Barack Obama: The black senator who could challenge Hillary

[T_i_B]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/10/06/wbarack06.xml

A black senator with only two years in office has emerged as the outstanding star of the Democrats' campaign for next month's mid-term elections. Barack Obama, 45, is already being touted as a challenger to Hillary Clinton for the party's presidential nomination.

Mr Obama is disproving the adage that Washington is "Hollywood for ugly people". He is the Denzil Washington of Capitol Hill, bringing glamour to the staid hallways of the US Senate, and was this week given the ultimate glamour accolade: the front cover of Men's Vogue. Accompanied by pictures taken by Annie Liebowitz, photographer to the great and glamorous, the magazine's article is headlined, simply, "Barack Obama: The Path to Power."

A civil rights lawyer, Mr Obama was the first black editor of the Harvard Law Review. He is known for a charisma some observers would say is on a par with Mrs Clinton's husband Bill, the last Democrat president. He was elected as a senator for Illinois in 2004 by a landslide.

The prospect of an Obama candidacy is especially appealing to those Democrats desperately searching for an alternative to Mrs Clinton, the front-runner to win her party's presidential nomination.

[dmallind]

1. Doubt it.

He has the smarts and the presence, but would be too vulnerable to attacks on inexperience at this point I think.

Could be a handy VP candidate though, or just lay low and see what happens and prep for 2012 if the next one gets Diebolded or the sheep put in another Repub.

[Radical Activist]

13. The public doesn't care about experience.

If it did, Bush would have gotten nowhere in 2000. Also, Clinton would have lost to Bush I and Reagan would have lost to Carter.
Sitting around in washington while the Republicans attack and re-define him won't help him at all. People like candidates who haven't been part of the system for too long.

[aquart]

2. Has he said anything different from Hillary?

Because I haven't heard it.

And I don't vote for looks, btw.

[lwcon]

6. If people are voting for looks...

... do we have a candidate who will match up with our outgoing Governor of Massachusetts?

He's a lousy governor, but he shore is purdy.

___

Hey, the liberal light is always on at the Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy. Please stop by and say "hi!"

[ToeBot]

8. Kind of a prettier version of Orrin Hatch. nt

[TayTay]

10. I always thought he looked like he shined his hair with shoe polish

I never thought he was 'pretty.' A liar, a toad, and a real friggin bastid, sure, I can give you that. But pretty??? (Must be subjective. I'd rather kiss a pig, as my mother used to say.

[karynnj]

20. I think several Democrats are as good looking

including one from your state, Obama is, Edwards is, Hillary is as pretty.

I just never thing of picking Presidents that way. Besides, your Senator would absolutely destroy him in a debate just as he did Bush - only he could likley go further as Romney would not be a sitting President.

[snowbear]

25. Not THAT purdy...

Actually, he's kinda creepy (Romney) if you ask me.

He's photogenic on occassion, but when he starts flapping his jaws.. he doesn't look so hot.

He'd be EASY to beat.

[Radical Activist]

14. Yes, he has.

Maybe you're hearing a particular frame/meme about Obama more than anything else.

[OzarkDem]

17. Not really

They're both fairly conservative in their policies.

Dems 2008 candidates shouldn't be controlled by corporations, we've had enough of that already. Time for something new, good ideas.

[napi21]

3. I don't think so right now. Obama is a good man, and a good

communicator, but he's too inexperienced right now. Maybe in the future, but he needsa lot broader experience in his background to even think about the presidency.

[lwcon]

4. He's waaaay down my list

Gimme Gore, Feingold, Edwards, Clark, or many others ahead of him.

I know this stuff plays well to people who share your avatar, but I thought it was a Bush-league move -- bad for the party and bad for America:

http://vastleft.blogspot.com/2006/06/illinoise_115163328780123540.html

[SaveElmer]

5. Barack Obama WILL be President someday...

Just not 2008...

[spoony]

27. I agree, and can't wait to vote for him :) n/t

[goclark]

7. Senator Obama who could challenge the White Senator Clinton

Funny how they would never put it the other way around.

[blm]

9. Very insulting to ANY leader that they should be elected on charm and not

their ACCOMPLISHMENTS and PROVEN ABILITIES.

[JNelson6563]

11. The issue isn't that he's black

the problem with Obama is that he's green. Sorry.

Julie

[DavidDvorkin]

12. He's more likely to end up as the VP nominee in 2008

Than on the top of the ticket.

[BluegrassDem]

15. I'm sick of people saying he's not experienced enough

He was a state senator in Illinois for a long time! The guy knows politics. He's not like John Edwards who never held public office until he was elected to the Senate. Obama has as more experience in government than Bush. Morever, the guy is smart. What he doesn't know, he'll learn.

Besides, the Senate is a morgue! The longer you stay there, the stiffer you get and the more votes you accumulate. The Senate is a horrible place to launch a presidential campaign if you've been there for a long time. Obama might be better served to get out of the Senate as soon as possible.

[DavidDvorkin]

18. Nonetheless

You may feel that way. I may agree with you. But not enough of the people who do the nominating are likely to agree.

His experience isn't at the national level. More to the point, he's still a relatively fresh face on the national level. That's okay sometimes -- e.g., JFK. But usually, I think, there's a perception that you have to earn your spurs by being noticed on the national scene for a while.

The delegates may surprise me in 2008, which would be fine with me. I think, though, that they're more likely to be amenable to the idea of Obama as VP candidate than as the one at the top of the ticket.

Gore-Obama. I like that.

[AtomicKitten]

19. I agree.

Anyone with longevity in the Senate has turned into Velveeta. Obama still has the fire in his belly that DC hasn't extinguished yet. He has the charisma of Bill Clinton. I really think he's a contender and will be president some day.

Until then, I would love a Gore/Obama ticket with Wesley Clark as Secretary of Defense and John Kerry as Attorney General to prosecute all the deserving as many here feel is his calling.

[snowbear]

28. I brought that up a few times on here myself...

I was always dumbfounded why.. when people talk about Hillary as the Democratic nominee, they never say anything about her being a "one term senator".

Yet... whenever Obama's name comes up, the first thing the media heads (or sometimes DU'ers) talk about is his lack of political experience..

Fact is ... Hillary has been a U.S. Senator for one 6 year term -- but Obama served as a state senator for 9 (NINE) years before spending his last two years in the U.S. Senate.

So side-by-side.. Obama actually beats her in the hands-on experience category.

[TheDonkey]

16. Too soon, doesn't have enough of a record to run on

his good looks and eloquent speeches will only get him so far in an election on the national stage. After 2 terms of a Dem President he should be ready. Maybe tack on some governor experience after 1 term in senate, then move on to state governor like Corzine did then run for President.

[IndianaGreen]

21. Gore, Kerry, and Clark's resumes are far more impressive than Obama's

I was deeply moved and impressed by Obama's visit to his grandmother in Africa, but that trip does not a President make.

Assuming we don't end up as a pile of radioactive ashes, the post-Bush era will be characterized by healing the wounds that Bush has caused to our Constitution, our nation, and to world stability. We are going to need seasoned veterans to lead us out of this nightmare.

[nevergiveup]

22. The nomination is his

if he wants it but I do not think he is personally ready. This is just my opinion based on nothing other than conversations with many Democrats.

[leesa]

23. Not interested. He sticks his finger up to see which way the wind is

blowing before he comes out with a wishy-washy corporate friendly spiel. Pure DLC junk.

[AusGail]

24. Correct if I am wrong, BUT

Didn't Obama back Lieberman against Lamont? His credibility took a nose dive with me when that happened.

[opihimoimoi]

26. Sorry, NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME...thats how I feel

I like the guy....but he should show us some years learning/maturing before the plunge....there is such a thing as Patience and/or Premature Efforts.

A Pointed Spear is far better than a poly pointed one...more penetrating power....

[oldboy101]

29. President Hillary, Vice President Barack, in 2008

I realize that many here are not fond of Hillary because she is more a centrist candidate rather than a progressive. But that may be precisely what is needed, to reach out to the many voters who are fed up with the politics of destruction and want someone who can heal our nation's wounds.

Barack Obama is a bright star for the future. He would make an excellent Vice President for now, and President 8 years later. With this ticket we would have our first female President and first black Vice President. It would do much to help our country get over resentments that have for too long divided us and to see that we all now have equal opportunities as Americans.