Obama’s Schedule Suggests You Can Bank on Him Bidding for President
It’s a frequent conundrum of presidential politics: hopefuls who insist on being coy about their plans to officially announce their candidacies, even when it’s perfectly obvious that they will do so.
Obama Confronts ‘Outsider’ Dilemma
In the nearly three weeks since Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) made his unofficial debut as a presidential candidate, his senior advisers have been holed up in a temporary office on Connecticut Avenue NW, feverishly working to translate the huge excitement about his candidacy into a political strategy.
For all the buzz about his running, Obama did not enter the race with the conventional weapons of a presidential candidate — a deep database of donors, a tactical road map for winning primaries or even a sign marking the entrance to his ad hoc campaign headquarters. Obama is only now starting to build a political infrastructure that matches his growing support.
‘This is going to be So Much Fun. Say what you will about the downsides of a Hillary Clinton v. Barack Obama smack-down; it has already delivered a shot of adrenaline to the oh-so-jaded journalists who cover–and shape–the presidential election season.
‘Case in point: Last Wednesday, almost by accident, I found myself with a front-row seat for Hillary’s press conference about her recent jaunt to Iraq/Afghanistan/Pakistan with Indiana Senator Evan Bayh and New York Representative John McHugh. The Senate TV studio was a zoo. In drooling anticipation of the senator’s arrival, a couple hundred reporters crammed together tighter than a can full of Pringles, with many more hovering just beyond the door, prompting multiple Hill veterans to marvel at how they had never, ever seen the place so crazy–not even during impeachment. Just think about that for a moment: Even before announcing her presidential plans, Hillary was already drawing bigger crowds than Bill did after getting busted playing hide-the-cigar with Monica. Now that is star power.
Obama had multiethnic existence in Hawaii
HONOLULU - He was known as Barry Obama, and with his dark complexion and mini-Afro, he was one of the few blacks at the privileged Hawaiian school overlooking the Pacific.
Yet that hardly made him stand out.
Diversity was the norm at the Punahou School, one of the state’s top private schools. The 3,600 students came from a wide variety of backgrounds, with a blend of Polynesian, Asian, European and other cultures. Everybody in Hawaii is a minority.
At Punahou, Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record) was known primarily for his appealing personality, his honesty and his aggressive play on the basketball court.
“It was a good melting pot. There were people from all different races,” said Eric Smith, a friend and classmate of Obama’s in the 1970s. “Everyone seemed to meld together.”
For all the predictable outrage Joe Biden’s recent comments about Barack Obama elicited, the gaffe put a spotlight on one of the more unfortunate forces fueling Obamania. Ever since Barack Obama first ascended the national stage at the 2004 Democratic convention, pundits have been tripping over themselves to point out the difference between him and the average Joe from the South Side. Obama is biracial, and has a direct connection with Africa. He is articulate, young and handsome. He does not feel the need to yell “Reparations now!” into any available microphone.
Biden tells Dems he regrets Obama remark
WASHINGTON - Sen. Joe Biden tried on Saturday to stem the damage from the botched launch of his presidential campaign as underdog candidates in the Democratic field looked to gain momentum from the party faithful.
The Democratic National Committee wrapped up a three-day meeting that featured speeches from all 10 candidates already in the race or considering a bid. The front-runners all appeared Friday before a packed ballroom.
The crowd thinned to roughly half on Saturday, but those in attendance were no less enthusiastic. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson stirred them by calling for a primary without negative campaigning and saying he would bring troops home from Iraq by the end of the year.
Biden Starts Presidential Race With Apology Over Obama Remark
Feb. 1 (Bloomberg) — Senator Joe Biden, on the day he officially joined the race for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, may have diminished his chances by having to apologize for remarks he made about rival Barack Obama
Yesterday the New York Observer quoted Biden as saying of Senator Obama’s presidential candidacy: “You got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.'’
Obama, an Illinois Democrat, said he didn’t take Biden’s remarks personally. “But obviously they were historically inaccurate,'’ Obama said in a statement. “African-American presidential candidates like Jesse Jackson, Shirley Chisholm, Carol Moseley Braun and Al Sharpton gave a voice to many important issues through their campaigns and no one would call them inarticulate.'’
Democrats 2008: Hillary 41%, Obama 17%
Angus Reid Global Monitor) - More Democratic Party supporters in the United States believe Hillary Rodham Clinton should be their presidential candidate in 2008, according to a poll by TNS released by the Washington Post and ABC News. 41 per cent of respondents would support the New York senator in a primary, up two points since November.
Illinois senator Barack Obama is second with 17 per cent, followed by former North Carolina senator John Edwards with 11 per cent, former U.S. vice-president Al Gore with 10 per cent, and Massachusetts senator and 2004 presidential nominee John Kerry with eight per cent.
Support is lower for Delaware senator Joe Biden, retired general Wesley Clark, Ohio congressman Dennis Kucinich, and New Mexico governor Bill Richardson.
Obama Joins Race For Presidency
‘Senator Barack Obama, the rising young star of the Democratic party, took his first step into the 2008 presidential contest yesterday, raising the temperature in an already heated race.
‘Mr Obama’s video address on his campaign website was merely a dress rehearsal: the announcement of an exploratory committee to raise funds and build a campaign team. He is to make an official announcement of his candidacy in his home town of Chicago on February 10.
‘But the sheer possibility of an African-American president, and Mr Obama’s electrifying effect on Democratic voters, assured yesterday’s announcement widespread attention.’
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