Washington, D.C.--Following his spectacularly failed attempts to win the Olympics for Chicago, a global warming treaty in Copenhagen, and a Democratic Senate seat in the overwhelmingly liberal state of Massachusetts -- where a Republican won overwhelmingly for the first time since the 1970's -- a group of anti-smoking advocacy groups asked President Obama to campaign on behalf of smoking in the hopes his association with the habit would dramatically reduce its popularity."The President has a knack for supporting policies that drive people away in droves," said one anti-smoking advocate. "We think it would be wonderful if he turned that talent to smoking."
Obama, himself a smoker, was urged to embrace smoking more publicly in the hopes of "negating the allure of the noxious habit."
Sample ads for the new campaign feature a smoking "Joe Bama" character -- modeled on the infamous "Joe Camel" cigarette advertisements -- and a warning label stating "Use of President Obama to Promote Your Product May Prove Hazardous to Your Product's Popularity."
Associated articles: Wall Street Journal; Daily Beast
