Obama may run for president

Oh please. Clinton would run over his dog to get the spotlight.

As for Obama, I agree with those who say more experience in the Senate would not help him. Maybe being a governor would, but otherwise, he'll never have a better shot than he does right now.

 

He's obsessed with policy. These aren't mutually exclusive ideas.

 

He's obsessed with his legacy too.

 

Again, not mutually exclusive activities.

 

Peace and prosperity from 1992-2000.

A best-selling book.

Billions of dollars raised in international relief efforts after he left office.

I think just about all of us would like to have that legacy.

Can't wait to see how many books W. writes or how much time he spends on charitable causes when he leaves office. It'll be more like this: Ride bike. Clear brush. Get drunk. Rince. Repeat.

 

Yeah, all that's fine, if not admirable. It doesn't make the spotlight and a legacy "the right reasons" for becoming president (or doing anything else). If you believe he'd have given a damn about being president if it came without the spotlight and a potential legacy, then we disagree completely.

 

I don't think people are necessarily turned off by strong women... just a certain strong woman. I'd vote Condi in a minute if she ran.

As for Obama, he doesn't get my vote, but I definitely think he is electable.

 

You'd vote for Condi? Really? Wow. I don't deny she's a very intelligent woman, but... really?

 

Jack ---
Clinton is a wonk's wonk. Even his enemies say that. Even people -- like me -- who feel that his presidency was a great missed opportunity say that. He can talk rings around just about anyone who's ever held that job on just about any issue you can name. You've got some sort of cartoon Clinton in your head here, and that's a shame.

 

My first impulse is that I like Obama. I'm sure there are many issues on which we would disagree, but he's a likeable person. The Democrats have never understood the value of this, with the exception of Kennedy and Clinton, and they almost got devoured in the early primaries in the elections years they ran. The Dems have trotted out nervous nellies (McGovern and Carter), cigar-store indians with nothing new to say and boring ways to say it (Dukakis, Gore, Kerry) and old hacks (LBJ and Mondale). LBJ and Carter won in years that the Dems could have actually nominated a donkey and won. It took them less than one term to blow it (LBJ opted not to run for re-election in 1968 and Carter didn't have a chance in 1980) and the other Dem nominees proved to be losers. Make any case you want for Gore actually winning, but this fact has never been in dispute: win his home state, and it never would have mattered what happened in Florida. That makes him a loser.

If the Dems are smart, they will drop Kerry, Gore and John Edwards like third-period French. Ditto Hillary, who isn't even the most-liked person in her family. If they want to win in '08, they need to go out on a limb with someone like Obama.

 

Obama absolutely should run in '08. The only stumbling block is Hillary. She has every right to want to run too, but someone needs to take control of the party and assess the situation. She won't win. Obama absolutely could, and should, win. Hillary is a divisive person, mainly in that her mere existence agitates the GOP. She has history that isn't even her history against her. The party should implore her not to run and make a go of it in the Senate. Be a force there.

Obama could use more "seasoning," I suppose, but really as a Senator, would what that do? The only seasoning he could really use is the kind Bubba and W got as Senators, leading their own little fiefdoms.

Obama is already light years ahead of W as far as worldly knowledge. He's smart enough to learn the rest.

The main thing is, esp. since he has no concrete policy history behind him, is that he appears to be a uniter, not a divider. That's what Congress, the gov't and this country needs right now, at this juncture. I, for one, don't want a Democrat to win who is just going to shit on the GOP for payback. We don't need that. We need a strong leader and someone to rebuild fractured relationships abroad.

As for the historic "importance" of Obama in '08, you can't tell me that it wouldn't bring black voters, and young voters, out in mind-blowing proportions. As long as people like Ken Blackwell don't suppress them. It would change the demographics of the electorate, even if for one or two elections. This could be a watershed moment in politics. You want to talk Rock the Vote? Man, Obama in 08 would be something big, my friends. (Though I figure a good many well-to-do voters would support Obama in public, but still vote with their bank accounts come November.)