I'm convinced: if Obama were white, he would not even be running this year.

There's just no way.

Because if he were white and spoke the way he does and looked the way he does and presented himself the way he does...

President Obama would be in the last year of his second term right now.

and a gorgeous family and made the speech against the war, (all that obama is and has done) he certainly would be running.

but as they say, if my grandmother had balls, she'd be my grandpa.

or do you think he would have had the resources to be the youngest president ever? I know the legal limit is 35, but there is a good reason we've never approached it. Remember, the youngest president, jfk, was, at 42, a decorated war hero, a congressman, a senator, a Pulitzer prize winner, and the scion of a very influential political family that controlled his home state.

I was intentionally overstating the case to point out the stupidity of the whole "he's only running cuz he's black" charge.

how do you explain Presidents like Clinton, Teddy Roosevelt, and JFK. They were all about the
same age when they ran. How did they do as President?

It would be uncontested.

Or do you just mean he'd be too young in the eyes of the voters?

by then. I think he still needs to follow the same general pattern:

local hero -> rising IL Dem star -> declares for major office, buzz builds -> gives nationally-broadcast speech, stuns nation -> handily wins election, becomes party star -> declares for Presidency -> wins.

That said, I agree with the fundamental message of your post 100%. Thank you.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4040175

I'll have to admit, you had me going when I saw your thread title.

Well done.

That disgusting quote made me suddenly visualize a white Barack Obama and it hit me that we wouldn't even be talking about electing anyone else. He's not my favorite candidate, but there's no way a white guy with that much charisma doesn't waltz into the White House.

I would vote for him whatever he was.

in the first week

but you can't ignore the fact that he is successful, in part, due to being black. You think he would have as much cachet as a white man? Would it be quite as cool to support him, early on? John Edwards is just as talented a lawyer and politician and almost as good a speaker, and his policies are, if anything, more in tune with black America, I don't see Oprah selling out stadiums for him, do you? I don't see that buzz. Obama is the political comet he is because he is all those things, and black. To dent that is to deny reality. Hillary is the candidate she is because she is female.

Another one for the ages, right there.

don't be naive. If you don't think that is part of the story that makes him a rock star, then you are ignoring reality. If senator obama was white, so you think he'd have the same popular cachet? Would Oprah, the most popular woman in America, be campaigning for him? Would his personal message be as compelling? Of course not. If he were white, he'd be john Edwards. How's that buzz going? Oprah campaigning for Edwards now? You really don't think that a lot of the excitement surrounding Obama is because he is the first black man with a legitimate chance of becoming president. That may not be why a lot of people continue to support him, but it attracts a lot of initial attention.

Springsteen is a very popular white performer. So I guess that means Kerry was only successful because he's white. Oh, wait...

The Obama candidacy is comparable to the Tiger Woods phenomenon. Tiger Woods would never have made such a splash if he were white. Oh, wait...

that gives him character and inspires others. The same was true for Bill Clinton as the "man from Hope".

Abraham Lincoln had two years in the house when he was elected.
One of the very best leaders in our history, two years in the house that
was it. He was not laughed out of the race, he was elected.
Give it a break.

As is Senator Hillary Clinton!

He reminds me of John Kerry in his speaking style.

Hey what can you say... senators. A lot of them talk the same ;-)

:toast:

be prepared!:popcorn:

Go. Bama.

No experience.

Oh wait...

The mill workers are no shirkers!

I guess :crazy:

:eyes:

....oh wait....

freakin' racist! :)

a gorgeous family with a clean record and no drama behind him, an alternative to hillary who got noticed for his speeches in the past. of course a white person who fit that description would be running. don't be silly.

Go ahead, take another look. We'll wait.