A recent comment suggested that Barack Obama has already been tested and vetted and that nothing more is likely to come out over the Presidential election. Now, I am willing to listen to comments that Obama is a paragon of virtue and a liberal avenger, however, it is ridiculous to suggest that he has already been vetted the way he will when the Presidential primaries and general election come around.
After the jump I'd like to suggest why I THINK he hasn't really been vetted.
Barack Obama was first elected to the 13th Senate districtthat represents the Hyde Park region on the South Side of Chicago, which is a fairly small area with high density. Here is the legislative map of Illinois.
Within that gray area that is Chicago, here are the legislative districts.
That long, pink, sliver on the right hand side was Obama's district. A fairly small district in a big city. In 2000, Obama tried his luck on a larger stage and lost the Democratic Primary to former Black Panther Bobby Rush by a landslide of 61% to 30%. Rush ran the race claimingthat Obama hadn't "been around the district long enough to really see what's going on". This is the 1st Congressional District, again a fairly small, dense area in a mid-sized state.
Then, we have the 2004 Illinois Senate race, which Obama won convincingly. However, was he truly tested in this race? The race was for an open seat, vacated by Peter Fitzgerald. The Democratic primary consisted of seven candidates, however, the leading candidate was Blair Hull. Hull is a wealthy stock trader who was in the lead, until his divorce records showed charges of spousal abuse. After that, Obama surged to a big lead. Had Hull not been charged with, or better yet, not particpated in spousal abuse, would Obama have won? We'll never know, but the fact is after Hull was dropped for beating his wife, Obama took an easy lead.
In the November general election, Obama was to face well-financed Jack Ryan. However:
Ryan drops out of Senate race in Illinois
Campaign hurt by sex club allegations
(CNN) -- Buffeted by allegations of sex club forays, Republican candidate Jack Ryan on Friday dropped out of the U.S. Senate race in Illinois.
In a written statement, Ryan blamed the news media for the controversy, saying its interest in his personal life had gotten "out of control."
...
The four-year-old allegations about Ryan were contained in court papers unsealed this week. In them, Jeri Ryan states her ex-husband took her to sex clubs and asked her to engage in sexual activity in front of other patrons. Chicago media outlets had sued for the release of the court documents.
Obama then faced Alan Keyes, from Baltimore. Maryland. Keyes big talking point was that "Jesus wouldn't vote for Obama". Obama had this Senate seat handed to him.
All of this in no way suggests that Obama is not a good candidate, but just that he has not been vetted at the national level, and that surprises are still to be found. For instance:
- Every aspect of your life is studied and scrutinized. I remember reading a story that John Edwards paid his CAR taxes late one year. Yeah, his car taxes.
- Obama smokes. Did you know this? I was speaking with a friend who was explaining how she liked Obama but she wasn't sure who she would vote for, until I told her Obama was a smoker. Her comment, "Oh, that is terrible. Well, forget him then." IMO, this is the fair-weather type fans that is causing at least part of the Obama surge.
- Obama is not the liberal patriot everyone assumes. I think many of those who believe Obama to be a liberal will be surprised by his votes on such important issues as personal rights and Republican tax-cuts.
- He voted "present" on a ban of partial-birth abortions.
- He voted "present" on a requirement to give notice of a minor's abortion to parents
- He voted "present" on reducing the first-violation carrying of a handgun from a felony to a misdemeanor.
- He supported Governor George Ryan's "Illinois FIRST" program, including tax hikes.
- He supported the Republicans' welfare reform in 1997.
- He voted "present" on a bill to prohibit the carrying of a concealed firearm.
- He supported charter schools, also favored by Republicans.
EDIT: I just want to make clear, as suggested by Blue South, that I am not saying something along the lines of Hart or Clinton will come up. I'm saying that the traditional media love affair will turn into feeding frenzy at some point.
So, take it for what it's worth, but the man who ran for a sliver of Chicago, lost a broader race in Chicago, then faced two opponents that either beat their wives or tried to have sex with them in public has not been tested the same as Clark, Clinton, Edwards, and Gore. No, because this time he's not running for a sliver in a section of a state, this time he's running for...