# Obama Smoking in the White House **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 12, 2008, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314 "2008-11-12T06:54:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314/21 "2008-11-12T09:23:05Z")
McCain-Palin accepted public funding for their election, ergo, the clothes were paid for with tax money. ---
**Author:** ![Cider\_Depot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Cider\_Depot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cider_Depot)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314/22 "2008-11-12T09:26:43Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > OK, so we are talking about cigarettes here, right? No, he is literally smoking ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314/23 "2008-11-12T10:02:44Z")
> [@Hostile\_Dialect](#): > > McCain-Palin accepted public funding for their election, ergo, the clothes were paid for with tax money. not sure, but I thought the clothes were paid by a rich Republican donator ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314/24 "2008-11-12T10:06:40Z")
Because the McCain-Palin campaign accepted public election funds, they were not eligible to accept private donations, so if they did, that would be a serious case of election fraud. But they didn’t. Which is common knowledge; go check any news site if you doubt me. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314/25 "2008-11-12T10:07:51Z")
Don’t you folks get it? This is “SP is being accused of something I want to characterize as ‘trivial,’ so I’ll invent an even more trivial crime and speculate that Obama should stand punishment for it to show you guys what you’re doing to persecute Palin.” Not even a good try, really. First, come up with evidence that Obama has actually, you know, smoked, in the, you know, White House. Then make sure that his running mate has written the law that makes such a thing illegal, to do which you would have do demonstrate that such a law exists, of course. And then for good measure, wait until Obama acknowledges publically and indignantly that of course he is going to comply with all available laws that deal with his infraction and then do nothing about it at all. When all that happens, you’ve got an OP. Until then, nothing. ---
**Author:** ![wmfellows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@wmfellows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wmfellows)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314/26 "2008-11-12T10:17:41Z")
> [@Hostile\_Dialect](#): > > McCain-Palin accepted public funding for their election, ergo, the clothes were paid for with tax money. I had understood that the clothes funds in particular did **not** come from general campaign funds, but rather the Party committee, and that from a private donor. Is that understanding correct? Certainly it seems to be the presentation in most articles I read. ---
**Author:** ![papaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@papaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papaw)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314/27 "2008-11-12T10:26:23Z")
BFD on both concerns, in my opinion. Of course, if The White House is a no-smoking area, he should not smoke there. Who REALLY cares about the clothes provided Palin for the campaign? ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314/28 "2008-11-12T10:27:01Z")
> [@Hostile\_Dialect](#): > > Because the McCain-Palin campaign accepted public election funds, they were not eligible to accept private donations, so if they did, that would be a serious case of election fraud. But they didn’t. Which is common knowledge; go check any news site if you doubt me. maybe Im confused, but I thought there was a McCain-Palin campaign fund payed by public election funds, and a RNC war chest payed by private donations? and the clothes were from the second fund? Im sure it was on a news site, but it was probally a dutch one so I don’t think I could produce a cite ---
**Author:** ![wmfellows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@wmfellows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wmfellows)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314/29 "2008-11-12T10:37:25Z")
> [@willthekittensurvive](#): > > maybe Im confused, but I thought there was a McCain-Palin campaign fund payed by public election funds, and a RNC war chest payed by private donations? and the clothes were from the second fund? Im sure it was on a news site, but it was probally a dutch one so I don’t think I could produce a cite That is precisely the understanding I had from both US and UK reporting. I do believe HD is wrong here on the specific monies for the clothes (versus the campaign as such). ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314/30 "2008-11-12T10:41:43Z")
> [@the flying dutchman](#): > > will obama be allowed to smoke in the white house and air force i? > > Should he be allowed ? > > I say no, because he is not above the law. yes he can! ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314/31 "2008-11-12T10:50:13Z")
According to this [Newsweek video](http://www.newsweek.com/id/40211#?t=1906937043&l=1904732925), if I didn’t hear wrongly, an initial sum comes from the campaign fund (for a stylist and three suits) and the rest were paid by a donor. Moral of the story: never just give your credit card to someone and tell them to go on a spending spree, be it your teenager or a VP candidate. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314/32 "2008-11-12T11:09:34Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > I recall Schwartznegger had a tent set up near his office when he became governor of California so he could smoke. > > The White House is a public building. Air Force I is owned by the public as well. > > Will Obama be allowed to smoke in the White House and Air Force I? > > Should he be allowed ? > > I say no, because he is not above the law. Children, Mrs Palin’s clothes have nothing to do with this question. Apparently the answer to “What are you going to do when you don’t have Palin to kick around anymore?” is to pretend her shortcomings (whatever you perceive them to be) somehow justify someone else bending the rules. :dubious: Works for fourth grade but not worth much weight here. As to whether the OP rises to a “Great Debate”-- without these petty debates the SDMB would close. It might help raise the level of debate for several of these knee-jerk liberal posters to get off the schoolyard; if a debate is unworthy of your wisdom, how about ignoring it? Based on Mr Obama’s behaviour so far, there’s nothing to suggest he won’t follow the law, whatever that is in this case. Despite the fact that it is publicly owned, the White House is essentially a private residence. It’s more than a stretch to pretend laws protecting public places from the vice of nicotine addicts should be extended to the White House. If the spirit of the law supports no smoking areas where there is public traffic, it’s highly unlikely Mr Obama would ignore it. Even where it is permitted, he’s likely to smoke discreetly as it is a very bad PR move for someone promoting healthcare. Were he to smoke anyway against whatever legal policy is in place for a particular area, perhaps a more interesting question would be whether or not anyone would try to enforce the law by any means other than privately pointing out the violation. I suspect not. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314/33 "2008-11-12T11:11:11Z")
The RNC may well have funded the shopping spree, which in and of itself is fine (IMO); her job, after all, was to wow the nation and win over thousands/millions of voters in a short timespan, and appearance is a big part of that. The problem is that some of the money seems to have been siphoned off for private pockets, which is most certainly fraud. > [@wmfellows](#): > > I had understood that the clothes funds in particular did not come from general campaign funds, but rather the Party committee, and that from a private donor. > > Is that understanding correct? Certainly it seems to be the presentation in most articles I read. I was a fundraiser for the DNC during the general campaign. First off, no party committee can accept $150,000 in a year from one donor, so if the RNC did that, that’s another serious crime. I don’t remember the upper limit, but it wasn’t even close–somewhere around $33,000. Secondly, things may be different at the RNC, but we never accepted funds earmarked for specific purposes. It’s just too messy to do that. The bill may well have been footed by an RNC campaign fund, but even if it were legal for any one benefactor to bankroll the whole thing, I doubt that either party committee could make good on a promise to spend that specific money on one specific thing, nor that they would make the promise in the first place. OTOH, I have no direct evidence of how things work in the Republican Party, and it would not surprise me one bit to learn that there was quite a bit more fraud and law-breaking in this whole clothes thing than we now know. These are, after all, the Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314/34 "2008-11-12T11:36:36Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > Despite the fact that it is publicly owned, the White House is essentially a private residence. That’s correct, according to [WhiteHouse.gov](http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/facts.html). The White House is, after all, the President’s private home. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314/35 "2008-11-12T11:45:33Z")
My guess would be that, as a smoker, he’s used to only smoking in areas where it’s permitted, and will continue to do that. Well, thank goodness we’ve settled _that_. Now we can move on to important issues like the inappropriateness of having a puppy in the White House. Dog poo, people! IN THE WHITE HOUSE!!! Where’s the outrage?!?!? ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314/36 "2008-11-12T11:57:21Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > That’s correct, according to [WhiteHouse.gov](http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/facts.html). > > The White House is, after all, the President’s private home. And that’s one of the sites I went to before posting. Thanks for putting in the link. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314/37 "2008-11-12T12:00:23Z")
> [@Hostile\_Dialect](#): > > (Re. Schwarzenegger) > A bodybuilder? Smoking? 😕 Do you mean cigars? Yes, cigars. He does smoke, or used to. I don’t know if the surgeon who’s tried to reproduce San Francisco’s traffic knots with Governor Scwarzenegger’s arteries has finally been able to convince him to quit. Being a bodybuilder is not incompatible with smoking. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314/38 "2008-11-12T12:09:43Z")
Will he inhale? ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314/39 "2008-11-12T12:09:44Z")
I thought Obama quit smoking before the campaign began? Wasn’t that one of the conditions that Michelle put on him? ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314/40 "2008-11-12T12:16:26Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Will he inhale? > [@](#): > > By Obama > That was the point 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-smoking-in-the-white-house/472314.md?page=3)