2/11/07

Yesterday, in the shadow of the Illinois statehouse in Springfield, Senator Barack Obama announced his candidacy for President in '08.

The move came as a suprise to no one - it was really a formality, mostly. His name has been brandied about as a potential candidate ever since he rocked the house in 2004 with his speech at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. And recently, as the Democrats scored a crushing victory in last fall's midterms and speculation about next year's races began, it became very apparent that Obama would enter the race, and that he would be an early favorite.

Back in November, I was resistant to the idea of supporting a Senator who had only recently been elected into office. I thought then that he needed a couple of terms under his belt before he should enter into the contest for the land's highest office. I've done a 180 on that, though, for several reasons:

1. There is, so far, anyway, a dearth of other candidates who get me excited. John Edwards is no more qualified to hold the post than Obama is, and in fact, even less so, since he has been out of government since '04. Hillary Clinton is someone I definately do not support, for a host of reasons that could be its own other post. Biden, Dodd, Vilsack, Clark - all very boring to me. So, barring a candidate emerging at the last moment - a la Bill Clinton in '92 or Howard Dean in '04 - Obama appears to be the best one available.
2. A worry I had about Obama's potential campaign - that America wasn't ready to elect a black President, or even a half-black one - has been assuaged in recent months. I can't imagine that Obama would fail to capture any of the states that Kerry won in'04, which means he would be one state away from victory. And I think he has enough appeal to carry that state, whether it be Ohio or Florida or Missouri.
3. What, exactly, was it that Obama should have been waiting for? His name will never be hotter than it is right now. Should I want 4 or 8 or 12 more years to pass before he is "ready"? And what would that entail? Less optimism? Having his name attached to pieces of legislation that might prove to be unpopular in years to come? His freshness not only isn't that much of a hindrance, but I actually think it will prove an asset. America wants change - not more of the same old people.

So, initially and with some hesitation (it is still very early in the process, so I'm not setting anything in stone quite yet), I'm jumping on the Obama '08 bandwagon. If you need more reasons to join me, go to his website (www.barackobama.com) and check out his announcement speech. It is quite stirring.

See you tomorrow in the personal blog.