Obama unelectable in 2008 because of drug use?

[6SpeedTA95]

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama started the debate when he admitted to a high school audience in New Hampshire that he had experimented with drugs while he was in high school.

"There were times when I got into drinking, experimenting with drugs. There was a stretch of time where I did not really apply myself," Obama said.

He added that when he left for college he realized he wasted a lot of time using drugs.

"It's not something I'm proud of," Obama said. "It was a mistake as a young man."

What a change from Bill Clinton's 1992 admission that he had smoked marijuana a time or two and didn't like it. "And I didn't inhale and didn't try it again."

"I never understood that line," Obama said, who said he did inhale marijuana when asked by a student. "The point was to inhale. That was the point." Watch Obama admit he inhaled »

Clinton's admission has become a cultural joke. Obama's comments? If you ask Republican rival Mitt Romney, Obama's comments were too honest.

"I think in order to leave the best possible example for our kids, we're probably wisest not to talk about our own indiscretions in great detail," Romney said.

Romney isn't alone in that belief. When George W. Bush was governor of Texas in 1999, he talked briefly about his use of alcohol, but refused to talk about other drugs because he feared kids might think what he did was "cool."

Bush said at the time, "It is irrelevant what I did 20 or 30 years ago. What's relevant is that I have learned from the mistakes that I made."

So what's a role model to do? Should he be discreet or open about past indiscretions?

According to Steve Pasierb, president of Partnership for a Drug-Free America, Obama is right on the money. Pasierb says kids are not naive; they know people in high places have experimented with drugs.

"The key is to be honest and to put it the context of saying I did this and it was a dumb choice," Pasierb said. "Obama talked about how it wasn't the right thing to do. When he got serious about his life, he left it behind. If he were to lie, I think most kids would know."

Pasierb says the worst thing to do is feed kids a story they're not likely to believe. In other words, never tell them that you tried it, but didn't inhale.

"Most kids are going to see right through that and will ask themselves, 'How could you know if you didn't like it if you didn't inhale?'" Pasierb said. "Clearly not recognizing something when you did it is probably not the best course."

Pasierb says role models and parents should not be afraid to admit they did the deed.

"Really the truth works best. You owe your kids honesty," he said. "But you don't need to tell them every little detail. You don't have to give them blow by blow."

Is talking about past drug use the best thing for a someone running for president? That's a question much harder to answer.

According to a 2007 Pew Research poll, 45 percent of Americans would be less likely to support a candidate for president who had used drugs.

Obama has to hope his honesty with kids translates in a good way to the adults deciding whether to vote for him

I think Obama bringing it up perhaps was in bad taste, but he was 100% honest and up front. On that point I respect him for what he said. However, I think this will be used by his opponents, primarily the democrats to keep him from getting the nomination. It is getting close between him and hillary in many areas and this could be enough to swing things back in favor of Hillary.

People need to wake up and realize that what someone may have done 30 years ago has little to do with that person today. If a person experimented with drugs and alcohol and did not get in trouble, they are no long addicted to drugs and live a good life, what is the problem? There shouldn't be one.

[JaJae]

He needs to come out with it before it's a scandal. He seems honest about it, it wasn't recent, I give him a pass on it.

[hsmith]

It is a non-issue. He didn't even need to bring it up.

You mean to tell me, all the candidates running, children of the 60's and 70's didn't smoke dope? please.

[Simius]

He wrote about it in a book over a decade ago. So him having smoked pot or done crack is hardly news. The only "news" about this is that he admitted to it in front of high schoolers. Which frankly, are old enough that they too are doing it. So admitting he did it isn't corrupting them... and his follow up message that it was a bad thing that he regrets etc is a good message to send to them.

It should be a non-issue. But depending on whether or not someone supports him it will probably become an issue of either 1. zOMG! He's actually honest about it +1 point for Obama or 2. zOMG! Not only is he a druggie but him telling high school kids he did drugs will encourage them to do it.

Hell, I remember when he first announced and Fox News did a big thing about zOMG! Obama smokes Marlboros. What else is he hiding from you?!?!?!

[Linzyhop]

well considering bush did coke a couple times, i think obama admitting he smoked some weed is not that big of a deal at all. granted i've never touched the stuff in my life (alcohol is all i need), in the grand scheme of things it's still not that big of a deal.


i see a hillary-obama ticket in the future anyway.

[motivez]

I think it really depends on your view of drugs, some people are going to hear his remarks and say "Well, he just told those kids that it's fine to experiment when you're young, you'll turn out okay as long as you don't turn out to be a druggie (or get caught)" -- Which is true, but none of those people want their kids experimenting with drugs, certainly not harder stuff like crack or coke..

And you'll have other people who will hear his remarks and say "Well, he told kids that he experimented, and realized it was a mistake, and is telling them to learn from his experience and not make the same mistakes he did" -- which is also true.

Whether or not it impacts your ability to vote for him depends more on your political affiliation than this one issue though, I can't see it pusing too many (if any) undecided or independent voters into another camp.

[RMNIXON]

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

I think Obama bringing it up perhaps was in bad taste, but he was 100% honest and up front. On that point I respect him for what he said. However, I think this will be used by his opponents, primarily the democrats to keep him from getting the nomination. It is getting close between him and hillary in many areas and this could be enough to swing things back in favor of Hillary.

Some think he brought it up because of the rumor from the Hillary camp about having something on him? It was a bit out of context I understand, like it may have been planned?