My thoughts on the Obama phenomenon and what I think will happen the rest of the way. Just so you know I am an Edwards supporter, but will support any candidate from the Democratic Party as long as they do not pull "Lieberman and Zell Miller" crap. I have worked on many political campaigns and run for Congress myself in 2004, which means I have just enough insight to be dangerous.
Obama enjoys a huge advantage on the other candidates. He is new. He is very different as a Politician who comes off as loving you and you want to love him for that. He does not allow and cannot be pigeon holed into particular categories, yet. My problem with Obama is the same problem I have had with him since 2004 when I worked for an opposing camping against him as a field operative in Illinois. Obama never says anything of substance. There is no there there. Does that mean he would be a bad President or is not deserving of the support he is getting now, of course not. But I worry about his chances in the General Election assuming he succeeds. First a brief History of what we know about Obama.
He struggled growing up black in a white family and really struggled with his Paternal issues in his teens and college, even to the point of experimenting with drugs. No big deal really, I bet there are more than a few Americans who can identify with that. He found peace with it and also did great things like becoming the Editor of the Harvard Law Review (the first person of color to ever achieve this honor I believe). He then became a community organizer. Here is where things get unclear. I want to know what it is that shaped his life and what his story is. Where are the people from his past who can tell me what he did as a community organizer and civil rights attorney that change peoples’ lives? I get he is a nice guy and can give a great speech, but how do I know he is an agent of change if there is no there there.
He took credit last night for fixing Health Care in Illinois. Yes he had a hand in it, but it was not his baby. He has voted and votes present a lot on controversial issues unwilling to take a stand. His big policy stand was as a State Legislature running for the Democratic nomination for US Senate in Illinois he opposed the Iraq war in the summer of 2003. My problem with that is simple. He did it in Chicago at a rally and it was a strategic ploy. He needed to break out from the other candidates in a 6-person race. He used his gifted tongue and took a popular stance for Chicago especially for where he was speaking and the voters he wanted to attract (He did not want to be the black candidate, rather the anti-war candidate). He won the Senate seat because the other candidates lost not because Obama won. They all imploded one by one, even his best Republican competition blew-up and then he got a lunatic in Alan Keyes to run against. He made a great speech in at the Convention in 2004 where he basically said he wants everyone to get along, tough as nails leadership Senator.
I will once again say I do not want you to think I hate Obama I just can not understand his appeal when he gives you nothing more than a great smile, a wonderful ability to speak to people’s heart strings and absolutely nothing that is Progressive or Liberal in the form of policy.
This is what will be used against him if he wins the nomination. Not the drug use. It will be all about his lack of Leadership. If he goes against McCain or Huckabee or Giuliani how does Obama stand-up to these men? Why would I entrust him with the fate of my children at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. I want a leader. McCain had leadership credentials along with Huckabee and Giuliani. Again do not mistake this for a shrill irrational attack. I really am worried about this potential match-up. You cannot rely on a hatred of Bush to catapult you to victory, especially when you are not running against Bush. America seems to be settling into the idea that Iraq is Iraq. This campaign will be about who has the ability to lead America into the next era. I just think that voters will not always gush over Obama. I think they will wake-up and say, "Holy crap I don’t know this guy and he is going to be the one responsible for leading our country."
This is what keeps me up at night and the reason I want New Hampshire to give us an electoral battle and force Obama to start taking positions maybe even an unpopular one or two.