November 5, 2008 | Heroes, celebrities
After a presidential race that was far more fun to watch than, say, Dole v. Clinton 1996, Barack Obama, who, after the emergence of Sarah Palin became the sane person’s choice, was victorious and sworn in as the 44th president of the United States of America.
Given that the economy is in the crapper and he took over from a president with an approval rating hovering slightly above leprosy, it would take a monumental screw-up/opening fire on a troop of boy scouts for Obama to blow this one.
If George W Bush’s term as president proved anything, it’s that teetotalers should not be allowed to hold high political office. Abstaining makes them ornery and self-righteous, while at the same time robs them of the liquid courage needed to do things like, say, tell Dick Cheney to wait in the hall. But the question now is what kind of drinker is Barack Obama, and can he be trusted to stay sufficiently sauced so as to bolster America’s international standing and keep Joe Biden from attacking someone on the commute in? Here then we offer a snapshot of Obama the drinker.
Obama, known as “Barry” in high school, got his substance-abuse career off to a good start. In a speech to high school students Obama cataloged some of his so-called “bad decisions” during that time. (He went to high school in Hawaii for chrissakes — it would have been a “bad decision” to be a straight-laced nerd). “You know, [I] got into drinking. I experimented with drugs [specifically marijuana with the occasional coke-snort]… There was a whole stretch of time that I didn’t really apply myself a lot.”
Sounds like a great fun guy, right? Well, just remember that George W Bush reportedly once passed out in a bathtub at a Superbowl Party thrown by Hunter S. Thompson. Bush was, to quote Thompson, “a rich, beer-drunk yahoo with a big allowance who passes out in your bathtub.”
Bush was a far more impressive and accomplished partier and substance-abusing slacker than Barack Obama could have ever hoped to be, yet just look how he turned out. Early partying credentials mean little over the long term. What’s more important is how the president works mind-altering substances into his life now. While we suspect he’s no stranger to a bit of after-dinner reefer, that sort of thing just does not play politically, so we’ll have to focus on booze.
Fortunately for America, it seems that Barack Obama, while not the kind of guy whose undershirts will turn yellow from too much boozing, still enjoys the tipple. In March, he made the more impressive showing at a bar of the two Democrat candidates – Hillary did her best, as we blogged here, but really it was one for the road for her. Obama ordered a Yuengling beer – a politician’s choice since it is a popular, populist and locally made Pennsylvania beer.
What was more telling were his comments after placing the order, “Is it expensive though?… Wanna make sure it’s not some designer beer or something.” Here Obama made the questionable move of showing contempt for designer/microbrewed beer. He risked painting himself as one of those guys who will mock you for purchasing a nice microbrew “because it tastes the same as any other beer they got. Why waste your money?”
To his credit though, Obama has went out of his way to stress the fact that despite polls showing that the wine and cheese set worship him like Dr. Phil before the truth came out, he still enjoys drinking beer. It may have just been a sweet song for Joe Sixpack (the less violent cousin of John “Domestic Incident” Case of 24), but when Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes suggested that Obama didn’t like beer, he took strong objection: “Where does the story come from that…I don’t like beer? ” Obama asked. “C’mon, man.”
Also, to Obama’s great credit: He has his own beer. It’s in Kenya, and called “Senator,” but when the locals there order it, they do so by saying, “Give me an Obama,” which is pretty damn cool.
So it’s a mixed report card for Obama, and we can only wait to see how he performs as an alcohol-consuming president to fully assess his worth as a drinker. Regardless, in the spirit of fresh starts and fresh pints, we raise a glass to the president and hope that there’s more cause for celebratory drinking – as opposed to the misery-drowning drinking of recent times – over the next four years.
