Is There Any Doubt

[orange+white=heaven]

That Barack Obama effectively announced his candidacy for President in 2008 this week?

Time Magazine cover... Larry King for a full hour, then again on CNN this morning.

Further, with the kind of lightning in a bottle attention he's getting, added to his obvious speechifying skills.... Does the republican party really want to face this candidate?

I won't be around much longer to follow up on this thread, but I am curious what you RedVols make of the idea. I know you'll lean towards being dismissive, but I've got to tell you, I think he's the democrats best shot.

[therealUT]

Originally Posted by orange+white=heaven

That Barack Obama effectively announced his candidacy for President in 2008 this week?

Time Magazine cover... Larry King for a full hour, then again on CNN this morning.

Further, with the kind of lightning in a bottle attention he's getting, added to his obvious speechifying skills.... Does the republican party really want to face this candidate?

I won't be around much longer to follow up on this thread, but I am curious what you RedVols make of the idea. I know you'll lean towards being dismissive, but I've got to tell you, I think he's the democrats best shot.

Do not neglect his appearance on Oprah!

[orange+white=heaven]

Originally Posted by therealUT

Do not neglect his appearance on Oprah!

Appearance hell, she openly endorsed him a few weeks ago.

[therealUT]

I think the Democratic nomination is Hillary's to lose. Obama will most likely be her strongest challenger though, as Kerry and Gore are jokes in themselves.

Obama does have something working in his favor. Leno, Letterman, Stewart, etc. are going to have a hard time mocking Obama, as much as they have mocked previous presidential contenders, without being labeled as rascist.

[orange+white=heaven]

Originally Posted by therealUT

I think the Democratic nomination is Hillary's to lose. Obama will most likely be her strongest challenger though, as Kerry and Gore are jokes in themselves.

Obama does have something working in his favor. Leno, Letterman, Stewart, etc. are going to have a hard time mocking Obama, as much as they have mocked previous presidential contenders, without being labeled as rascist.

I know I'm in the minority on this, but I don't think Hillary is going to make the run.
She's no dummy when it comes to sensing where the nation is, and I think she knows that while she's got the money, in the end she doesn't have the votes.

I've been watching Obama, and he may be better at drawing people in than Bill Clinton was. That's saying something.
I'm jumping the gun on this, but I think Obama will wind up the democratic nominee....

[therealUT]

I would not be surprised if he got it. I would be surprised if Hillary did not run though. I think she is smart enough to understand that in the next 6 years the insurgency in Iraq will be completely defeated. If she is the President during that time period, she can effectively take credit for it, insuring her a reelection run in 2012. Also, I think she understands that once again the economy is going to be booming for the next ten years, or more. Like Bill, she understands that she can ride that boom, without having to introduce any drastic legislation, and she will receive the credit for it.

Whoever wins the White House in 2008 will win it again in 2012, simple because of the economic boom we are entering and that the insurgency will die out soon. I doubt that Hillary plans on waiting 8 more years...

[GAVol]

Obama is tough for me to judge. He is a great interview and clearly has the charisma and personna, but it's hard to believe that a guy who is in his first term in Washington is going to be able to get the money men to line up behind him.

[orange+white=heaven]

If you're right Real, she'll win it without my vote.
And I'm a democrat.

[orange+white=heaven]

Originally Posted by GAVol

Obama is tough for me to judge. He is a great interview and clearly has the charisma and personna, but it's hard to believe that a guy who is in his first term in Washington is going to be able to get the money men to line up behind him.

GA, this guy has made a career out of surprising the heck out of people. Harvard was stunned when he wound up head of the Law Review. America was stunned by his keynote at the '04 DemoConvention.

If the public lines up, the money will follow.

[GAVol]

Originally Posted by orange+white=heaven

If the public lines up, the money will follow.

I have no doubt that you're right. What I'm really doubting though is whether the Democrat Party is really ready to jump behind a young, minority candidate with no executive experience.

[orange+white=heaven]

Originally Posted by GAVol

I have no doubt that you're right. What I'm really doubting though is whether the Democrat Party is really ready to jump behind a young, minority candidate with no executive experience.

I understand that opinion completely, but honestly, the democrats are the ones that tend make that "jump' towards youth.
American opinion of the position of the party has been clearly stated at the polls for the past eight years.
Might not be a bad time to shake up the basket. If Obama stands up to the added scrutiny over the next year or so......

[GAVol]

Originally Posted by orange+white=heaven

American opinion of the position of the party has been clearly stated at the polls for the past eight years.....

I'll grant you that. The last two candidates have been a couple of stiffs. Obama would be a breath of fresh air, and he hasn't been in office long enough to create a record for his opponents to beat him over the head with.

I guess the real question is whether America is ready?

[volinbham]

I don't know enough about him yet but my initial impression is positive. One advantage to being "new" is that he doesn't have all the special interest hooks in him yet and that he may actually think he can make a difference!

[volinbham]

Originally Posted by GAVol

I guess the real question is whether America is ready?

Is the democratic party ready? If he's the candidate, I think he has a legit shot. But does the democratic party have the will to put him up as a candidate?

[CSpindizzy]

If he does what Edwards should have done and stayed in the middle, he stands a good chance. It would be interesting to see him face the Mormon to see which latent prejudices overrule the other in '08.