Why is Barak Obama supposedly a Presidential Contender?

[cynic51]

In a sane world I do not think that Barak Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, would even be mentioned in the same sentence as the presidency. If Wikipedia can be trusted, he was a fairly effective state senator, but he was lucky to win the US Senate gig. His major primary opponent was hurt by domestic abuse allegations, and his initial

Comments

[theferrett]

Untrue. It's his speech at the Democratic National Convention that was the only speech I actually watched and enjoyed - and perhaps he didn't deserve the slot there, but it was so good it stuck with me for two years. Then I bought his book, which said everything that I wanted to hear in American politics, and I'm even more firmly behind him.

In his book, he acknowledges pretty much everything you say here - the ease of his election, his newness, and so forth. But he speaks what I want to hear, and I think he has the capacity to get it done. And if that's not Presidential material, then what is?

[cynic51]

I didn't see it live, but I did read the transcript, shortly after the convention. It is good (and probably sounded better live), but I don't see anything there that you wouldn't find in a normal stump speech. It has a lot of the same feel as John Edwards' 'Two Americas' speech. I have not read either of his books so I can't comment there, although in general I am suspicious of politician books - Al & Hilary come to mind. In any event I wouldn't call the speech a qualification as 'the vision thing', to reference the comment by eirias below.

Regardless of the quality of the speech or the books, I suspect that the vast majority of the people who are saying yes in opinion polls aren't saying yes because of that speech. They haven't heard it or seen it. They haven't read his books. I think they are saying 'yes' mostly because of race. This is no better or worse a reason than most of the other reasons people use, but I don't think it necessarily makes him qualified. For that matter, why was he the keynote?

this sentence was supposed to end my last comment

[cynic51]

I bet that the Dems who tapped him weren't thinking "gee, this guy has the vision thing".

[cynic51]

Being better than looking than Gore & Kerry isn't that much of an accomplishment, but your point is well taken :-)

[infowidget]

I second everything Ferret said and point out how Obama is not as divisive as some of the other Dems.

He also spoke at the American Library Association conference. He was astounding there as well.

I would be reluctant to see him as a Pres candidate though. Perhaps as a V.P. just so he has the opportunity to work within the Big House, be more in the national spotlight, so that he can try in 2016.
Long term strategy is unfortunately not what Dems are good at and unfortunately, he may be put forth as the candidate only to be smacked down by those that think he is not experienced enough.
If so, at least he would have name recognition in 2012.

[cynic51]

Comment above in response to theferrett.

[cynic51]

None of what I said above is any less true. In fact, I could go farther and say he was lucky to run against a borderline incompetent opponent, at a time when the tanking economy made the incompetent incumbent's party even less popular. And my point about minorities turning out in force was 100% accurate.

Which of course would be ignoring his remarkable ability to make regular folks cough up change in support (often for the first time ever), his formidable organization, and his calm under fire.

I did end voting for him, although given his opponent, that was pretty much a given.