In Search Of Utopia: Will he run? Can he win?

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June 18, 2006

Will he run? Can he win?

From today's WAPO:

EAST ORANGE, N.J. -- Barack Obama was standing before a packed high school auditorium when he noticed a familiar face in the crowd -- none other than singer Dionne Warwick. He paused, flashed a mischievous smile, then let loose with a perfectly on-key performance of the opening line of her hit song "Walk On By."

The audience of 300 students and adults roared with approval.

Obama, a first-term Democratic senator from Illinois, seems to be hitting the right notes these days. During Senate recesses, he has been touring the country at breakneck pace, basking in the sudden fame of a politician turned pop star. Along the way, he has been drawing crowds and campaign cash from Democrats starved for a fresh face and ready to cheer what Obama touts as "a politics of hope instead of a politics of fear."

His office fields more than 300 requests a week for appearances. One Senate Democrat, curious about Obama's charisma, took notes when watching him perform at a recent political event. State parties report breaking fundraising records when Obama is the speaker.

The money he is bringing in for fellow Democrats is shaping up as an important influence on 2006. And the potential Obama is demonstrating as a political performer -- less than two years after his elevation from the Illinois state legislature -- is prompting some colleagues to urge him to turn his attention to 2008 and a race for the presidency. Obama has made plain he is at least listening.

"I think he is unique," said Illinois's senior senator, Richard J. Durbin (D). "I don't believe there is another candidate I've seen, or an elected official, who really has the appeal that he does." As for the 2008 presidential race, "I said to him, 'Why don't you just kind of move around Iowa and watch what happens?' I know what's going to happen. And I think it's going to rewrite the game plans in a lot of presidential candidates if he makes that decision."

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Will he run? I don't know. Can he win? I don't think so, but I think he would definitely shake things up. I think Obama has tremendous potential. His oratory skills are probably the best in National Politics. He is polished, a self made man, and a very smart one. There is no doubt in my mind that he could eventually make a great president. I don't think he yet has the kind of experience or seasoning to make a great president.

I will be the first one in line to vote for Obama when the time is right. The idea of having a first African American President is something that excites me as a fulfillment of the promise of America, but it needs to be the right African American. I have no doubt Collin Powell could have handled the job, and I would have voted for him. I don't want to see Obama run before he is ready, because all those wishing to run after him will unfortunately be prejudged by his performance.

Don't get me wrong... I don't doubt that Obama's intelligence, background and experience in the Senate will help him to adapt to the White House, I simply feel that the learning curve is best navigated outside of it.

Posted by David A at June 18, 2006 07:16 PM
Filed Under Politics | 551 Words

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Comments

Obama is a hard man not to like- an amazing presence. It would be hard for me to vote agaist him except for the minor little fact that all of the policies he has ever espoused have tend to be the opposite of what I believe even if we are looking for the same end result. But I still have mad respect for the man and he could probably make me think long and hard about voting for him.

He definitely doesn't have the baggage many other Democrats would bring to the table (Kerry, Hillary, Gore, Biden, Feingold, Edwards) because he has been around a short enough time on the nations scene as to not seem to be pandering to anyone. He always comes off as completely genuine. I think he would make an amazing candidate much like the fresh faced, shining new star Bill Clinton was from 88 to 92 (but much more squesky clean.)

For the GOP, I still would like to see Rice in the race though- but her pastime of saying she's not going to (or wanting to be Commissioner of the NFL) makes me think it won't happen.

Posted by: Marty at June 19, 2006 09:29 PM

I had the honor to meet him when he came to Philadelphia to campaign for Kerry. Wow. And a South Philly woman held out a Sharpie and her baby and asked the future Senator is he would put his autograph on her little baby's stomach. "I want her to know that she met the first black President of the United States," she said. It wasn't some weird racist remark...just super cool. And everyone got real quiet...as Obama signed his name. He just smiled and said, " I don't know. 18 months ago nobody ever ehard of me...and I'm justa skinny kid from Chicago." I am SO voting for him...I want him to win. And I can say I met him, too.

Posted by: Frank at June 22, 2006 11:50 AM