Spurning Obama in Tobacco Country

I volunteered at the local Obama office yesterday and made phone calls, reaching a woman registered as Unaffiliated.

"This is Leigh with the Obama campaign. Do you have a sense of which candidate you'll support for President?"

"I'm undecided," she said. Having made hundreds of calls, I immediately smelled her lie through the phone.

I requested to hear more about her indecision.

She disclosed no fear regarding Obama's willingness to meet with enemies face to face, including Spain. She didn't accuse him of a mediocre performance in the Senate. She wasn't afraid he would take away her guns.

Yet the concern she expressed about Obama was bigger than our pressing economic issues. Larger than Bill Ayers. Her reservations even dwarfed the issue of Palin's profound unreadiness.

Her problem with Obama is a big one. A deal breaker.

"He's a smoker," she said. "This speaks to a lack of self-regulation on his part, which would be concerning in a President."

"Hmm," I responded, feigning friendliness. "My understanding is he stopped smoking a few years ago." "No," she gloated. "He's still smoking, off and on. And his excuse is that he's running for President."

As a chocoholic and a clinical social worker, newly addicted to organic caramel dip, I know about lack of self-regulation. I had the distinct feeling she'd hoped to stump me by using what she stupidly thought was technical psychological jargon. I was ready with reponses, of course, but knew they'd be useless and unbecoming of a dignified campaign.

John McCain smoked two packs a day for many years, reportedly stopping 29 years ago. I've since learned that Barack Obama stopped smoking in 2007, periodically relapsing.

An addiction to nicotine may be a valid reason for spurning a suitor.

It's a mighty creative reason for spurning a presidential candidate.

You win, lady.

Weakest attempt I've heard yet to cloak a racist ass in something palatable.