Senator Obama To Run For President

Senator Obama To Run For President

The Senator from Illinois, Barak Obama has filed the proper paperwork needed to raise the money to run a presidential campaign. He joins a field already crowded by potential nominees ranging from John Edwards to Hillary Clinton to John Kerry. While Obama's popularity continues to rise, the road to the White house will be a very rocky one. Among the obstacles standing before him, will be the powerhouse staff of Clinton to the rising status of dark horse candidate Al Gore.

While we are not even out of January of 2007, already we are hearing about the potential candidates of 2008.  Near the top of that list is Barak Obama who is the Democrats current golden boy. He has the charismatic charm of a Bill Clinton and the mastery of language similar to that of a Bobby Kennedy. Furthermore, he is young which could very well attract younger voters but, it is important to remember the Hillary Clinton's skillful staff.   Her advisors are the same road-warriors who helped her husband Bill Clinton win office in 1993 and maintain it '97. They know the political game as well, if not better, than most Republican strategists. she also has the major money donors that backed Bill during his second term. Furthermore she has gained the support of many conservatives including popular New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Then there is the dark horse in this race, Al Gore. True, he keeps saying that he won't run in 2008 but the numbers are on his side.  His position against the Iraq war along with his rebirth as a decent public speaker puts the current opinion poll numbers in his favor. If he threw his hat in the ring tomorrow, he would come in as the Democrats leading candidate.  After his movie, "An Inconvenient Truth," he now has the star power to beat even John McCain whose numbers are starting to drop off for his stance on the proposed troop increase. Gore is no fool, he knows how to sail in the direction of wherever the wind blows.

John Edwards is not a major threat to Barak Obama but, is one worth mentioning anyway. Like Obama, he is young and hungry. Like 2004, he is entering the race as the poor man's candidate.  Don't look for him to get much attention by the rank and file in the Democratic party, but he could very well sneak up on everyone if he can get the working poor in New Orleans and around the rest of the country to the polls.

Then there is the issue of race. Barak Obama could win the more liberal states if he becomes the Democrats presidential candidate but, the big question, could he win in the red states like Georgia, Tennessee and New Mexico, all-important states for any candidate. Time will tell but, for those of us who have traveled to middle America, race relations are far from where they should be and in many towns, the ghosts of Jim Crowe are alive and well.  Obama's ability to overcome this obstacle could very well decide if he takes the office of president in '08. 

Until next time...

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