Obama in ’08? The Senator Provides a New Clue
The speculation that Barack Obama will make a bid for U.S. President in 2008 continues to gain steam. The junior senator from Illinois is already the most widely embraced Democrat in the country, and only Hillary Clinton among in his party exceeds his star power.
This is nothing new for Obama.
* The senator was first asked about his plans for a run at the White House on November 4, 2004, just one day after being elected to the Senate. The man hadn't even been sworn into office.
* In January of 2005, The Chicago Tribune gave '08 Reasons Why Obama Will Run For President.
* In September, Wolf Blitzer repeatedly asked Obama if a planned speech in Iowa was a testing ground for his presidential bid.
* And since his appearance on Oprah this past week, fuel seems to be continually adding to the fire.
And Sunday, on Meet the Press with Tim Russert, Obama said for the first time that he would consider a presidential bid in '08. He admitted that his priority now is gaining back the House and Senate for the Democrats in November, and he would spend more time exploring his options after the election.
My opinion has been that this is bad timing for an Obama presidential bid. He's still a young man at 45 years old, and his political career has just started. But the stars seem to be lining up for the 1st term senator, and there's no guarantee that there will be another opportunity as good as the one he's now presented with.
Pros and Cons
Pros
– Mood of the country shifting left
– High public profile
– Light Skinned Brother is back in (Colin Powell, Harold Ford, Jr.)
Cons
– Is America ready for a Black President?
(Morgan Freeman did a great job in Deep Impact…right?)
– Age
– Lack of experience
Sen. Obama is the kind of stabling force that the country needs if we want to get past the mire and muck of partisan politics. Karl Rove, a.k.a. the President's brain, launched a G.O.P strategy in '02 and '04 of divide and conquer. Obama may be able to bring the country together, and play above scare tactics and name-calling.
This will be something worth watching over the next year or so. For the last 30 years, governors have made the best presidential candidates. G.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, and Jimmy Carter all served as head man at the state level before ascending to the presidency. And Democratic Presidents since Kennedy, have all come from the South.
But anyone who knows anything about Obama can attest that long odds don't seem to faze the senator. And the title of his latest book , The Audacity of Hope, seems to suggest the same thing.
