subject is in title. There is no doubt in my mind this guy is on a roll with all the media exposure. He has that "thing" that you just have to listen to him. But I got a feeling he might get hammered for the following 3 reasons 1. hes african american 2. his dad is muslim (he was raised as christian) 3. his middle name is Hussein
let him roll...he will die off quickly...he has no experience and no platform.(other than he is his wife's "baby-daddy".)
5. His name sounds too much like Osama. (Remember him? That guy that orchestrated 9/11 from his cave in the middle of nowhere. Bush doesn't think about him too much though. )
It's mostly the media that loves him. Like d16man said, he has no real experience. He's the new Howard Dean, but much more civil--and very likely a lot brighter. The media loves him and will push him along, but he will fizzle when it comes time for people to vote for him in the primaries. He's not out there bashing Bush every day, which seems to be a basic requirement to get ahead in the Democrat leadership.
I think Obama will fizzle as things begin to heat up. Not knocking his intelligence, but the man is a political lightweight, a new Senator with little else to show. Look for Hillary's campaign to gain steam with Gore being the monkey wrench who has the best chance of knocking her out.
Purely speculation: I don't think the cocaine thing will ultimately hurt him. The public memory is short and ultimately blasé for this stuff (Bush's alcoholism, Clinton's bs pot disclaimer, etc.). I don't think being (1/2) black, having a muslim father, or having the middle name "Hussein" will matter one way or the other. I do think he will be seen as too new to the public arena to handle being Commander in Chief and President. However, it seems pretty clear that someone coming at a time in American politics where the public seems ready for a "paradigm shift" in perceived direction may step into the national limelight - I most immediately think of JFK, Carter (and Reagan, after him), and Clinton. Two "types" do well, it seems to me, at such critical junctures: those seen as lightning rods for mass discontent ("throw the bums out"), or those seen as Great Unifiers, perceived to bridge the gap between polarities, "healing national division."
LOL - I forgot about this completely. Pretty funny, after the fact. I'm trading street clothes for a robe, and a satchel, and starting a movement.
What a call, NPT. So right on so many of the details. The drug thing didn't affect him. All of the characteristics about his lineage...they all came up. He moved beyond them in the eyes of so many. The experience thing. Wow...you hit the nail on the head. He got hammered on it again and again. He won a lot of votes on judgement versus experience...McCain and he were polar opposites on this topic....and he won a lot of endorsements to overcome the issue. On your last paragraph....very clairvoyant. I guess he covered both categories.
I'd have to say, I think that while it was an issue - I know many thought Palin's pick betrayed McCain's "experience" card - I think more to the point, his pick of Palin called into question his judgment. I think raw ability, and judgement, is where Obama gained substantial grounds on McCain over the closing months of the campaign, as these attributes came to be more salient to the electorate. McCain impetuously chose Palin at the 11th hour - as a result of a threatened civil war by the religious right of his party at the RNC. This, coupled with his shenanigans ("suspending" his campaign) at the depths of the financial crisis, made very apparent McCain's inability to deal coolly with crises, generally. I think this, more than anything else, is what hurt him respecting Palin - as she proved herself completely unworthy for the job, hers was a completely rash choice in VP.