Analysis: Cash, but Doubts for Obama

[Ghost in the Machine]

Analysis: Cash, but Doubts for Obama
Published: 7/9/07, 3:46 AM EDT
By BETH FOUHY

NEW YORK (AP) - For Barack Obama, the millions of dollars he's raised can't quite paper over the nagging doubts and growing pains.

The Democratic presidential hopeful recently reported raising $32.5 million over three months, a staggering haul that shifted focus from the question of whether the 45-year-old political phenom is ready for prime time.

The first-term Illinois senator continues to draw large crowds - as he did in Iowa last week - and his message of hope and unity has captivated many voters weary of political polarization. The campaign has already attracted more than 259,000 contributors - a jaw-dropping figure.

But in the weeks before his cash totals were disclosed, the Obama campaign hit a series of rough patches that seemed to highlight his relative inexperience on the national stage.

_Critics dismissed as somewhat lackluster Obama's performance in three nationally televised debates. One was a civil rights forum in which Obama, the field's only black contender, was expected to shine.

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