OBAMA

[MAlibdem]

Is anyone actually serious when they post about this guy?

He seems like a good guy, and I'm glad he's a Senator, but are you all seriously suggesting we should put him on the ticket with 4 years experience in the Senate? Seriously?

Just asking because to me the idea seems idiotic.

[yardwork]

1. John Edwards had less than six years experience as a senator

For instance. What experience did JFK have?

Let's roll around to the Republicans. What experience did Ronnie Reagan have - couple lousy terms as California governor? How about W?

[liberalpragmatist]

4. Edwards had at least a full term under his belt and JFK had plenty

JFK was in his 8th year as a Senator and had previously served for 4 or 6 years in the House.

I think Obama's great, but as he himself has said, he has no business running for President in 2008. 2012 or 2016 are far more viable dates for Obama.

[MAlibdem]

5. A couple of terms of governor of the biggest state?

seems like a perfect place to run for president from.

[tritsofme]

8. JFK was in either the Senate or the House from 1947

until he was elected president in 1960.

I still maintain that Edwards was too wet behind the ears to run in 2004.

Obama is a future candidate, 2012 or 2016, 2008 is way too early to even think about.

Why waste an opportunity when he is not ready?

This guy has been a senator for barely a week and the last thing he needs to do is start thinking about running for president or being on a ticket in a few years.

[Hippo_Tron]

13. JFK had four (?) years in the house and won a second term to the senate

He wasn't actually a senator for two terms because he started campaigning for president the second he was re-elected. Much more political experience than Obama.

[AVID]

2. some people are ready - age or experience in the senate

notwithstanding

[alcuno]

3. I'm from Illinois. People outside the state should buzz off for a year or

two at least.

[barackmyworld]

6. I don't know about the experience factor, but there is something else

It's sad to say it, but I don't think America would be ready for a black president in 4 years. A lot of racism still exists in this country (often covert).

[murielm99]

7. He has said no to 2008,

but maybe 2012.

He says he does not want to stay around the Senate for as many years as Kerry did, if he is going to run for President. He does not want a long record that they can distort and smear, the way they did with Kerry's record.

[China_cat]

9. Speaking for myself

it is the inclusion of his message. Unlike the repubs whose 'platform of inclusion' doesn't seem to reach farther than the corners of their mouths, Obama makes you feel it.

What he says touches the best in me and makes me have hope again for this country and there's little enough of that any more.

Simply that makes me want to see him on the ticket, and I believe that he COULD win. I think there are enough like me to overcome just about anything the right could throw.

However, the more he touches people like me, the shorter I think his lifespan will be and if he looks like a draft choice for 2008, that will be the year we see another candidate die on the campaign trail. I believe Obama is too much a threat to the right to be allowed to live long enough to fulfill his potential.

[Rowdyboy]

10. Lyndon Johnson was elected Majority Leader of the US Senate 4 years

into his first term. Jimmy Carter had 4 years experience as governor of Georgia. Trent Lott had been a senator for just 7 years when he replaced Bob Dole as majority leader.

The longer a political figure remains in office, the more likely corruption is to occur.

I have no problem with Obama on the ticket in 2008.

[dsc]

14. Trent Lott had been in the House since

1974 and he also was plenty corrupt when he assumed the leadership. I will grant the Carter example though he had been in the military for several years and had been in politics for a while too.

[Rowdyboy]

15. Actually dsc, Lott was first elected to the house in 1972

I remember it well because I voted for the first time that year. Lott was the Republican nominee, a state senator named Ben Stone was the Democrat. I voted against Trent in his first race, and every time his name has been on the ballot since.

[dsc]

16. Lott is such an ass

I actually could stand Cochran but Lott just made me want to vomit whenever I saw or heard him. I take it you must live near the Gulf Coast since that is where his district must have been.

[Rowdyboy]

17. At the time, I was registered in Laurel (about 1 1/2 hours from the coast)

but I was a freshman in college in Jackson, 90m miles north of the district.

Cochran is a conservative, but I really have no serious problem with him. He's actually a reasonable guy. However, I detest Lott, Barber, Pickering, Wicker, Tuck etc....

[dsc]

18. when I lived there I was in the Delta district

which meant I got Thompson as a Congressman. That was nice. But I was there under Fordice who was a total piece of crap.

[housewolf]

11. We shouldn't run senators

Obama may be the greatest person and senator in the world, but senators (and congressional reps) are rarely elected to the presidency. They have terrible odds against winning a presidential election. We start out "behind the eight-ball" if we decide to run a senator for the presidency. Governors have better chances of willing presidential elections.

1960 is the last time a senator was elected to the presidency. Think of all the senators who have tried to win the presidency since then.

[Hippo_Tron]

12. He'll have two years of experience in the senate

Because campaigning starts right after the 2006 midterm elections. Could've happened back in the early 20th century but political experience of some kind is considered a MUST these days.

[pstans]

19. "political experience of some kind is considered a MUST these days."

or having a father who was president.

[Hippo_Tron]

20. OFFICIALLY Bush had 6 years as Governor of Texas

But we all know that somebody else was probably actually running the state, not to mention that the Texas governorship is one of the weakest in the nation. Arguably the Lieutenant Governor has more power.