Barack Obama’s announcement that he will run for the Democratic candidacy in 2008 got the media buzzing and other potential candidates stirring. The second of our two-part look at the early media darlings of this political race.
The candidate from Illinois, who’s already received endorsements from Oprah and George Clooney, would, if elected, make history as the U.S.’s first black president.
Barack Obama, who will officially declare his candidacy in Chicago on February 10, has the advantage of being a newcomer, as of yet unsullied by the past. At a young 45, he can present himself as a new kind of politician and as the voice of a new generation. He has also impressed the public so far with his conciliatory and non-partisan approach to political issues. He is seen as a man who knows himself and votes for what he stands for. In contrast to Clinton, he voted against the war in Iraq. His multi-racial background — born to a white mother from Kansas and a Kenyan-born African father– is seen as giving him the potential to unite white and black voters.
Obama’s fresh face and untainted past may give him an advantage over Clinton. On the other hand, he may be seen as lacking experience and he will have to work hard to become more well-known. For some, the question is as simple as does a black male have more chance at the U.S. presidency than a white woman? As most African Americans tend to vote Democrat, many political pundits believe Obama will steal the black vote from Clinton, and predict white Southerners will vote for a man before a woman.
But Clinton’s skill and experience as a politician, her ambition and her capacity to fundraise are not to be underestimated.
Other Democrat contenders include former vice-presidential nominee John Edwards, Bill Richardson, and Democrat Senators Joseph Biden and Christopher Dodd.
This article was published Tuesday, January 30, 2007.
