Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Obama 2008? Is It Possible?

Let's put it this way, it's much more plausible than it was a few months ago. In this piece below, I argue that an Obama candidacy would be formidable and that he would indeed have a chance to win his nomination and make a serious run at the Presidency of the United States. Now, this doesn't mean I want him to win or think he's particularly qualified, but that conservatives and libertarians should take his campaign seriously. Also, if I were Obama and the opportunity was in front of me with a wide open field, I would jump at it as well. Unless New Mexico's Bill Richardson can make some waves, you're probably going to be looking at a three way race between Clinton, Edwards, and Obama.

Here's why I think the Illinois Senator might be the most practical candidate for the Democrats in 2008.

But what do you think? Feel free to speak your mind. Also, if you're new here, take a look around.
Posted by Bill Barnwell at 8:39 PM

5 comments:

A. B. Dada said...

Hmm, that link to Etherzone crashes for me. Server maintenance maybe?

Nonetheless...

I'm from Illinois and see and hear Obama on the news every day. I don't really pay attention, but he's massively popular -- even with some left conservatives. The guy is the ultimate politician! He talks very smoothly, he sounds like he knows what he's talking about. He's mixed racially, so that fits in well with the Illinoisians it seems, from a perspective that he won't cater to one race or peoples.

Honestly, I have no idea what the guy stands for. He's my Senator, I guess (I, of course, did not vote), but I have no idea what he voted for or supports. I wouldn't know what the Republican politicians voted for either.

Illinois is in trouble as a state -- they definitely are falling well short of their expecting "income" and there's going to be battles between the state and the municipalities for sales tax that is due, plus other costs that the state was supposed to carry. Having a big-spending President from Illinois would be sold as solving the state's problems overnight, but how will he sell it to the rest of the nation?

I think he's a shoe-in for the Midwest -- they love him. The interviews and speeches he gives mesmerize the masses. Hillary has nothing on this guy in terms of his ability to profess his faith in government without coming off as snobbish or controlling. Scary, scary.

11:53 PM
Christopher I said...

What makes Obama so electable is, as you pointed out, his charisma, and also that he's not Bush. He couldn't, in fact, be more unlike Bush if he tried.

And he is unlike George Bush in one very important aspect, in his cosmopolitanism, that he is the consummate cosmopolitan by virtue of his family origins and upbringing. Bush, on the other hand, is the ultimate nativist.

Given the USA being the only super-power, and the indispensable nation, it is important for the world that the president of the USA be someone who sees him or herself as a citizen of the world, as much as, as a citizen of the USA. One need only look at the legacy of George W Bush to appreciate this.

Obama's lack of experience is being held against him. But is he so inexperienced, given his quite lengthy involvement in local politics before he become a US senator?

Besides aren't intelligence, education, and potential, just as important as experience?

Another thing held against Obama is his alleged youth - he's now only forty five, and so will be only forty-seven when 2008 comes around.

But doesn't anyone remember that Theodore Roosevelt was a mere forty two when he entered the Oval Ofiice, and John F Kennedy, forty-three? Come to think of it, Bill Clinton was forty six when he became president.

In any event, Obama's youthful age of forty seven may be a veritable advantage when compared to seventy-two - the age John McCain, the most likely Republican candidate, will be in 2008.

10:45 AM
Jeremiah said...

Interesting article, but I am still not convinced that Obama has much of a chance to be nominated by the Democrats as their next candidate for president. I think Obama realizes this. So his campaign for the presidency is about gaining enough publicity during the primaries that he is the logical choice for the Democrats to be their candidate for vice president. Do you think Hillary would choose Obama as a running mate?

As for the Republicans, if McCain isn't nominated will he pull a Teddy Roosevelt and run for president anyway? He could always choose Lieberman as his running mate. This is far fetched, but it will be McCain's last chance to be president. Anyway if this fanciful scenario did happen, it would only result in splitting the Republican party. However, I think it would take something that dramatic for Hillary-Obama to win.

Finally, as the Republicans realize that both Hillary and Obama are running for president in 2008, do you think they will pressure Condoleezza Rice to run for president? Not that I like Rice any better than Hillary, but it would be amusing to deny Ms. Clinton the chance to make such a big deal about being a female candidate.

Well, that is my two-cents. I hope you keep blogging!

4:41 AM
Bill Barnwell said...

Hi Jeremiah. I think Obama as a VP pick is definitely plausible, but if he feels he could take the whole thing he'll go straight to the top of the ticket if he can. Similarly, Edwards really wanted the nomination in 04', but there came a part in the primary process where he pretty much was running for the VP splot when it became clear he had no realistic shot at winning the nomination. I don't see a Condi run, at least not this time around.

8:23 AM
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