01.18.07
Run, Barack, run
Illinois Senator Barack Obama’s announcement yesterday that he will form a committee to explore a run at the presidency in 2008, is fueling the hopes and dreams of millions of Americans who are inspired by the tall, skinny guy with the funny name.
Who is Obama and does he have the stamina and experience to win the presidency and take on the most challenging job in the world?
His two books, Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance and The Audacity of Hope , lend insight to the life story of Obama, his intellect, his beliefs and his approach to politics. He fits well within the Democratic party but is beholden to no particular ideology, his positions generally pragmatic. He may be too willing to negotiate for some on the left but his ability to find common ties with the other side is a strength. He has strong beliefs but is not unnecessarily confrontational. His compelling personal story, a son of a white mother from Kansas and black Kenyan father, speaks to people across racial and class lines.
If Obama can survive the scrutiny, raise the funds and emerge from the shadow of Hillary, he very well could find himself in the White House. He has the charisma and intelligence to lead. He has been described as a man who makes people feel conifident in themselves. The big question that dogs him is his lack of experience with only two years in the U.S. Senate behind him. Then again, many experienced politicians have made questionable decisions and been dragged down in scandal. Maybe some new blood is in order. About a century and a half ago, Americans voted in a president from Illinois with little national experience. His name, of course, was Abraham Lincoln.
RAD said,
January 18, 2007 at 6:04 am
Well said Tony Dondero! Now that Edwards has disappointed me - I’m checking Barack out more carefully… I certainly don’t want “Billary”… Good point about Lincoln!