Sen. Barack Obama May Run for President in '08

If the Dems win control of the Senate & the House of Reps. in the midterm elections next month...then Sen. Barack Obama may throw his hat into the presidential race in '08. That's what I'm talkin' about!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15026621/

 

Yeah, I saw that Meet The Press segment this morning. He's more candid than most politicians. When he makes a point, he does so like an eagle circling its prey before finally honing in on its target. I love the way he criticised W in a way that poked fun at him good-naturedly, but poignantly exposed everything that is wrong with his policies. I think he has wide appeal that can only expand and the time is right for him to throw his hat in the ring. 10 years is too long to wait.

 

Vice Presidential candidate seems more realistic to me. That's the closest a person of color (especiall a black person) would get to the Oval Office.

 

Don't sell Afr-Am polis so short.

The Kid Rasta 8)

 

You had me all confused for a moment! :lol: I thought: Noooo way, this guy is a senator and might run in the presidential race??????? Noooo way, not this guy .... and then I realized that I mixed him up with Baraka!


Besides admitting my stupidity, I can't really comment, since I'm not familiar with his political concepts. But I'm curious to see how things will turn out.

 

I am very serious. But i feel that as soon as the non-white population increases in America, there is a greater chance of a minority being President. Hey, it happened in apartheid [post] South Africa.

 

I know he's a great guy[Barak] but I agree w/ Cris. I just don't see a BM in the oval office. Not right now or 08. I'm not selling Af-Ams short because I think it would probably be a BM or Latin man before any other non-white race enters the oval office. Heck, maybe a "mixed" person may be next. But if I were to bet on black, I wouldn't just yet. It would be nice to see where he ranks if he does run in 08.

 

Ummm.... but blacks are the MAJORITY in South Africa... :roll:

http://www.safrica.info/ess_info/sa_glance/demographics/population.htm

 

Who do you guys think has more of a chance at becoming President first: a Black man or a woman (probably White!)??

 

Did you miss the part where i added POST? to indicate post-aprtheid? :roll:

Okay, but in case you do not know your history very well, i'll be willing to teach you some. South Africa has had blacks as the majority since about 1797 when the Dutch East India Company declared bankruptcy and were forced, under an agreement with British abolitionists, to end all slavery. Since then, blacks were the majority, then other "colored" folks such as Afro-Asiatic people. Did they have a black or colored president all the while? Not according to history. The first multi-racial election did not take place until 1994.

 

The latter

 

Honestly, I could care less if a black man became president. This country doesn't represent me. Both of the majorities of black and white people should be shamed.

 

Obama actually is mixed. His father was Kenyan and his mother was a white American from Kansas. I tend to agree that America is not yet ready to VOTE for a non-white prez, but I think Obama's personality might just be strong enough to transcend that conventional thought. If he runs in '08, I bet he wins the Dem nomination at least. Hillary is the front runner right now, but he plays Centrist much better than she does. She's vilified by half the people in her party and that won't likely change in two years. Almost everyone (at least, almost all Dems) love Obama.

If he wins the Primary in '08, the key will be turning out the non-white vote in the South and Midwest. I'm not pretending that it won't be a challenge.

 

Kid I believe it after election day if Blacks ever win higher elective office.

 

Both him and Hillary won't win the white house .. NO CHANCE.

 

I think he needs some more years in Washington before running.

 

Ok.... I misuderstood what you meant in the first place.

 

Ditto. I think Jimmy Carter's mess of a presidential tenure is enough proof.

 

Yet, three of our last 4 presidents in the last quarter century were former governors who had no Washington experience. All of them served 2 terms as President. So the argument that a president needs experience in Washington before being elected does not hold.

There's no comparing Carter's "mess" with our current DISASTER under the bush administration.

OK. I'll give you that maybe Obama is a little green. So, maybe he runs as VP on someone else's ticket in '08...John Edwards?

 

First things first, our last three Presidents were Bill Clinton, George H.W.Bush and Ronald Reagan. The former and latter served two terms. If i am correct, George Bush Sr served one term which was right after Ronald Reagan's tenure in 1989 till 1993. So your initial point is wrong.

Secondly, whilst, in truth, these men had no Washington experience, they did not jump into the Presidency race 2 years after holding their first significant position. Firstly, after Reagan's gubernatorial tenure in California in 1975, he was widely instrumental in the American Presidential campaigns, something that he'd been doing as far back as 1964 after Barry Goldwater's failed attempt. So, he was involved in so much of the political movement that he'd gained as much experience he would have had as a Senator or what not. Furthermore, he had top advisors who were pretty established in politics and the same applies to his Cabinet.

Similarly, George H.W.Bush did not hold any Senate position but was a Congressman from Texas, U.S Ambassador to the United Nations, Republican National Committee Chairman and the Director of the CIA. Most importantly, he was Vice President under Ronald Reagan from 1981-1989. That is enough experience you could possibly have.

Bill Clinton is probably the most similar to Jimmy Carter in terms of experience but probably had enough involvement in politics to be pushed up as the Dems' favorite in 1992. After all, he had initially decided to be drafted into the ballot in the summer of 1987 but decided not to. Unless you're a conservative, you know Bill Clinton is one of the best Presidents of recent years.

All of these guys were not Senators or anything but the only clue as to why they were somewhat successful in their different ways is down to only one thing; political experience. The Presidency is far more complex and different from any other position in U.S politics due to its dynamic nature and thus need a bit of knowledge and personal experience in it. Does Obama have any of that? Not yet. Honestly, i believe when the time is right, he'd make a splendid President but he's not yet ready.