Prepare Yourself For Obamathon
I’ve been wondering lately about Barack Obama’s decision. Will he or won’t he run for president. The Washington Post seems to be smoothing the red carpet for him with a summary of Barack’s experience. I guess that’s the danger of entering the national political circus looking like and undergrad. People will question your leadership credentials in way they, well, haven’t lately with anyone else.
The real question is this: Is America ready for a black presidential candidate? Let’s leave aside the possibility, however remote is may be today, of a black president. Can the guy bring all his charisma to bear to overcome covert and overt expressions of racism?
Is the money there? Black leaders and white uber-liberals will turn our en masse, but that’s the race thingy again.
Will he have mass appeal? I’m sure he’ll have Chicago and Illinois in his pocket, assuming the Domcratic Party wants to join the festivities. But hat about - again the race issue - the deep south? The Christian Conservatives? Hey, I’m not calling the CC racists, but I cannot recall them backing a non-Caucasian for any post, ever. If I’m wrong, comment.
Then there’s my concern, posted here, about some nutjob doing a Bobby Kennedy on the guy. ‘Nuff said.
Regardless on anyone’s views, Obama is the quintessential Media Darling: eloquent, photogenic, dynamic. He’s still fresh enough to be a pseudo-outsider in regards to the beltway, thereby affording him underdog status. A lot of attention is going to be focused on how much money he can or cannot gather, whose pitching in, and how it compares to the war chests of Hillary, McCain or Edwards - whoever, really.
The Media is going to focus on the man, not his words. Their going to show the cult of personality, not the issues on the minds of Americans. All fluff, no substance: Obamathon 2007. Get your tee-shirt.