Obama has no experience/record.

[memphis]

I'm thinking 2008 may be the year for candidates with fairly little experience. Everybody seems so jaded with the politicians that they know. I think people might be open to someone with whom they're not as familiar.

[Deano963]

I'm thinking 2008 may be the year for candidates with fairly little experience. Everybody seems so jaded with the politicians that they know. I think people might be open to someone with whom they're not as familiar.

Obama already has been testing out a great line to counter the silly beltway-types and know-nothings who question his experience:

"Rumsfeld and Cheney were the two most experienced guys in Washington and look at the fiasco they created . I'd say good judgement is more valuable than extensive experience."

....or something along those lines. Can't find exactly where I read that quote, but it was a good one. Struck me as something that would be golden in a stump speach, especially given Obama's opposition to the war from the beginning.

[Moooooo]

Don't be skerred, it will all be over soon little thuglicans. 

I sincerely hope you're not calling me, someone who likes Obama, a "thuglican".

lol, I was being completely sarcastic.  How come it never works when I try it? 

[Stranger in a strange land]

I think not having a record can actually HELP you in a presidential election.George W. Bush was only governor of Texas for six years, in which time he didn't do a whole lot. And if Obama was president of the Harvard Law Review and a professor at UChicago, he clearly isn't the Edwards-style lightweight people are saying he is.

Just look at how much John Kerry's 20 year senate record helped him! Republicans completely turned it on him and it became arguably his biggest weakness.

So what if he did drugs when he was a teenager! Nobody cares anymore! Nobody cares that Bush snorted coke and was an alcoholic in college. Nobody (except a few conservative talk radio hosts) cares that Bill Clinton smoked weed in his youth. At least Obama is honest enough to admit it!

The only thing that I think could hurt him is his name, but he'll make short work of anyone who tries to use it against him by pointing out that the name his mother gave him in 1961 is completely irrelevent to anything going on in the world now. Either way however, whenever Obama runs for president, the election will be full of nasty race-baiting that will make "Harold, Call Me" look like a commercial for tolerance! It'll play well in the south and may cost Obama the popular vote, but it'll turn off voters elsewhere and may even end up electing him.

[YRABNNRM]

I think not having a record can actually HELP you in a presidential election.

That's what I've been saying all along!

[ShadowRocket]

You know, I think that if 2008 does end us being McCain vs. Obama, I think McCain will win. I think that when most people talk about Obama being inexperienced, it pertains to his time in national politics. In a general election match-up, I feel that McCain would pull the inexperienced card and play upon the public's fear of terrorism. I just see him phrasing the campaign as "do you want someone with experience and a veteran, over someone who lacks experience." I know some people will argue the Obama would still win, but McCain is just as popular among the electorate and doesn't remind people of George Bush. This is just my two cents.

[Dr. Cynic]

But I also think that Obama could play up the fact that McCain is now old, and sold out on his "Straight Talk Express"  to buddy up to Bush. If Obama could portray McCain negatively enough, then it could turn in his favor.

That said, I still am hoping for one last Al Gore try.

[ShadowRocket]

Anything can happen. Still, I wonder if Obama is even to try in '08. I mean Mark Warner, Russ Feingold, and Bill Frist were all perceived to be planting the seeds for a Presidential run and decided not to, and I think they were more serious about than Obama seems to be.

Has anyone ever considered the possibility that a Hillary vs. Obama battle in the primaries could kill both of their chances?

[Verily]

I don't think so. Neither Hillary nor Obama is the sort to go massively negative on the other; they have no particular political rivalry. Bush v McCain didn't destroy Bush in 2000 (though Bush did thoroughly destroy McCain with underhanded tactics in South Carolina).

[sethm0]

 I'll say this: I think Obama would have a real chance of winning against anyone except McCain.

[Moooooo]

Good time to bump this thread.

[TheresNoMoney]

I think Obama is one of the few Democrats (maybe the only one) that can beat McCain.

[Moooooo]

Good time to bump this thread.

[Kalimantan]

Has anyone ever considered the possibility that a Hillary vs. Obama battle in the primaries could kill both of their chances?

Prophetic?  I hope not

[TheresNoMoney]

Did you already vote today, Nick?

[Ben.]

My analogy was not thinking along the same lines as yours.  I was saying he is the candidate the media is hyping up to be this unstoppable candidate who will fall apart after the first few primaries and caucuses.

er...

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

And if this actually counts for anything, I think it was J.J.  who pointed out that Obama has been in public office longer than Hillary.

[Verily]

How?

Obama is a young and charismatic senator. Dean was an experienced statesman.

If anything Obama=Edwards.

My analogy was not thinking along the same lines as yours.  I was saying he is the candidate the media is hyping up to be this unstoppable candidate who will fall apart after the first few primaries and caucuses.

That's all right, DWTL, Fred Thompson will forgive you for the comparison to Howard Dean.


Ah, retrospect.

[Gustaf]

Neither Hillary nor Obama is the sort to go massively negative on the other; they have no particular political rivalry.

Still want to stand by this?

[J. J.]

I like Obama, he is great, but not ready to be President.

Lincoln barely had any elected experience at all when he became president.

I think in all fairness, Lincoln was a leader publicly, prior to election.  He'd been the "idea man" much longer.

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Roosevelt had been governor of the largest state in the union, a VP candidate, and Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

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Allied Commander, which was political, as was head of NATO, first head, at the start of the Cold War.

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Kennedy wrote a best selling book on foreign policy, while in college, served quite honorably in the Navy, served in the House, and was in in re-elected to the Senate.  He won a Pulitzer for another book prior to that.

Obama won a Grammy for "Best Spoken Word."

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Yes, these men we giants before they started.  While I actually like the three people most likely to be nominated, this is the ridiculousness that will make me vote against Obama.

[elcorazon]

nice rationalization J.J.

[Nutmeg]

this is the ridiculousness that will make me vote against Obama.

 wouldn't happen to have anything to do with it?

[Verily]

Neither Hillary nor Obama is the sort to go massively negative on the other; they have no particular political rivalry.

Still want to stand by this?

No

Of course, at the time I thought Clinton would fade as her name recognition bonus faded, same with Edwards (well, that latter was somewhat true). Not that I expected Obama to be the benefactor at the time, specifically.

[J. J.]

this is the ridiculousness that will make me vote against Obama.

 wouldn't happen to have anything to do with it?

Considering I said that I was undecided in a race between Obama and Romney, probably not.

C'mon, Obama has a lot of things going for him, things like sincerity, eloquence, intelligence, but the comparisons to Lincoln, FDR, DDE, and JFK are ridiculous. 

[elcorazon]

this is the ridiculousness that will make me vote against Obama.

 wouldn't happen to have anything to do with it?

Considering I said that I was undecided in a race between Obama and Romney, probably not.

C'mon, Obama has a lot of things going for him, things like sincerity, eloquence, intelligence, but the comparisons to Lincoln, FDR, DDE, and JFK are ridiculous. 

so you'd pick your candidate because you think one candidate is overhyped, or mishyped?  seems kinda silly.