Would Obama have run for the Presidency had Hillary not run?

[joshcryer]

What do you think?

[jlake]

1. Um... he started running before Hillary did.

[joshcryer]

2. She announced in Jan, he announced in Feb.

[jlake]

3. Actually, that was just when she announced she was forming an exploratory committee.

And word is that she did not want to announce until the Summer, but had to get in early because Obama was going to announce.

[joshcryer]

5. I think it's obvious Obama knew she was going to run so took the political opportunity.

This is why I believe she was upset with him in the Senate after he did actually announce, because she knew that by running he would essentially make her run a shitload harder to win.

[ShadowLiberal]

4. Why not? Personally I think he decided to run from all of the support he saw he had for it

If you get a once in a lifetime opportunity to run for president , with the ability to actually have a decent amount of support in the primaries, then why not take it?

[joshcryer]

6. Fair enough.

[lurky]

7. He saw it was his moment.

I don't think he had a choice, in a way. His message was resonating with people at this moment in history. If he waited 4 or 8 years, his window most likely would have passed him by. He recognized that something big was coming together around him and he took a chance on it.

I think Hillary was probably the biggest thing standing in the way of his running, so he almost certainly would have run if she hadn't.