Obama: I tried drugs as a teen

[cboy4]

You won't hear any of the Repukes be honest about this.

Good for Obama


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071120/ap_on_el_pr/obama_high_school_years_4

By PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer 32 minutes ago

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Tuesday told high school students that when he was their age he was hardly a model student, experimenting with illegal drugs and drinking alcohol.

Obama stopped by a study hall at Manchester Central High School and answered students' questions about the war in Iraq and his education plan. But when an adult asked about his time as a student, Obama spoke bluntly.

"I will confess to you that I was kind of a goof-off in high school as my mom reminded me," said Obama, an Illinois Democrat who grew up in Hawaii

"You know, I made some bad decisions that I've actually written about. You know, got into drinking. I experimented with drugs," he said. "There was a whole stretch of time that I didn't really apply myself a lot. It wasn't until I got out of high school and went to college that I started realizing, 'Man, I wasted a lot of time.'"

[geek tragedy]

1. Prediction: Plenty of people who dislike Obama

will post this and say "good for him. I'm glad that Obama used drugs and drank in high school. By the way, did you hear that Obama used drugs and drank in high school?"

[cboy4]

5. Like who? n/t

[jsamuel]

7. I have to admit. I didn't like Bush partly because he did cocaine and I feel the same way about any

candidate. However, I don't drink and have never smoked, so I may not be a typical voter regarding this issue.

[PatSeg]

12. For Bush, cocaine and alcohol were a life style

for many years. He was hardly experimenting. His habits were dangerous and life threatening. God only know what it did to his brain.

[beachmom]

16. Bush never admitted to the cocaine use, though. He also refused

to say he was an alcoholic. That is very troubling, because he has shown tendencies to be a "dry drunk" in the WH to our detriment.

Obama put it out there in his book, so all of this is, of course, old news.

[Kolesar]

23. Thank you for sharing your point of view

I have a looser view than you. I think I learned something, though.

[ClarkUSA]

31. I am a teetotaller and have never done drugs and I admire Obama for his honesty.

I never needed to get buzzed like most kids my age. All of the people I know who did what Obama did (and much
worse) became quite successful after they left their youthful indiscretions behind in adulthood.

I admire Obama's purpose, which was entirely in line with his previous profession as a teacher of kids -- he used the opportunity
to warn these high school kids not to waste time as a "goof-off" on drugs and drink like he did. A reporter who was there
said on the news that the entire exchange was totally serious. No one laughed or tittered. The kids were engrossed and
as serious as Obama while the reporters were "startled" at the unexpected admission because the question he was asked
by the school principal was fairly banal ("What was your favorite memories of high school?"). Now that's a candidate who
isn't afraid of unscripted moments.

[sufrommich]

26. I'm not an Obama supporter,

I think it's about time all ( aged boomer era and on ) candidates across the country stop pretending they didn't grow up in the same era with the same recreational drugs that the rest of us did.Good for him.

[Hippo_Tron]

29. I just wish they'd stop saying it's okay when they did it, but it should be a felony now

[MethuenProgressive]

28. This is old news- wasn't this in his book?

Not relevant to this race.
Shouldn't be a factor in anyone's decision to back him or not.

[closeupready]

2. I like his honesty about this.

It's refreshing.

[Bluebear]

3. Good on him, and gets the question right out of the way.

If only our sitting President would be as honest.

[terrya]

6. Exactly.

The Democratic candidates have always gotten this issue right (well...maybe I was a bit incredulous at Bill Clinton's "I didn't inhale" comment, but at least he mentioned it. As did Al Gore).

Good for Senator Obama.

[beachmom]

17. Kerry, too. Hangin' out with all of those hippies in the protest days,

it was bound to happen. He said he liked it in Tour of Duty, but didn't like not having a clear head, so it was not for that long.

[mahina]

4. Everybody who knew him here said he was brilliant.

His deans, the president of the school...everybody says he was an amazing mind even then.
So ok he smoked some pot. Punahou is and was then a blisteringly challenging academic environment.
He is among the best we have, and I'm so grateful that he's running!


IMG]

[babylonsister]

8. So did I. Doesn't make me

bad. :hide:

[Blue_In_AK]

27. So did I --

quite a lot actually -- and I'm not bad either.

[riqster]

9. So did I.

That was better than 30 years ago, in my case. Like Obama, I regret having wasted those opportunities that only come when you're young, and it's what I told my kids.

BTW-out of 7, ages 16- 25, two have tried pot, and four alcohol. One drinks occasionally, the rest not at all. Honesty IS the best policy. Good for Obama!

[mahina]

10. One other point,

the adults who worked with him here don't just say he was a good student, they love him.
Aloha no, Senator Obama, good luck brah!

[K Gardner]

11. Honesty? Are we allowed to have a President who tells the truth?

Wow. What a change THAT would be.

I expected to hear crap when I saw MSNBC coverage about this just now, but they actually covered it as it should have been covered: a man being honest about his past with young kids who had heard it all before and didn't give a flip, but who continued to ask questions about the ISSUES. Bravo for Obama and bravo for the young audience. Kind of saws the legs off of a story when you a)tell the truth b)face the issue head-on and don't c) LIE.

[Vickers]

13. Frankly, I would be very suspicious of a candidate that claimed they

never tried drugs.

FTR, I have.

MORE THAN ONCE.

[Cameron27]

14. HA! That's the truth.

[Vickers]

19. Conversely, I might be somewhat hesitant to vote for someone

who did the sheer quantity (and variety) of drugs that I did.

:P

P.S. I see below where Yardwork mentions being honest with the kids about this stuff, and I have been. Also about the arrests, getting thrown out of school, etc. etc.

[yardwork]

15. I did, too. I applaud Obama's honesty.

I wasted some time in my young life, too, and I've been honest about it with my kids. The best role models are those who acknowledge their mistakes and demonstrate how they moved beyond them. Thank you for being a good role model, Obama.

[ellisonz]

18. You can't blame Obama for getting lost in the wahine!

:D

[TeamJordan23]

20. Has Hillary or Edwards ever admitted to drug use? or explicitly denied any drug use? nm

[Clintonista2]

24. Why would they do that?

Gosh I can imagine it now. Hillary calls a press conference, out of the blue, in order to state: "I have never taken any drugs." Gee TeamJordan, you should be a campaign advisor, you're so smart... :rofl::rofl::rofl:

[ClarkUSA]

32. That'd be a good debate question for all the candidates on both sides.

To mix things up a little.

[eridani]

21. I appreciate his honesty

Now, does it translate to a solid stance against the War on Some Drugs?

[ellacott]

22. When he was running for Senate they tried to use this against him

It didn't work. On many repub blogs they were calling him a crack head.

When they asked Guiliani about this he said it was refreshing that he was honest. I know he has to say that because of his own issues but it was good that he went on record with it. It takes some of the air out of it if they happen to meet in the general election.

[David Zephyr]

25. Good thing he addresses this now. He did it as a teen. George Bush did it until he was 40 years old.

Good for Obama. Smart move.

[Hippo_Tron]

30. Good, so can we get rid of felony charges for possession...

So that kids today who experiment with drugs can grow up and live successful lives like Obama did.