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As
a two year, junior Senator from Illinois, Barack Obama (D) has already
given himself a lot to live up to. In the 2006 mid-term election, Obama
campaigned aggressively for the Democratic Party, and had his name in the
news more then many candidates who were actually up for re-election.
Bowing to speculation, the Senator has also hinted he may be interested in
running for President in 2008.
All of that is very newsworthy, so the papers say. But in the fast-paced,
twenty-first century news world, new news gets old fast. Obama managed to
extend his paper trail by a few weeks with his Meet the Press (an
NBC News program that regularly interviews politicians) proclamation that
he may run for President.
Maybe’s, however, are uninteresting in
Washington.
As of around Thanksgiving, CNN reported that there are no
U.S.
Senators who have affirmatively declared they will not run for President.
Many have declared they “may,” or “may not,” including Obama. That makes
him one of a hundred.
I
declared Obama a 2006 election winner in my Election Analysis a few weeks
ago, and I still believe he is, but for Obama to remain current, and
possibly a winner in 08’, he’ll have to keep things interesting. How?
Launching an exploratory committee in preparation for a Presidential run
is a start*, devising a noteworthy Iraq position is another (rather then
the very popular “withdrawal over time” theory), all to keep his name in
the papers. In a day and age where politics has become a media contest,
Obama seems to be winning the race—for now.
*(Not that I endorse Obama as a candidate—having heard him speak in
Chicago, I believe he is an interesting, honest candidate with a lot to
offer our country. However, as of late, he doesn’t have the political
experience—especially foreign policy experience—that I believe would be
necessary to effectively run this country. A few years from now, we can
talk more seriously about his candidacy for President.) |
