Barack Obama and smoking

The New York Times has an interesting article about the fact that President-elect Barack Obama is a smoker. While some may argue that it doesn't matter if he smokes or not, my take is that it does. Here's why. We know that Obama is obsessive about working out. I read that he's hardly missed a day at the gym in the past two years. For that, I commend him. He's also compulsive about eating healthy. Again, that's good, because I think it's important for our elected officials be in good physical health. But if he's so obsessive about working out, how can he smoke? It doesn't make any sense to me that someone who exercises almost every day and who watches what he eats would smoke. It makes me question his judgment.

I'd compare the health obsession yet smoking to Obama professing to be in favor of gay rights, but then inviting bigot Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the inauguration. It doesn't make sense.

On a somewhat related matter, I watched an episode of PBS's "Frontline" this fall about Obama and his history. There were photos of him in college with a fair amount of chest hair. And the photo above of him vacationing this month in Hawaii shows none. Based on that evidence, I assert that he shaves and/or waxes. Odd.