I’ve seen the President use that pose before when he’s thinking. He does smoke, though. I think he’s sort of in perpetual ‘trying to quit’ mode, but… yeah, this presidency isn’t really conductive to that. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-campaign-ad-suggest-obama-is-smoking/558897/3 "2010-10-30T19:07:45Z")
Did you notice the steam (smoke) in the background? ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-campaign-ad-suggest-obama-is-smoking/558897/4 "2010-10-30T19:29:39Z")
I believe it’s just meant to suggest that he’s thinking. The people that ad is aimed at aren’t fans of thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-campaign-ad-suggest-obama-is-smoking/558897/5 "2010-10-30T22:20:36Z")
Oh, it’s not just thinking – Obama’s obviously engaged in that prissy, ivory tower, Liberal Elite kind of thinking. In that picture, he’s probably thinking about taxing your lawnmower to make you switch to a push reel. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-campaign-ad-suggest-obama-is-smoking/558897/6 "2010-10-31T00:05:57Z")
No, that’s a kiss off, as in “Kiss your freedom goodbye.” ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-campaign-ad-suggest-obama-is-smoking/558897/7 "2010-11-27T17:30:07Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHysz8kE6n8](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHysz8kE6n8) > completely stupid and pointless. Dude! I am so there! Best wishes, hh ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-campaign-ad-suggest-obama-is-smoking/558897/8 "2010-11-27T18:41:25Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > He does smoke, though. I think he’s sort of in perpetual ‘trying to quit’ mode, but… yeah, this presidency isn’t really conductive to that. I can’t think of a worse circumstance in which to give up smoking. “Wooh Michelle, that’s 24 hours!” “Mr President, there’s some news from the DMZ in Korea!” “Oh, fuck.” _lights up_ ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-campaign-ad-suggest-obama-is-smoking/558897/9 "2010-11-27T19:57:55Z")
George W Bush looks good these days, have you noticed? Watch some video from the end of his presidency, and of him now shopping his book around. It’s like he doesn’t have a care in the world. Just being the president ages you. I honestly can’t think which would be worse: smoking through the disasters or _not_ smoking through the disasters, healthwise. One gives you cancer, one blows your heart up. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-campaign-ad-suggest-obama-is-smoking/558897/10 "2010-11-29T17:40:25Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > I can’t think of a worse circumstance in which to give up smoking. > > “Wooh Michelle, that’s 24 hours!” > > “Mr President, there’s some news from the DMZ in Korea!” > > “Oh, fuck.” > > _lights up_ Smoking _causes_ stress, it does not relieve it (except for the temporary hit of the drug dose feeding your addiction). ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-campaign-ad-suggest-obama-is-smoking/558897/11 "2010-11-29T18:31:55Z")
Good enough for me. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-campaign-ad-suggest-obama-is-smoking/558897/12 "2010-11-29T20:14:08Z")
Does anyone else keep misreading this as “What does this campaign ad suggest Obama is smoking”? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-campaign-ad-suggest-obama-is-smoking/558897/13 "2010-12-01T20:37:22Z")
I don’t think it suggest he’s smoking, it suggests he is picking his nose. Regards, Shodan