Barack Obama 2008 Presidential Candidate

Barack Obama has just proved that a man his political rivals have tried to label as being too “inexperienced” and without “substance” may in fact have the political muscle to be a serious contender for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination.

Obama has just announced that he has raised $25 million for his campaign war chest in the first quarter of 2007. His contributions were broadly based with over 100,000 contributors. The $25 million placed Obama barely behind the front runner, N.Y. Senator Hillary Clinton, who announced that first quarter efforts at fund raising produced $26 million in results.

Obama’s opponents efforts to paint him as too inexperienced to become the next President of the United States may in fact be back firing as a campaign tactic. Obama’s appeal, at least in part, especially to younger voters, is that he is considered the only candidate that operates somewhat outside of the Washington Beltway’s usual corrupt standard mode of conducting business.

Obama has a talent in framing issues that are important to the newer generation of voters, like the war in Iraq, global warming, and the need to restore American prestige and influence in the world as a partner nation, not a threatening force. This talent is already producing results as shown by the $25 million raised in contributions during the first quarter.

There is no doubt that Barack Obama is a highly interesting relatively new face in American politics. Born in Hawaii on August 4th, 1961, his father, Barack Obama Sr., was born and raised in a small village in Kenya, Africa. Barack grew up herding goats with his father, who was a domestic servant to a British landowner. Barack’s mother, Ann Dunham, is the product of a small town in the American State of Kansas.

Barack’s father and mother met at the University of Hawaii. His mother was a student there and his father was attending the university on a scholarship he had won which had brought him from Kenya to America. His father eventually returned to Kenya and Barack was raised by his mother in Hawaii, and for a few years in Indonesia. Later, he moved to New York, where he graduated from Columbia University in 1983.

Barack went on to earn his law degree from Harvard in 1991, where he became the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review. Soon after he moved to Chicago where he now resides with his attractive young picture perfect family.

Obama’s story is a compelling one as it is a vivid example of someone from a humble background and African American heritage obtaining the American dream. In 2004, he became only the third African American since Reconstruction to be elected to the U.S. Senate.

Obama is a powerful speaker, a welcome change from the present occupant of the White House. He has charisma and charm and a stage presence worthy of a rock star. Now that he has shown his fund raising ability Barack must be considered a real threat to the Clinton express.

While Obama’s opponents will stress his youth and relative inexperience at national government, having served as a Senator only since 2004, Obama has been on the right side of one issue that will gain him the support of many Americans. Obama has been opposed to the war in Iraq from the very beginning and does not have to attempt to reposition himself on this issue. The still formidable Mrs. Clinton voted for the war and now is being forced by events to attempt to modify her position.

Obama’s youth and relative inexperience may actually serve him well as he campaigns for his party’s nomination. He can point to the mess that the more experienced but inept Republican Bush league team, supported by his closest Democratic rivals, has created right across the important issue board and say in his strong style of presentation that it is time for new ways and new policies to take root in Washington.

The battle between Clinton and Obama is on. While far too early to say with any certainly which candidate will walk away with the prize one can look forward to a closely fought bruising political battle that likely will rage right down to the wire.

I tend to favor Obama. Why you may ask?

While Senator Clinton is a very intelligent lady and has been an effective Senator she comes across, at least to me, as a manufactured political operator. Let’s just say that she doesn’t project sincerity as one of her greatest virtues.

She also has a challenge in hiding the company she keeps. All of the old Washington crowd of Washington Clintonistas, including her husband, former President Bill Clinton, the natural, are in her camp, just licking their chops at the prospect of being back in the seat of power.

When voters look at this gaggle of rather unsavory characters clinging to Hillary’s pants the less experienced but much more charming, highly intelligent, and wholesome Obama will seem like the better choice.

For a nation seeking new leadership and a new direction Obama presents a clear choice. He is a candidate to be taken seriously.

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