Posted on 01/17/2007 6:40:50 AM PST by MadIvan
For all those historians and political naysayers, Sen. Barack Obama's allies like to point out that Abraham Lincoln served just two years in the House before becoming president.
It's a comparison certain to be repeated as Obama, with slightly more than two years in the Senate, continues to align himself with the Civil War president. The senator's expected campaign kickoff is scheduled for Feb. 10 in Lincoln's hometown of Springfield, Ill. - where both men served in the state legislature.
Obama filed paperwork for a presidential exploratory committee Tuesday, which allows him to raise money and organize a campaign structure before his formal announcement. He also talked about his plans in a video on his Web site.
If elected, he would be an obvious subject for the history books - the first black president.
Obama said the past six years have left the country in a precarious place and he promoted himself as the standard-bearer for a new kind of politics.
"Our leaders in Washington seem incapable of working together in a practical, commonsense way," Obama said in a video posted on his Web site. "Politics has become so bitter and partisan, so gummed up by money and influence, that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions. And that's what we have to change first."
Obama's soft-spoken appeal on the stump, his unique background, his opposition to the Iraq war and his fresh face set him apart in a competitive race that also is expected to include front-runner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.
Obama has uncommon political talents, drawing adoring crowds even among the studious voters in New Hampshire during a much-hyped visit there last month. His star has risen on the force of his personality and message of hope - helped along by celebrity endorsements from the likes of Oprah Winfrey, billionaire investor Warren Buffett and actors Matt Damon and Edward Norton.
"I certainly didn't expect to find myself in this position a year ago," said Obama, who added that as he talked to Americans about a possible presidential campaign, "I've been struck by how hungry we all are for a different kind of politics."
The 45-year-old has few accomplishments on the national stage after serving little more than two years in the Senate. But at a time when many voters say they are unhappy with the direction of the country, a lack of experience in the nation's capital may not be a liability.
"The decisions that have been made in Washington these past six years, and the problems that have been ignored, have put our country in a precarious place," Obama said.
He said people are struggling financially, dependence on foreign oil threatens the environment and national security and "we're still mired in a tragic and costly war that should have never been waged."
Clinton is expected to announce her presidential campaign within days, but her spokesman said there would be no comment on Obama's decision from the Clinton camp. Back from Iraq, she abruptly canceled a Capitol Hill news conference minutes after word of Obama's announcement, citing the unavailability of a New York congressman to participate.
Other Democrats who have announced a campaign or exploratory committee are 2004 vice presidential nominee John Edwards, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich. Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Joe Biden of Delaware and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson also are considering a run.
Obama's decision was relatively low-key after months of hype, with no speech or media appearance to accompany his online announcement. He said he will discuss a presidential campaign with people around the country before his Feb. 10 event, and he wasted no time calling key activists Tuesday.
New Hampshire lobbyist Jim Demers talked with Obama for about five minutes. "He is extremely pumped and excited that this campaign is coming together," said Demers, who accompanied Obama on his visit to the state last month.
Obama's quick rise to national prominence began with his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention and his election to the Senate that year. He's written two best-selling autobiographies - "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream" and "Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance."
Obama was born in Honolulu where his parents met while studying at the University of Hawaii. His father was black and from Kenya; his mother, white and from Wichita, Kan.
Obama's parents divorced when he was two and his father returned to Kenya. His mother later married an Indonesian student and the family moved to Jakarta. Obama returned to Hawaii when he was 10 to live with his maternal grandparents.
He graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was the first black elected editor of the Harvard Law Review. Obama settled in Chicago, where he joined a law firm, helped local churches establish job training programs and met his future wife, Michelle Robinson. They have two daughters, Malia and Sasha.
In 1996, he was elected to the Illinois state Senate. He won a seat in the U.S. Senate in 2004.
Obama insisted during the 2004 campaign and through his first year in the Senate that he had no intention of running for president, but by late 2006 his public statements had begun to leave open that possibility.
LOL! Lloyd lives on, doesn't he?
..or maybe a blast from my wrist band lasers!
Barack...Abe Lincoln was Abe Lincoln. You are not.
I think that Rudy and Mitt are too liberal, but the republican nominee would beat Obama. Here are some of Obama's 2005 ratings from some famous interest groups: NARAL, 100%; NAACP, 100%; NEA, 100%; NOW, 100%; Americans for Democratic Action, 100%; AFL-CIO, 92%; U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 39%; American Conservative Union, 8%; and Gun Owners of America, 0%. His liberal votes would help him win many primaries, but he's too liberal for the majority of American voters.
Now doubt, Obama is full blown Marxist. However, Obama does not sound like a Moveon.org moonbat. He is articule and intelligent. The media will no doubt try to portray him as a moderate or even conservative RAT. Already, the media is painting Obama's image as Mr Clean, while somehow ignoring his ties to Tony Renzo.
John Kerry, who served in Vietnam, has a plan. And maybe he'll feel willing to share it with America if the world can vote to elect him in 2008.
I agree that, if Obama gets the nomination, the media will try to portray him as moderate. The republican nominee will easily counter the liberal media with campaign literature, TV and radio commercials, and speeches which would tell about Obama's most liberal U.S. Senate votes. The Republican would also use that information during debates. The republican nominee will be conservative, but he won't be very conservative. Obama is very liberal, so the Republican will get more votes from independents.
It will be tough to portray Obama as a liberal when the GOP nominee could be an uber-RINO like Giuliani. The 2008 Presidential race could end up being a redux of Topinka vs Blago.
"He's Jesus, I'm telling you he's Jesus. He walks on water." Mark Levin giving his drive by media impression of Osama Obama.
"Lincoln was an attorney for 20 years."
Also general counsel for the Illinois Central Railroad, and owner of a German-language newspaper in Chicago. Not bad for a "country bumpkin".
Now THAT's funny!
Actually, the fact he is technically biracial would make him appealing to the younger generation, who have been bombarded with multicultural PC.
Whenever I see Obama, I am reminded of a Benetton ad. He probably has the same amount of substance and depth.
Lincoln? Oh, c'mon, a Muslim is always a Muslim.
If he was such an accomplished "lawyer," then why did the questioning of the potential Supreme Court nominees make it look like he was so stupid?
Stick to the cheesecake photos, B. Hussein Obama. It is your only hope.
Quoted for truth.
Anyhow, bringing up Lincoln is a smart move, actually. Lincoln was actually LESS experienced then Obama, and yet he proved to be a great commander in chief.
I'm obviously not saying I think he'd make a great CIC, I think he'd be, at best, Bill Clinton redux, at worst, Jimmy Carter redux, but it's a good arguement to make. If he can get over the inexperienced hump, he'll be the next President. Hate to say it, but it's true.
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