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Newspapers are starting to look more closely at Barack Obama as talk heats up about his likely presidential run in 2008. The Washington Post had a piece yesterday about Obama's memoir, written over a decade ago, in which he mentions having used cocaine.

Check out the article.

Itwill be interesting to see whether this makes other Democrats nervous,whether the Republicans will manage to turn it into a huge stumblingblock, or whether it will just kind of fizzle away the way the issue ofGeorge W. Bush's alleged cocaine use did.

I haven't read thememoir, but it sounds like Obama speaks of his drug use in extremelynegative terms. So I wonder--do we as a society believe so strongly inthe notion of redemption that we can embrace a politician who is honestabout overcoming his personal demons, even if they involve drug use?Are we ready?

And of course, if it does become an issue forObama, there is the question of whether he will feel the need to reactby taking a strong pro-drug-war stance. I could see the appeal ofadvocating more failed drug war policies with the justification, "Iknow how bad drugs are because they almost ruined my life!"

Iwonder, on a related note, how people would have reacted if George W.Bush had come out and said, "Yes, I did coke when I was young, and itwas fun," instead of winking and speaking euphemistically about his"irresponsible youth."

Posted by Megan Farrington.
http://www.nooked.com/news/itemtrack...0fef4ce1750180

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