Obama's Profile Has Democrats Taking Notice

[cal04]

Barack Obama was standing before a packed high school auditorium when he noticed a familiar face in the crowd -- none other than singer Dionne Warwick. He paused, flashed a mischievous smile, then let loose with a perfectly on-key performance of the opening line of her hit song "Walk On By."

The audience of 300 students and adults roared with approval.

Obama, a first-term Democratic senator from Illinois, seems to be hitting the right notes these days. During Senate recesses, he has been touring the country at breakneck pace, basking in the sudden fame of a politician turned pop star. Along the way, he has been drawing crowds and campaign cash from Democrats starved for a fresh face and ready to cheer what Obama touts as "a politics of hope instead of a politics of fear."

His office fields more than 300 requests a week for appearances. One Senate Democrat, curious about Obama's charisma, took notes when watching him perform at a recent political event. State parties report breaking fundraising records when Obama is the speaker.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/17/AR2006061700736.html

[Tom Joad]

1. His endorsement of warmonger Joe was very off-key. Nothin' but a

very ambitious politician. Maybe he should just sing.

[Benhurst]

2. So far his record has been mixed. As a native of Illinois and

a supporter during the last campaign, I have found him to be mostly a disappointment so far.

His support for Lieberman defies understanding.

A "mischievous smile" is not what we need, nor a "perfectly on-key performance of the opening line ... 'Walk On By.'"

I still hold out some hope for him; but for the time-being, we should all "Walk on By."

[alfredo]

3. Let's see which way he goes once he gets a bit of senority

and that incumbent security. Your first term you are really on probation with the voters and colleagues. Once he feels a bit secure in his seat he may fall one side of the fence or another. Right now he needs to form alliances in the Senate. He will need them down the road. He also needs to develop a very broad base that may over time know him well enough to be forgiving of a misstep, or a swing to the left or the right.

To sell anything, first you have to sell yourself. He might have disappointed you, but he may have gotten favorable opinions from the moderate Republicans and conservative Dems. You know him enough to be disappointed and "still hold out hope for him."

My rep is Ben Chandler (D-KY). He's pissed me off a few times, but still I like him personally and am forgiving if he strays off camp every now and then. I have my limits though.

[Benhurst]

4. No, I really don't know him well enough to know how he'll turn out.

In fact I began to get nervous about him even during the campaign when I realized the corporate news whores were not attacking him.

And then he went on to repeatedly disappoint me with some extremely bad votes. And suck up to Holy Joe Lieberman.

No, I hold out hope for him because I am an optimist.

In the meantime, he should NOT be considered for higher office. And he has some work to do before I'll support him again for the U.S. Senate.

[alfredo]

5. True.