Rising Star Obama Weighs White House Run

Agreed. We need fresh blood in Washington.

I'd love to see fresh blood throughout the political process but historically anyone who threatens the Wall Street-CIA- Bonesmen power ends up going down in a small plane or with a "random" lone gunman. Followup investigations are of course handled by the same circle of friends. The last was JFK Jr. who energized the Nation at the Presidential convention and sealed his fate. I would love to be wrong but "terrorists" seem to target the Washington mafia.

A close look at the anthrax recipients gives a fairly clear idea that the powers behind the scenes haven't changed their strategy of silencing critics one way or another. Who was targeted? Why? Who benefits from targeting top critics?

OOps....That should have been become targets of the Washington mafia.

I really like Obama, based on what I've seen and heard so far. And the idealist in me believes that his character and emotional experience is what matters more, and his ability to surround himself with the right experienced people.

But the realist in me is reminded of President Carter. He had more political experience than Obama will have had, but his political naivete seems to have doomed his presidency. I don't know my history on this all that well, so please correct me if I'm wrong. I was and continue to be impressed with Carter's humanity, but unfortunately that doesn't seem to be sufficient to be an effective president.

Democrats have also to be careful not to be so quickly seduced by charisma and a personal back-story that happens to be made to order for liberals. I don't doubt he's a sincere, passionate man, probably better connected to the people than most politicians today. But political savvy does matter -- JFK and Bill Clinton had it, Carter did not. My fingers are crossed that Obama is more like the first two, and less like the latter. We've got a couple of years to figure this out, but let's remain sober because, as we all know, it matters the world what kind of president we have.

Pamela - what's with all the conspiracy theories?

I love the guy, but his announcement makes me sad. He has said over & over & over again that he won't be ready by 2008. Is all of the attention going to his head? I am disappointed. Yes, he's a great guy. He has charisma. He is well-spoken. But, he will not be ready by 2008. He has too little experience.

The transparency bill for one, energy independence measures, fuel economy reform act, need I go on Otto, since I believe you and otto are the same person.

Lobbying and ethics reform, a call for an independent ethics commission.

Not too mention the fact that we know where he stands on the issues. I would like to see the Swift Boat crew come out with their famous flip flop on Obama, maybe they will finally sink themselves.

Pef,

You are always wrong--Otto and I are not one.

Which transparancy bill, Pef?

Im also a huge fan of his stance on net neutrality, as that legislation is currently going on.

So, Observer, I guess I am wrong even in the odd circumstance when I have agreed with you :)

GWB was not a legislator, proposing legislation, major or otherwise, was not his job.

So, your end conclusion? You seem to like some things, not others.

My end conclusion, he has yet to do much.

There are a lot of presidents out there who "have yet to do much." GW got in because he was a son of someone, Reagan got in because he was an actor, JFK got in because he was cute... in order that was bad, mediocre and great presidents. Experience isn't always needed.

Obama doesn't have much but what little he has done thus far has been fairly positive. The main thing of the above list that I don't like is giving the thumbs up to Rice... as a college student I think the pell grant thing is a good thing, yes it may encourage colleges to increase tuition, but when we have a sitting president decreasing funding that will happen anyway. Colleges aren't out to make money, they are out to break even. I think it is a bit early on Obama but after seeing him speak... he is very very good. He knows how to work a crowd probably better than any politician has in the last 25+ years. He would have a chance getting in on speaking alone, and he is a very personable guy as well so he wouldn't have the stick in the butt problem Kerry had. (actually in this day and age a lack of experience might be better than a wealth of experience as there is not much there for the other side to trash... only his lack of experience which is much easier to get past than being a hero in vietnam apparantly).

Reagan got in because he was an actor

I'm a leftist, and certainly not a fan of Reagan, but this statement is an oversimplification at best, and patently false at worst.

Reagan got in because he was an actor (Razak, 5.3)

I'm a leftist, and certainly not a fan of Reagan, but this statement is an oversimplification at best, and patently false at worst. (Vas, 5.4)

I agree Vas. If Reagan "got in" simply "because he was an actor," then he'd have been President back in 1976, when he didn't even win the nomination. In fact, Reagan was much more than an actor, serving 2 terms as a very popular Governor of California, and the de facto leader of the American conservative movement starting around 1964. This was also the year in which his Hollywood career ended. By the time he eventually did win the Presidency, Reagan was much better known for his political career and domestic policy speeches than for roles in Borax ads or Bedtime for Bonzo.

People may try to minimize Reagan because they don't like him, his policies, or the current Republican party, but it's absurd to say he spent 8 years in the White House "because he was an actor."

I would agree with that in part. But then if you subscribe to the idea that all presidents and parties are ultimately the same at the end of the day then it can't matter to much if we have a black, white, male, female, democrat, republican, etc in the White House.

I don't have a problem with the idea of a black man as President. In truth though, I do have an issue with the idea of a Women as President but I truley believe that the right women at the right time could earn my vote and confidence. I WOULD NEVER vote for that Clinton chick. I can't put my finger on it exactly but there is such a massive insincerety that I pick up on. Or something else.. I just kind of get crosseyed trying to get a read on her when she talks.

If it came down to Obama vs Hilary I'd have to take Hilary. I am curious though who would be running against Obama or Hilary (or whoever else the Democrats choose to run)

I am white, and quite frankly I don't see him as being black, white etc. He is one of those rare people where race is forgotten.

You know, I am a bit disapointed by your views. You're not saying America, you're saying White America. Frankly I think that your wrong as can be on that fact. And I think that Obama has a good image built up in the eyes of us white cross burning racists. Fact is the man can overcome stereotypes by simply being a little more honest and having a bit more integrity with the next guy.

I would have to agree with LarryG who pointed out that Obama has really just been tossed into the spotlight only recently. I would think that he good at what he does to get that far but that he should be a bit more hardened by time and experience before he makes a run. Although that view could be changed if I found his views matched my own. I honestly don't know where he stands on issues.

If he did run I would hope that he wins just to put to rest the stereotypes on white guys being racists. I'm honestly so sick of that @!$%# it makes me red in the face with anger. What do you think there would be rioting and protesting in the streets? Assassination attempts to rid the country of our @!$%# leader! Give me a @!$%#ing break.

I take offense, yet at the same time I recall whe I was younger pondering the subject and thinking that would be exactly the case. Perhaps my views in the wake of recent years has reshaped my views.

Collin, I hope your comment wasn't pointed to me. Hard to tell sometimes if you don't list the name you are responding to first. Afterall I stated, "He is one of those rare people where race is forgotten."

I must not have been very clear with my words then because I was agreeing with you. I was responding to evhan and the post above by Ardith.

I believe a black man can win in 2008.

One thing I'll give credit to George Bush: I truly believe he is color blind, at least when it comes to business and politics. We now have two successive presidents, one liberal and one conservative, who selected cabinets made up of at least 50% people of color and women. Bush has followed Clinton's lead and pushed the envolope further by having more minorities in the big four cabinet positions, a black man and a black woman in the roles of Secretary of State, and a Hispanic as Attorney General. See Diversity and the Bush Cabinet and Bush is opening doors with a diverse Cabinet.

Powell was courted by conservatives to run in 2000, and Condi, prior to the Iraq War going as far downhill as it has, was polling high among Republican voters as a potential presidential candidate. By the 2008 elections, the country will have had 16 years to "get used to" seeing blacks and women at the highest levels of government.

Since liberals are already more open to the idea of a woman or minority president than conservatives, one can argue that Bush's cabinet appointments have had the greater impact. The same reasoning leads me to believe that it will be easier to elect a black or women Republican president than a Democratic one, at least the first time around.

@ Collin

I'm not saying there would be rioting or protests or assasination attempts or anything of the sort. I'm simply saying that I don't believe he would win. I'm no racist, and it's not my views that I think will prevent him from winning. I know that neither you or I even see race as an issue, but it wouldn't be us, it wouldn't be the people online debating politics in their free time that would hurt his candidacy. It would be closed-minded racists, of which I believe there are enough out there, that there is enough racism and enough negative attitudes toward blacks, so that he wouldn't win. Not for a decade or so do I believe we will see a minority president.

Then again I could be wrong; in fact I HOPE I'm wrong as I support Obama and many of his views.

If Obama stays in the Senate until 2012, he'll have been there 8 years - long enough to have hundreds of votes behind him, that someone won't like, and will use against him in any future campaign.

Interesting perspective. We certainly do live in an age where each candidate's voting record is subject to deep scrutiny, and presented to the public in that manner. It was once very different. You might be right... a shorter voting record may allow future candidates to escape some of the heat. But, they'll have to make sure that they can make up for the perceived "lack of experience" in other ways. Obama may be able to do that, but we'll have to see what he decides.

He was a professor of law, and a civil rights lawyer in Chicago.

Fatso, are there many conservatives like you, who might cross over because they see an inspiring leader?

Fatso, the truth is Obama became editor of the Harvard Law Review and Senator because of his ability to cross the lines, and listen to the concerns of conservatives. Many conservatives voted for him in his Senate race.

vas, I don't know. I hope that people, conservative or not, will vote for whomever they honestly think will do the best job after carefully considering the candidates' positions. But. . . (I'll take a moment so we can all stop laughing.) I don't that's realistic.
I guess a person's reasons for being a conservative are what will decide whether or not he can be won over by Obama. Sadly, I think conservatives and liberals alike tend to stick to knee-jerk defensiveness rather than change their minds.

ThePef, you're absolutely right. He has yet to face anything quite as nasty as the national GOP, though. Anyone who idealistically thinks that the fact that Barack Obama is a black Democrat from the Chicago area is not going to be a central theme of the opposition to him in any national race, or that having good ideas or being charismatic will overcome that, hangs out with too many political junkies and ought to remember that most people make up their minds before any debate has been done, then believe what supports their opinion and scoff at whatever contradicts it.

vas, I should add that I'm an atheist expat who works in a university, so I'm probably not the best person to ask what the general thinking of conservatives is. I've probably been "corrupted" or "brainwashed." (wink, wink)

Fatso, one nice thing about Obama is that he has already crossed the line when he cosponsored the Transparency Bill with Coburn. So, in reality he is making allies on the GOP side early.

I guess that is one good thing about him being a freshman senator. He has had less exposure.