Have You Heard? Obama ‘08
by Pamela LeaveyIt was kind of hard to miss today — the news that Barack Obama is considering a run for the White House in ‘08.
“Given the responses that I’ve been getting over the last several months, I have thought about the possibility, but I have not thought about it with the seriousness and depth that I think is required,” Obama said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “After November 7th, I’ll sit down and consider it, and if at some point, I change my mind, I will make a public announcement and everybody will be able to go at me.”
Color me nonplussed. I’m finding it hard to get on the bandwagon. Obama fever has not caught me and doubt it will. A neighbor popped his head in my door a couple of weeks ago and said “Obama.” I retorted — Inexperienced. I guess that’s it in a word, in a nutshell — I can’t get fired up about an Obama run because he simply doesn’t have the experience that we need right now while this country and the world, is such a mess.
I think Obama’s got a ways to go before he ready to run for president. Yes, he’s a great speaker. And yes, he’s got charisma, but where’s the experience? Dan Balz says in the WaPo, “having served just two years in the Senate and seven in the Illinois state Senate, Obama has a thin résumé upon which to build a presidential candidacy.”
He was asked yesterday on “Meet the Press” whether he was ready to be president.
“I’m not sure anybody is ready to be president before they’re president,” he told moderator Tim Russert. “You know, ultimately, I trust the judgment of the American people that in any election they sort it through. We have a long and a rigorous process and, you know, should I decide to run, if I ever did decide to run, I’m confident that I’d be run through the paces pretty good.”
The paces? Sure, Obama, we know it’s a race — but every pony needs to get some experience on the track before the run for the Derby. Folks want to know more than whether you can run through “the paces.” The big question is “what’s your record?”
He has no legislative record to speak of, given the short time he has been in the Senate and the fact that Democrats are in the minority.
Obama is currently on a nationwide tour promoting his new book, “The Audacity of Hope
That said, the horse race is heating up and we’ve still got just a little more than 2 weeks before the mid-terms play out. Hold your horses Obama — most of the big ponies aren’t bucking out the gate yet and they’ve got more to offer at this point, like the obvious — John Kerry. Talk to us in a few years Barack, as Bob Herbert advises…
With a few more years in the Senate, possibly with a powerful committee chairmanship if the Democrats take control, he could build a formidable record and develop the kind of toughness and savvy that are essential in the ugly and brutal combat of a presidential campaign.
Seth Gitell notes in his N.Y. Sun column about Obama stirring up excitement in MA over the weekend, “It’s unclear whether Mr. Obama’s flavor-of-the-month status will last.” And Gitell added to voice of commonsense from one MA Dem and a reminder…
“The contrast now is between a young, fresh, inexperienced face and a tested mature face,” the chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, Phil Johnston, said, putting Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Kerry in the latter category. “Given the severity of the problems, I wouldn’t be surprised if we’ll flirt with the former and marry the latter.”
In 2004, Mr. Kerry’s team exhorted potential voters to date Howard Dean, who came from a position of far less national prominence than Mr. Obama, and marry John Kerry. Mr. Kerry eventually slugged it out. Democrats here are mooning over the possibility of at the least dating Mr. Obama.
Color me someone who’s not even interested in flirting –I’ll stick with the solid, experienced mature face from MA — thank you.
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I agree with you that Obama needs seasoning before he can make a credible run for the presidency, in spite of his undeniable intelligence and his skills as a communicator. I also buy the argument that he may, in fact, be angling for the vice presidency.
Here are two posts on Obama and 2008:
http://markdaniels.blogspot.com/2006/10/are-barack-obamas-oratorical-skills.html
http://markdaniels.blogspot.com/2006/10/obama-running-for-vp-in-2008.html
Mark Daniels
http://markdaniels.blogspot.com
The Republicans would love this. They would tear apart his youth and lack of experiance. They (meaning the republicans) are part of the hype. They fear JK, and they want anybody to step up and try to knock him off. We will not let this happen America needs JK, and he will be our next President.
The first thought I got was also “He’d make a great VP” for ‘08…………
I like Obama. He has indeniable qualities that go further than his charisma, but I agree he does not have enough experience to make a credible run for president in our troubled world. He should either run as VP on a ticket or wait a couple cycles.
However, I would be careful with the legislative record issue, that Obama’s supporters think is an advantage because there would be nothing to pick apart.
He has no legislative record to speak of, given the short time he has been in the Senate and the fact that Democrats are in the minority.
Obama has a short record in the US Senate, but he has a long trail in the Illinois Senate, which can certainly be picked apart by Republicans if he runs.
Barack Obama has much to offer America.
However, in today’s difficult times, Senator John Kerry brings to the campaign the experience of a Statesman.
He has served in Vietnam and understands what went wrong.
He has been through the campaign and knows what it takes. But he will not be afraid to offer Barack Obama the Vice-Presidency in a Kerry Presidency. He also knows that our nation needs to look to all Americans for leadership. And Barack represents some of the best in America.
There is no other candidate out there with Kerry’s understanding of the issues, his experience, and his leadership skills.
Obama in 2016?
Bob
Mass:
And what voting record he does have has been cautious and often surprisingly conservative, especially in foreign policy.
He clearly can speak to inspire. My reapplication of a concept I used yesterday in the Post on JK’s ‘This Week’ interview:
Although John Edwards did not have much experience in ‘04, I was much more comfortable with his record, knowledge base, critical thinking and intelligence than I have been with Obama. I personally do not want Barak a heartbeat from the presidency in ‘09.
Obviously he is better than Dan Quayle (a heart stopper every time you remembered), but he’s no Al Gore either.
And that is the kind of VP we – and #44 – will need on 1/20/09 and beyond.
I hope Obama realizes that the draft movement for Stewart and Colbert is as legitimate as his is.
Heck, I’d vote for Robin Williams first. Anybody seen the movie? I think the laughs would be SO welcome.
This is unbelievable, from a Media Matters for America expose on Softball questions abound in Time’s interview with Cheney conducted by White House correspondents Mike Allen and James Carney. Two of their stand out questions:
Cheney’s health is NOT okay and there have actually been articles about how bad he has looked at times (when he was actually out where he could be seen).
What’s his approval rating, 18%? Those are the “people in the party [who] would like to see” Cheney run for president. That would leave how many millions snorting fluid out their noses?
Look, whatever they are putting in the Kool Aid at this point is helping the Dems. So, hey, let’s draft Cheney to run in ‘08 on ‘Stay the Course’ and ‘Don’t change horses mid stream’.
Pamela
I support your Obama for president position 100% – practically verbatim.
Substance matters more to me than charisma, platitude, or oratory skills when it comes to a presidential selection. When in power, what were their priorities, their votes, and the battles they chose to take on? *Experience.* *Maturity.* *Wisdom.*
“Now you’ve finally earned your wings – It’s time for you to soar.” – Author unkown.
Also, at this perilous time in the history of the world/our country,
looking at the whole picture,
would Barack Obama, as vp, have all the vital qualifications to fill John Kerry’s shoes, as president, if the unspeakable were to occur? Obama 2016?
Obama has fallen into the msm trap.
He’s flaming bright now but like another poster said he has a paper trail in IL and if there is something there the GOP and carville and crew will fine it.
After some of the less than stellar obama has made about JK’s run in 04 JK was a class act indeed this weekend.
Obama, don’t believe the hype. You will get burned badly.
Pen
Interesting info, had no heard of any paper trail. JK’s always a class act.
Yesterday, while listening to “The Ed Schultz Show,” I heard a male caller tell Ed he was a disgruntled conservative, who voted Repub all his life, yet when he heard Barack Obama’s interview on Ed’s show the other day, he was totally impressed, so much so he bought his book, will read it, and go from there. He made a point of saying he liked Obama because he answered each question asked of him with very few words – period – unlike other Washington insiders who agonize over the issues. Ed supported him 100%.
Very interesting!
Woodrow Wilson was Governor of New Jersey for only two years before he became president. FDR was Governor of New York for only 4 years before he became president. John Kennedy was in the senate for 8 years. Im a liberal democrat but we need to be smart about this choice. John Keryy is old uninspiring and monotonous. He failed to captivate the electorate in 2004. He blew is and hes done. Hilary is way to polarizing a figure who is detested by the other side. She wont command the 70 per cent approval ratings Bill had. Obama is a charismatic, progressive, highly intelligent force which this country needs after eight long years of dubya. Give the guy his chance. It could spawn another era in US politics.