Barack Obama
Speaking of belligerent assholes and the avoidance of same, Illinois Senator Barack Obama won’t run for President in ’08…but he should. Everybody says it’s too soon for the guy. But he’s 44 years old and JFK ran when he was a year younger (having made his early plans for making a run on the U.S. Presidency when he wasn’t quite 42) so what’s the problem? Obama is thoughtful, reputable, charismatic, learned. And in possession of that inner connectedness that people seem to recognize and respond to. Everyone knew this right after he spoke at the Democratic Convention in the summer of ’04. All I know is, Obama’s got “it” and Hilary doesn’t.
Obama is actually the opposite of Jeffrey Wells and the majority of the sneering liberal Democrats in this country.
He gave a speech that I attended in rural Illinois, and I’ve never seen someone with such a natural affinity and respect for rural, religious people. He talks to farmers and Red State churchgoers with casual ease; it’s quite amazing. He even puts to shame many of the lip-servicing Republican politicians. He may not agree with all of their politics, but when you speak to people with respect and don’t talk to them like they’re useless, flyover hayseeds, it’s amazing how people respond.
Try getting the Streisand Democrats (Kerry and his ilk) to ever understand this. And they wonder why only Bill Clinton was able to get votes in those states.
Force him to run, or else John Mark Karr will come live with him after Boulder releases him.
what’s the problem?
Race and money
Believe me, I hear ya when it comes to Obama. But I’m in the “too soon” camp because he faces an uphill battle. (And I don’t just mean Hillary).
The guy was an Illinois State Senator. A rising star yes, but at one point he was facing a tough run against Jack Ryan (R), a local Congressman for the Seat. Of course, what happened to Jack is well, well documented. (And if you can’t stay faithful to someone like Jeri Ryan…damn, I’m losing faith in the human race). Suddenly Obama explodes on the scene, and develops such a lead that he’s able to campaign across the country for other Democrats, thus raising his profile and starting the Presidential chatter…
He’s been in it four years, and doesn’t have enough of a record. Yeah other people (see: both John Edwards and John Kennedy) have had similiar aspirations with less time in the Senate. But remember, Mr. Obama is black, and the rule for us black folk has always been, you have to be twice as good just to be considered half as such.
There’s a flip side to this problem, what happens when he gets a Senate Record after 8 or so years? There’s a reason why there hasn’t been a Senator elected to the White House in 30 plus years. Everything you’ve done is on the record, and everything you’ve done can be spun as “flip-flopper”, when it should really read “I was trying to cut a deal with another Senator to get something done.” (see: Kerry ’04).
I think the next President is going to be a two-term Democrat. After that, looking toward 2012, you’re looking at the coronation of Elliot Spitzer, the soon to be Governor of New York. A way for Obama to keep his profile high (BTW, I do think he’s got Presidential aspirations) is to consider the Veep slot.
Problem is, with that name of his, it shouldn’t be too hard for the Rove machine to… well, make some really dumb people not feel comfortable with him.
I wish I was wrong.
Look, Jeffrey….Sen. Oh, Mama! didn’t say A DAMN
thing abou taxes, abortion, gay marriage, or
anyhing else semi-controversial in that “great”
speech he made at the DemocRATic convention in ’04.
Once he starts actually producing his views on
those sorts of issues, then you can kiss a bunch
of states and voters GOODBYE! He’s nothing right
now but a voice in a suit. That whole ‘purple’
speech was simply a horrid ‘lets hold hands and
sing ‘Can’t we all just get along’ in a low key
cliche.
If you want a possible black candidate for the
Presidency, look no further than Rep. (soon to be
Senator) Harold Ford Jr. of Tennessee, who is
10,000 times the man that Sen. Oh! Mama is. Lets
talk about Sen. Oh! Mama’s whore mongering and
drug abuses while playing basketball in college.
My good friend Harold Ford Jr. is the future of
the Democratic party, NOT Sen. Oh! Mama.
I’d love to be wowed by Barack Obama, but living in Chicago, I saw him knuckle under in one of the most important local races– for Cook County Board President, the “other mayor” who runs a vast patronage army. Obama could have crossed the color line to support a reform candidate who might well have won with his support. But timid Barack sat the race out, tacitly supporting the regime of President John Stroger (already incapacitated by a stroke at that point, and basically a placeholder for the Daley machine) and thus giving his endorsement to dirty forest preserves, vast numbers of no-show workers, and a hospital so deadly that the man it’s named for (Stroger) gave explicit instructions not to be taken there. Consequently, every time I pay my constantly rising property taxes, every time I take my children to a forest preserve full of trash, every time I open the Sun-Times to a story about county employees spending all day at a local bar, I’ll be thanking Barack Obama for ensuring that the Chicago way continues for another four years.
He’s just another Illinois machine hack to me.
Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner — Patrick.
Obama is a bad choice to run for President… I think. I get the sense that he already carries the stench of politician instead of leader, and perhaps deservingly so. Don’t get me wrong, the guy is charismatic and has done some good things, but he also seems like he’s afraid to take a stand if it might isolate any segment of his voting base. Whether or not any of this is true doesn’t matter, the fact that I’m getting such a vibe is what carries weight these days (unfortunately).
Well, I certainly don’t agree with most of Obama’s politics, at least not his fiscal ones.
But the guy does the most important thing a politician can do: get people to like you who don’t necessarily agree with you. Reagan and Clinton, of course, were the masters of this.
Obama, however radical his politics may be, does this very well.
I know it’s off topic on this entry, but Cruise get’s his deal…sort of…
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-082806cruise,0,1677604.story?coll=la-home-headlines
Force him to run, or else John Mark Karr will come live with him after Boulder releases him.
I’d love to be wowed by Barack Obama, but living in Chicago, I saw him knuckle under in one of the most important local races– for Cook County Board President, the “other mayor” who runs a vast patronage army. Obama could have crossed the color line to support a reform candidate who might well have won with his support. But timid Barack sat the race out, tacitly supporting the regime of President John Stroger (already incapacitated by a stroke at that point, and basically a placeholder for the Daley machine) and thus giving his endorsement to dirty forest preserves, vast numbers of no-show workers, and a hospital so deadly that the man it’s named for (Stroger) gave explicit instructions not to be taken there. Consequently, every time I pay my constantly rising property taxes, every time I take my children to a forest preserve full of trash, every time I open the Sun-Times to a story about county employees spending all day at a local bar, I’ll be thanking Barack Obama for ensuring that the Chicago way continues for another four years.
He’s just another Illinois machine hack to me.
Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner — Patrick.
Obama’s relative “inexperience” is a big plus. And as far as his views go, he’s new enough to people that he can embrace whatever views will get him elected.
He’s an amazingly potent politician, charismatic, a gifted speaker . . .he has everything going for him .
In short, he is the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.
Jeffrey Wells – where did you hear he’s not running? He’s obviously running.
If, as I predict, the Dems fail to pick up a significant number of seats in House and Senate, the party will flock to pols like Obama because they will be desperate to win, and corrupt losers like Dean, Edwards and Clinton won’t have a chance.
Watch Obama because I think he’s going all the way.
Anyone who is interested in President Obama should check out this -
http://hotair.com/archives/2006/08/28/video-the-secret-hold-goes-national/
Obama co-sponsored some very necessary legislation that has now been put under a secret hold by a nameless senator. You can educate yourself about the issue by clicking around at the above link.
Obama’s sponsorship of this legislation is brilliant, getting a control on spending and the debt has been a bipartisan winner issue for over a decade. In fact, I’m convinced Clinton’s elimination of the deficit and supposed committment to lowering the debt is one of the only positive things he will be remembered for. Spending is a great wedge issue that Obama could run on, appeal to the middle and get crossover voters in 2008.
Again, this guy is doing everything right. I do think he will be the next president.
Not for nothing, but Barak Obama is 45, rather than 44. By the time the ’08 election rolls around, he’ll be 47.
Obama probably should run in 2008, though. If anything, it gives him a national stage to set himself up for the next time should he not secure the nomination. And it could set him up for a VP nod.
Would love to see progressives take control of the DNC the way the neocons have hijacked the Repugnican Party, put Barbara Boxer up for President with Obama as VEEP, have Rove get someone like Rick Santorum chosen for the RNC and give this country a real, stark choice for a change.
Fox news will have a great time mocking someone whose name is almost Osama