TIME COVER: BARACK OBAMA: THE NEXT PRESIDENT

[DeepModem Mom]

The Democrats' fresh face
By Joe Klein
October 15, 2006

....As we traveled that Saturday through downstate Illinois and then across the Mississippi into the mythic presidential-campaign state of Iowa, Obama seemed the political equivalent of a rainbow -- a sudden preternatural event inspiring awe and ecstasy.

Bill Gluba, a longtime Democratic activist who sells real estate on both sides of the river in the Quad Cities area, reminisced about driving Bobby Kennedy around Davenport, Iowa, on May 14, 1968.

"I was just a teenaged kid," he says. "But I'll never forget the way people reacted to Kennedy. Never seen anything like it since -- until this guy."

The question of when Obama -- who has not yet served two years in the U.S. Senate -- will run for president is omnipresent. That he will eventually run, and win, is assumed by almost everyone who comes to watch him speak.

In Davenport a local reporter asks the question directly: "Are you running for president in 2008?"

Obama surprises me by saying he's just thinking about the 2006 election right now, which, in the semiotic dance of presidential politics, is definitely not a no....

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/15/cover.story.tm/index.html

[msongs]

1. we could do worse I suppose. he does have a good PR man tho nt

[babylonsister]

2. Joe Klein? I'd trust him as far as I could throw him. nt

[Bucky]

103. This article is really about hyping Joe Klein's ability to hype whatever

Obama's a decent senator and I hope our graybeards are grooming him for future leadership roles. But that said, the people pick our leaders and I suspect that the people want a leader with a little more experience. I sure hope Obama's not letting the hype go to his head the way once-young men like Joe Biden and Ted Kennedy did. He's sort of on track to be in that category, which ain't a bad thing, but ain't the White House, either.

[pooja]

3. I worry that he may be too corporate... making all that money for all

those speeches... Necessary evil, but at the same time power and money tend to corrupt. I wish I knew him face to face. I am a great judge of character by the way they speak in a normal conversation opposed to making a stately address. I want this country to succeed. I want small business owners to succeed. I want people to live comfortably. I don't care about being rich.. I don't want Paris Hilton riches... I don't want an outfit that costs more than min. wage earners make in a year. #1 its not practical and #2 it will be out of fashion next year.

But I think that is acceptable to believe that everyone living in this country should live comfortably. We need to create universal health care, we need to overhaul the FDA, and we need to train doctors holistic medicine. Not everything requires antibiotics. The best advice is healthy living advice. Less need for the Dr.s in the first place decrease the added costs of all the paperwork. Preventative medicine. AND the FDA should never be influenced by the pharm companies. No kickbacks, nobody who has worked for the pharm co. allowed on the panel. Personally, I think the FDA should be a voter choice... put them up for candidacy so that we know who these expert scientists and dr.s are. My thoughts are that if Americans understood what was in the shots that they allow their babies to get, no one would ever give their children shots. My step-son... healthy as a horse. Never sick or anything. After the last round of shots, he has a cold almost anytime anything is going around and he has developed excema on his legs. I didn't have a say in giving him the shots.. that was his bio-mother's decisions.. but in my opinion he was better off without them.+

[TankLV]

4. We can do better, a LOT better.

Don't like his positions or what he has to say.

Too much hype - JUST BECAUSE HE IS BLACK.

He'd be a nobody if he were not black...

[jefferson_dem]

19. What a deplorable "Limbaughesque" comment. The guy has charisma,

compassion, and remarkable political acumen.

Yes, he also happens to be black... Thanks for putting things into such a clear black/white perspective. :sarcasm:

[texasleo]

67. baloney. Skin color is a part of it.

At the 04 convention, everyone was going on and on about how good Obama's speech was.
John Edwards absolutely overshadowed him, yet many liberals refused to see it that way.

[jefferson_dem]

74. Of course skin color is "part of" each one of us. But the poster said

that skin color was *IT* with Obama...which is total bullshit. We can argue about who overshadowed whom (i would be among those who saw the Sen-to-be from IL as the star) but to say that Obama, who has many admirable personal-political qualities, is only celebrated because he is black is simple-minded at the very least, and horribly prejudiced at the worst.

[beaconess]

86. I don't agree - and I LOVE Edwards

But Obama's speech was heads and shoulders above Edwards'. I believe it will go down as one of the great political speeches in history. Edwards' speech was not his best - it was too cautious and predictable - he gave better speeches on the stump.

And skin color is only part of it if Edwards and Kerry and Clinton being white has anything to do with their success.

[jefferson_dem]

100. Thank you! Obama is a star and his speech in '04 was breathtaking!

I challenge DU naysayers to watch it again and still say he is *not* ready for prime time!

PART 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNCLomrqIN8

PART 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56-m8wx1mwo

[calimary]

107. I saw it much the same way you did. But perhaps it was because my

expectations for Edwards' speech were so incredibly high. I found him surprisingly underwhelming and disappointing. Same thing in the debate with cheney. If he was a killer trial lawyer whose presentations in court brought standing-room-only visitors to watch him work, I did NOT see evidence of that at the convention. Now, Obama on the other hand - I didn't know what to expect, but I was pleased. Not completely bowled over, but I thought he made a great impression, his speech was terrific even if he didn't hit one out of the ballpark, and it marked a VERY strong and intriguing debut - leaving you wanting more. He needs more experience, a few more years, and a little more seasoning. But he's obviously on the fast track, his record is clean, his mind is sharp as a new razor, his wit is quick, he's rather adorable, and even more important - he has what so many of our Dems lack - CHARISMA. You can't get anywhere in politics or any other venue without it. We could do a LOT worse.

I like Obama a lot. If he's the future of our party, then we're in very good shape.

[omega minimo]

85. Obama is a player

A phony. There may be different ways to arrive at that conclusion. And to some his "blackness" may be thing that carries him, or his "charisma," "remarkable political acumen" or presumed "compassion" that carries his mystique.

After The Speech at the convention and his absence when it counted on Jan. 6, 2005, Obama will remain, in my mind, a Great Pretender.

[Doctor_J]

20. Yeah, but Dennis Kucinich won't ever be elected Prez,

so you need to find a happy spot in the real world.

[elocs]

32. There are many, many here at DU who do not reside in the real world.

I, myself, might prefer to live in their world also. Unfortunately, I have to live in the real Earth of 2006 and not Tolkien's Middle Earth.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

37. is that you Rush? we could also do a LOT worse! n/t

[beaconess]

51. Who could do better than this?

"If there is a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me, even if it's not my child. If there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for their prescription drugs, and has to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it's not my grandparent. If there's an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties.

"It is that fundamental belief, it is that fundamental belief — I am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeper — that makes this country work. It's what allows us to pursue our individual dreams and yet still come together as one American family.

"E pluribus unum. 'Out of many, one.'

"Now even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters, the negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes. Well, I say to them tonight, there is not a liberal America and a conservative America — there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America — there's the United States of America.

"The pundits, the pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I've got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and yes, we've got some gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq.

"We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America. In the end, that's what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or do we participate in a politics of hope?"

. . .

"I'm not talking about blind optimism here — the almost willful ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away if we just don't think about it, or the health care crisis will solve itself if we just ignore it. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about something more substantial. It's the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs. The hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores. The hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta. The hope of a mill worker's son who dares to defy the odds. The hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too.

"Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope! In the end, that is God's greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation. A belief in things not seen. A belief that there are better days ahead.

I believe that we can give our middle class relief and provide working families with a road to opportunity. I believe we can provide jobs to the jobless, homes to the homeless, and reclaim young people in cities across America from violence and despair. I believe that we have a righteous wind at our backs and that as we stand on the crossroads of history, we can make the right choices, and meet the challenges that face us."

Obama is NOT where he is because he's Black. He's where he is because he offers a message of hope, backed up by a brilliant mind and solid experience.

[loyalsister]

110. Not to mention strong roots in community service

The real connection to democracy and democratic principles.
He's a true believer in people.
We should not discount his experience in the Chicago community and the Illinois state Senate as serious preparation for a run for presidency.
What we need more than anything in a candidate is one who has a real connection to people.
We aren't going to find that in someone who has been engulfed in the culture of Congress and politics itself for half of their life.
He very well may be a suprisingly ideal candidate if we break our staunch entrenchment in conventional wisdom and work on a paradigm shift for a new generation.
That seemed to be an undertone in Obama's speech at the Harkin Steak Fry.
He talked about thinking about National Security in new ways.
That is really the only way we are going to break the cycle called the "War on Terror" that was initiated under this administration.

[dubykc]

5. We could do far worse, however, I'm sad to say...

this country isn't ready for a black president.

The neo-Nazi movement as well as all other white supremacy groups would totally dismantle a black candidate's campaign.

Sad but true.

[KoKo]

7. If that's true why does Condi have such high approval numbers? Why

were the Repugs pushing her for President? Why did Colin Powell get pushed to run? Don't think folks care anymore about the color of skin for high office. It's the money and corporate connections one can bring to the campaign that matters.

Joe Klein might be looking for the next administration he can worm his way into and then write a tell all book about ...like he did with Clinton.

[NYCGirl]

16. The GOP was pushing Condi and Colin because it made them look like they

were NOT racists.

[KoKo]

26. True...but the usual racists in the Repug Party sure haven't complained

about anyone in the Bush administration...as long as they lie and are crooked but bring in the money...who cares (according to them). The main factors being Anti-Choice, and appearing to uphold "moral values." :rofl:

[pnwmom]

35. Those people would never vote for any Democrat -- so who cares?

If they were in the forefront, they would just drive the few remaining reasonable Republicans away in disgust.

[KoKo]

6. He has no experience in governing. Seems and okay guy who can

speak well...but no track record. Are we supposed to cling to him because we don't have anyone better to hang hopes on? Who is it that's pushing him? :shrug:

[OwnedByFerrets]

15. And monkeyboy "did"?!!!

:rofl:

[beaconess]

43. I wouldn't go there . . .

:-)

[beaconess]

34. Not true - Don't forget: he spent 7 years in the Illinois State Senate

So, by election time, he'll have had more than 10 years in government - nearly as many as JFK (14), Bill Clinton (14) and more than Bobby Kennedy (7), Ronald Reagan (8), Jimmy Carter (4), John Edwards (6) and Hillary Clinton (8 years, not counting her time as First Lady).

Obama also had a pretty good background, to say the least, before he entered government. He was a civil rights lawyer and taught law school. And he was also editor of the Harvard Law Review. And he's written two books (he wrote them himself, without a ghostwriters).

Not bad for a "skinny kid with a funny name."

[Withywindle]

95. THANK YOU!

I get so sick of people acting like just because he made his first big national splash in '04 that he's somehow come out of "nowhere" (Gee, that's a nice thing to say about IL) and blindly repeating the "overnight success" meme.

The Chicago Reader did a profile on him as a promising up-and-coming progressive politician with an interesting backstory in 1995! He was in the IL state legislature almost as long as Lincoln was.

And yeah, we could do a hell of a lot worse than someone who taught Constitutional Law at a prestigious university, couldn't we? Seems a good grasp on the Constitution is what we need most these days.

Not that I necessarily think '08 is a good time for him to run, but geez. I'm sick of the attacks that are exactly what they ignorantly accuse Obama of: no substance.

[beaconess]

97. Sort of like Colombus "discovering" America . . . Some people think

that Obama was wandering around in a void until they first "discovered" him. :-)

And, as for the "not enough government experience" argument, we just need look at 1) FDR, who had 11 years of government service - the same number of years that Obama will have had by 2008 (NY State Senator 1910-1912, Secretary of the Navy 1912-1917, Governor of NY 1928-1932) and 2) George H.W. Bush who spent more than 17 years (U.S. Congressman 1966-1970, UN Ambassador 1971-1973, Ambassador to China 1974-1976, CIA Director 1976-1977, Vice President 1981-1989). Which was the better President?

[Tiggeroshii]

121. I appreciate you guys defending him

He seems to need a lot of that on this forum...

[jody]

8. IMO Obama would make a good cabinet member but hasn't executive experience

necessary for President.

[pnwmom]

36. Bush had executive experience. It's vastly overrated.

John Kennedy had no executive experience.

[jody]

76. IMO Bush never had executive experience but he held one executive job. n/t

[LibDemAlways]

9. Interesting that they aren't running a cover

story on Hillary proclaiming her "the next president." For a couple of years now the whores have been telling us that Hillary's nomination is a sure thing. Now, they are suddenly touting Obama. Must have seen the handwriting on the wall and so came up with another unelectable candidate.

Prediction: The Dem nominee will be a male caucasion - Al Gore, John Edwards, Wes Clark, John Kerry - all possibles. The very unfortunate reality is that this country is not yet ready to elect a President who doesn't meet those two criteria.

[momster]

17. White, male, Protestant....

Don't forget that. You're not going to see a white male Buddhist, or Pagan, or even some guy who just doesn't go to church.

[LibDemAlways]

53. You're right. The Dems are not going to nominate someone

who has what would be considered (and I hate to say this) religious baggage.

[cobaindrain]

80. after JFK

and even Reagan (one of his parents was Catholic)...is there still a Catholic stigma?

What's wrong with white, male, catholic?

[beaconess]

38. I don't see a plot here. HRC is a known commodity. Obama is a

fresh, new face. He's extremely interesting, his story is compelling and he doesn't have any baggage (yet). It's perfectly natural that the press is jumping all over his bandwagon now. He sells magazines.

[DeepModem Mom]

10. So far in this thread, NOT ONE ounce of excitement shared...

about this Democratic phenomenon -- sometimes I think we don't want to win, and would rather wallow in self-righteous defeat.

[brentspeak]

13. Speaking only for myself, I have my attention focused on Nov. 7th

I'll give more thought to Obama after this important election is concluded.

[KeepItReal]

14. Sorry, but Sen. Obama has no track record, IMHO

Let's see how he legislates and votes when he's in the Majority and can really have an impact.

Like my boys used to say, "he ain't paid no dues" yet.

I'm reserving my praise for this "phenomenon" until he actually has some power in the Senate and can make things happen.

[fooj]

28. He may be a "phenomenon" to you...

and I fully respect that, however, for me he is simply MORE OF THE SAME.

[pnwmom]

39. More of the same? You must be of the Nader/Green ilk. Obama is a

progressive Democrat who would be a welcome CHANGE from the thugs we have in office now.

[fooj]

54. Wrong. Can't say I ever voted for Nader.

Thanks for the attack. I really appreciate it.

[pnwmom]

71. Then do you mind explaining what you meant by "more of the same"?

It sounded as if you meant that Democrats and Republicans are the same. Or, even worse, that Obama would be the same as Bush.

[tridim]

47. That's my issue with him.. He's just an average politician

who can speak well and look good doing it. That certainly satisfies the shallow requirements to be president in America (like Raygun), but it doesn't satisfy me that he's the best overall choice for 2008. Obama in 2016 sounds more realistic.

[never cry wolf]

59. There's just a slight difference

Obama was president of the Harvard Law Review and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago. Ronnie Raygun played cowboys and indians.

[babylonsister]

40. Hi, Mom. I don't want the media picking anyone. I like Mr. Obama,

but do think he needs a bit more experience before he's touted as the 2nd coming. Thus, my lack of excitement.

[DeepModem Mom]

50. You make a good point, babylonsister --

:hi:

[KoKo]

45. He might be a Democratic phenomenon to the the Corporate Media..

but I hope Dems will look beyond Media Phenomenon after the last "Media Phenomenon" was forced on us by the Corporations and War Mongers.

[demwing]

72. Wow, if we don't share your opinion

then we must want to lose?

That's fucking rich, let me tell you.

[brentspeak]

11. Well, he's gotta display a bit more substance than style

His calling card at this moment is that he's a young, telegenic, Harvard-educated black guy, who's good at pressing the palm and kissing the baby. But, like, what specifically is he all about? He reminds me lot of Mark Warner.

[DeepModem Mom]

22. Mark Warner lit NO fires. nt

[BlueManDude]

12. Obama's a fool

Is he so starved for attention that he needs this now?

The whole notion of him as president is silly.

He'll be out of politics in 5 years.

[juajen]

69. WOW, why is he a fool?

I doubt he paid anyone to do a "Time" cover. He is brilliant and charismatic. I think he would be an excellent President and I love the "Time" cover. Go eat beans!

[LWolf]

78. I don't agree

with the "silly" and "out of politics in 5 years" remarks.

I also don't agree with "brilliant" and "charismatic." He seems intelligent to me, but I haven't seen any glimpses of "brilliance." Charismatic? I don't want a charismatic president. I want someone who earns the honest support of the majority through the work he does, not someone who attracts support due to the capacity of the general public to gather like moths around a perceived flame; to follow, rather than to think.

So far, I haven't seen the work that would earn my support, although I believe that Lieberman and the religious right have.

[BlueManDude]

118. He's pulling an Edwards.

Edwards went too early and Obama seems to be caught up in the hype. That's why I say he'll be out of politics in 5 years.

[BlueManDude]

117. Maybe he should compile a record of accomplishment, seek

re-election and THEN consider running for president. As far as I can tell he's spent the last 2 years flitting around from green room to green room doing TV appearances in which he chastises Dems for not saying this or that. Maybe he should stop talking and start leading. That's the way you become presidential timber - not by allowing blowhards like Klein to splash your all over a national newsweekly as the "next President".

He's only hurting himself and the party with all this premature BS. I thought he was smarter than that.

[beaconess]

119. What was Edwards' "record of accomplishment" before he ran?

[BlueManDude]

122. that's my point. where is he now? he ran too early.

[zonkers]

108. All this Obama for Pres. chatter seems too manufactured. As if he

is being set up to fail. Right now, he should ignore the hype and just be the best Senator he could be. This hype is bullshit.

[Doctor_J]

18. They said that about Smirky in Aug 1999

hopefully he'll have some coattails. And hopefully he'll be on the ticket with Wes Clark at the head in 2008

[Catchawave]

21. K&R for Senator Obama, a breath of fresh air too !

:kick:

[DeepModem Mom]

23. Thanks, Catchawave!!! nt

[leesa]

24. This is such crap. Corporate media has picked our next Corporate

Candidate. This guy will do whatever they say.

[DeepModem Mom]

25. Do you have a candidate in mind? nt

[Catchawave]

27. Good question DMM ! n/t

[never cry wolf]

30. Why would you say such a silly thing?

What evidence do you have that he is a sell out? I happen to believe that his track record is just the opposite. Do you have any idea what kind of lucrative offers the president of the Harvard Law Review gets upon graduation, especially if one is a minority? Can't you imagine that every high powered law firm and many powerful corporation were throwing 6 and even 7 figure offers at him? Instead he came back to the neighborhood to become a coounity organizer and took a relatively very low paying job with a civil rights firm.

Upon graduation, Obama worked for one year at Business International Corporation before moving to Chicago and taking a job with a non-profit organization helping local churches organize job training programs for residents of poor neighborhoods.

Obama then left Chicago for three years to study law at Harvard University. He was elected the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review, graduating magna cum laude in 1991. Following law school Obama returned to Chicago, first supporting a voter registration drive, then working for the civil rights law firm Miner, Barnhill and Galland, and teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama

[beaconess]

42. So right

The president of Harvard Law Review is THE most coveted law graduate in the country. This man should not be sold short.

Interesting sidebar - Deval Patrick, the outstanding Democratic candidate for Massachusetts governor, was the first African American to win the Harvard moot court competition. He won in 1981 and graduated in 1982, a few years before Obama enrolled.

[never cry wolf]

60. He could have named his price

and gotten it. He did not study law to get rich, however.

[violetandblue]

29. He won't get the....

swing districts and rural districts needed to win - there is no way, I'm sad to say. The only Democratic candidate that has a chance (at least for some time to come) has to be Clintonesque - midwestern or southern, moderate, strong on union and trade issues (yes, I know Clinton was for NAFTA - that was surprising) with a rural upbringing or strong understanding of rural life. That is why I was optimistic about Edwards, but they pulled the sleazy lawyer stuff on him. Hilary is bad, Obama is bad - anyone from urban states (IL, CA) or the northeast just will not cut it unless they can somehow appeal to moderate swing voters. It's location, location, location - that's the only reason Bush is popular around here. Republicans are given leeway because many rural/swing voters have conservative values and often will vote on those values despite who the candidate is. With Democrats, you have to walk the walk and talk the talk, or you'll be painted as a liberal.

[never cry wolf]

33. You'd be amazed at how he was received in rural/swing areas

here in Illinois... Once you get outside of Chicago, most of the state is rural/small town and quite red. True, his opponent, Keyes, is an ass clown but Obama is greeted warmly by large crowds throughout the cornfields from Cairo to Geneva.

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/IL/S/01/

[violetandblue]

62. That's a good sign...

but, outside of IL, when most people think of the state, they think of Chicago. My family threw a fit when my brother decided to go to IL for school. They said, "Chicago is so dangerous," even though the school (he goes to Valpo) is an hour from Chicago and in a pretty rural area. IL as a whole is probably more country than Ohio is, but people just don't see that and I think will be wary of a Presidental candidate from there. Even though Blackwell, a candidate for OH governor, is conservative, you cannot imagine how many people think he's a liberal in disguise just because he's black and from an urban area. They think as soon as he gets in, he will go turncoat on Republicans and "look out for urban blacks." I know that he supports black businesses and blacks in power, but I can't figure him going liberal - look at Condi Rice. It just goes to show you how deeply rooted these stereotypes are. It will be the same with Obama, except even moreso because he's a Democrat.

[beaconess]

88. Why do you compare him to Condi Rice - what does Obama have in common

with her - other than the fact that they are both black?

[fuzzyball]

98. Obama is only HALF BLACK, Condi has all black parents & G.parents

WHen will this country stop calling people with even
10% black blood as black? It is so racist.

[beaconess]

99. I call Obama Black because that's how he identifies himself.

But Obama's mixed racial heritage makes him have even less in common with Condoleezza Rice, which calls into question why he's being compared to her.

[beaconess]

87. They went crazy over him in Iowa a few weeks ago, as well n/t

[Telly Savalas]

104. Those rural swing voters had no problems voting for a Northeastern

Ivy League elitist in 2000 and 2004. Why couldn't they connect with Obama? Because he doesn't have a fake Texas accent?

[opihimoimoi]

31. Premature...not ready for prime time...should wait 8 years...at least 2

Senate terms...

Will he wait?

[Jeffersons Ghost]

41. K&R here's a 5th vote!

[deadparrot]

44. Don't know about 2008, but I firmly believe he will be president one day.

He's got "it."

[Auntie Bush]

46. I'd like to see him on our ticket in 8 years. He's too

young and inexperienced to run for POTUS now. Besides, he has no foreign/international or military experience. I can't see Southerners voting for him (black & non-military). In these dangerous times...we need someone like Wes Clark who has what we need for POTUS.

Southerner
Intelligent
Religious
High morals and values
Motivating speaker
Charisma and good looks
Military Experience
Perfect Commander-In-Chief!
Military Executive experience
Negotiating Experience
Well known and respected and admired internationally
He'd restore our much needed prestige around the world
World leaders would be a lot more receptive to cooperating and becoming allys with the US.

[mirandapriestly]

48. He's been pretty disappointing, IMO,

maybe you have to be middle of the road if you have high political aspirations.

[OHdem10]

49. Can the Media be pushing Obama much too

early. They have a habit of pushing someone building them up
and then just as they peak tear them to shreds.

Hopefully, Obama is shrewed enough to see through their known
antics.

There is juat a possiblity that the Public is fed up with
electing "personalities". They may be demanding experience
smart and good decision making by 2008. Who knows. Bush
was elected on personality--"Who would you rather have a beer
and watch a ball game with"?

This is in no negates Obama's many qualities. From the beginning
I have believed he is destined for "great things", but timing
is everything in politics. Time is doing him no favors, IMO

The Media pushed John Edwards too soon. Remeber what they did
to Howard Dean. Had Dean been a Republican , they would never
have treated him the way they did.

The Media is not the Democrats' Friend and the sooner they
fully intellectualize this the better.

[beaconess]

52. Poor John Edwards - "the MEDIA" made him do it!

:-)

[1932]

55. People are legitimately interested in Obama, and the media trailed

reality.

People I know in Illinois were telling me about this guy for months before the media caught up with him.

[skipos]

66. The public will NEVER be "fed up with electing personalities."

From Andrew Jackson to Dwight Eisenhower to Bush, a large portion of the public has always voted on who they "like" more, not who has the better policies.

Elections are decided by millions of people who spend more time thinking about their vote for American Idol than their vote for President. We need to start accepting that.

[Imagevision]

89. media isn't pushing Obama enough...

[stray cat]

56. Maybe its time to get rid of professional politicians

What does experience in the senate dealing with lobbyists do but lead to corruption. Maybe its time to get rid of the professional permanant politicians and let working Americans do the job as intended by the constitution.

[Cameron27]

57. The last thing we need right before the congressional elections

is a Time cover of the next Democratic Candidate for President no matter who they think it is.

I think they're trying to sabotage the 2006 elections.

[Golden Raisin]

58. The fact that a sleaze like

Joe Klein and a big-bucks corporate entity like Time are hawking/pushing/trumpeting this 2 full years before the next Presidential election makes my suspicion antennae go up and start vibrating. If Klein and Time are for Obama I want nothing to do with him.

[never cry wolf]

61. Did you read the article? It wasn't a puff piece...

In fact Klein was not very complimentary at all, IMHO.

[Jim Sagle]

63. Joe Klein ain't nuthin' but shit and neither is his advice.

[pnwmom]

73. Joe Klein doesn't particularly like Obama,

judging by this piece.

[Vidar]

64. I would vote for Jesse Jackson in a minute because he fights.

Obama appeases & collaborates; no thanks.

[AtomicKitten]

65. Mark my world.

Obama WILL be president, maybe not our NEXT president, but he will be president. He is a rising star that should be embraced by Democrats.

All the references to him being a corporatist and worse are lame and empty rhetoric. First of all, it's not true and, secondly, that one-size-fits-all epithet is becoming really, really tired.

If you've got a problem with him, state your case honestly instead of parroting the crappola you hear at DU.

[tomreedtoon]

68. Obama has charisma: why isn't he using it?

The plain fact is that the other Democratic candidates - even the minor or lesser-known ones - are about as charismatic as an insurance salesman. They don't inspire that much. They don't stand out.

Obama could - his speeches show he's both charming and inspiring. But he hasn't been speaking often enough, and the Party isn't really behind him.

Frankly, if he does want to run in 2008, assuming that there WILL be elections in 2008 - he should start "speechifying" now. Get himself known as a nice guy, not just "that black guy who's running." Give him some photo-ops where he can show he's a regular guy - but a regular guy with ideas and passion.

[IndianaGreen]

70. Another attempt by Time-Warner to confuse the masses

They want Hillary to be the nominee. The more they fragment the anti-Hillary vote by throwing more names into the mix, the more they think they improve the chances of someone that has been on the payroll of Big Media.

[AtomicKitten]

81. I have never understood

how people can state unequivocally what others including entire entities think or feel. The media is into sensationalism for the sake of capitalism. It's BS tabloid fodder. Period.

[beaconess]

90. So, let me get this straight - when the media cover Dems

it's a conspiracy to confuse the masses?

Hmmm.

[beaconess]

92. I wonder how many DUers who are trashing the Time piece on Obama

have actually read the article?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

75. Gee, now there's no need for primaries or caucuses. Time has spoken.

:eyes:

[LWolf]

77. Not with my vote. n/t

[cobaindrain]

79. wishful thinking

Time just wants to stir up the pot, Obama will not be the next president. too early for him. I don't want to say he'll never be president, but I doubt the political and social climate will change enough to let him.

[omega minimo]

82. Obama had the chance to alter the course of history and he blew it

Summer 2004. He delivered a patriotic, populist keynote address at the Democratic Convention that had people all excited and inspired.

Jan. 6, 2005. He chose not to stand up for this nation with Barbara Boxer when he had the opportunity, when she challenged the Electoral College bogus reappointment of Bushco.

Obama is a player. I will never vote for him for anything, no matter how many NaderHaters try to beat me up about it.

If Obama was for real, if he really meant that speech at the convention, he would have saved the nation when there was still a chance.

How many dead in Iraq? 300,000? How much difference did it make that this Senate approved the reappointment of the Bushco. regime?


:patriot: :puke:

[never cry wolf]

111. Whaaattt???? He could have saved the nation???

Are you crazy? A freshman senator in office less than a month and 99th in seniority had a chance to save the nation? Did any of the other Dem senators with more seniority have this same responsibility?

un-frikkin-believable....

[omega minimo]

114. Yes. Boxer stood up and if he had stood with her, it would be a different

world. Maybe some more of those "other Dem senators with more seniority have this same responsibility" would have joined them.

He had the opportunity to fulfill the words of his convention speech, as if he really meant them, when it really mattered.

:patriot:

[beaconess]

115. I would think that if Kerry didn't object, Obama can't be faulted

This is a red herring, anyway. An objection would have made no difference to the outcome.

[omega minimo]

116. The fact that no one else stood with those two women made it easier for

the M$M to bury the stolen re-selection and the majority of Americans to roll over and go back to sleep.

It would have made a difference in the perception and POSSIBLY the outcome.

[oc2002]

83. Lets cut to the chase and select Tiger Woods and Oprah!

may as well if we are going for a fluff ticket.

[beaconess]

91. Obama is a United States Senator with more experience in government

than several other presidential candidates in recent years.

So why is a story about him a puff piece?

And why do you lump him together with Tiger Woods and Oprah - two people with whom the only apparent thing he has in common is his skin color?

[Imagevision]

93. Obama is greater then any GOP candidate out there....!

[Telly Savalas]

105. There's a lot of thinly veiled racism in this thread, eh?

It's really disturbing.

[beaconess]

113. Very disturbing

Even more disturbing is that it's coming from those on our side.

We still have so far to go . . .

[Totally Committed]

84. Considering the source (Klein), that's not *really* a cover story....

Read it again... but, pretend you're a Republican and you're about to consider voting against the Party for the first time. You've always been a reliable member of the Neo-Cons' base... Christian, White, Male, and Angry because you think the Democrats stiffed you and your American Dream when LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act. See what I mean? That's not a cover story... that's a WARNING. Klein is warning the Republican base in *code* that if the Democrats win, we just could have ourselves our first Black POTUS, so they vote against the Republicans at their own risk.

This is JOE KLEIN we're talking about!

TC

[never cry wolf]

112. Astute observation

I certainly did not read the article as a puff piece but also had not considered your angle and I think you nailed it.

[Clarkie1]

94. Affirmative action and the VP candidate.

Obama would make a good choice for VP in 08', or a woman, or another person of color or the female gender.

As Democrats, we ought to be affirmative in our choice of candidates. It's part of the ideals of our Party.

[Lithos]

96. Don't think so

The media is just playing soundbites because the cover looks good and sells copy. Realistically, I don't think he's got a chance this go around.

- He's relatively unknown and young. No record to really run on.
- He's from Congress. Given that it's been a LONG time since someone from Congress was elected President (LBJ, or if you like - Ford, but that's different). It's way too easy to distort the record of a congress-critter, harder with that of someone who has served in an Executive branch somewhere (either as VP, Senior cabinet member, or Governor).

The most electable Dems are probably Gore, Schweitzer or Richardson.

L-

[beaconess]

101. Even if he decides not to run in 2008, the buzz can only help him

in future endeavors.

[Lithos]

102. It might

Though the public has a short memory of such things.

L-

[Telly Savalas]

106. The buzz can only help the party as well.

He's a charismatic and energetic man with a positive vision for the country. He may not be the ideal presidential candidate, but it's certainly better PR for the Party if Obama is on television representing it versus some dud like Senator Biden.

[lpbk2713]

109. And by contrast .....

All hat. No cattle

[warrens]

120. I think Obama will be the eventual candidate

Or at least the VP. He's got amazing appeal.