Obama

Barack Obama has filed papers for his Presidential Exploratory Committee as of Tuesday January 16, 2006. This adds an additional candidate to the seemingly eclectic mix of presidential hopefuls in the 2008 election. Long expected to be a candidate, this official announcement startled few.

Along with Hilary Clinton, Obama leads the pack right now for democratic contenders, but the race is by no means decided. Clinton and Obama should have no trouble attracting enough media attention to easily assist fund raising attempts. The implications for the 2008 race are profound. Never before have political limits been so stretched. For the first time in history, the nation boasts a female Speaker of the House. Nancy Pelosi has also done a spectacular job redefining the party's role in the 110^th congress. Dennis Hastart (R – IL), the previous Speaker clung to a 24% approval rating. Pelosi is riding high on a 43% approval rating. Reverend Jesse Jackson ran a campaign in 1984 which was first intended to break the racial barrier for a Presidential candidate. Obama, the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review, is still a Freshman Senator.

Obama depicts his lack of Washington experience as a plus. The campaign centers around the concept that it takes an outsider to fix the problems inside the beltway. Though this is rhetoric heard before, Obama's youthful and charismatic character will prove to be a formidable challenge for other Democrats to overcome. He also shows potential to increase voter turnout with a change of face. Many voters have become apathetic about elections as a result of their disgust with the candidates. The trend towards finding more youthful, energetic and charismatic figures as compared to the elderly lackluster candidates may help encourage more voters to come to the polls on Election Day.

The closest historical example to a candidate with Obama's charisma might be William Jennings Brian, a progressive who ran on a campaign of free silver in 1896. (He also ran unsuccessfully in the two subsequent elections). Obama thrust himself into the national spotlight with his own “Cross of Gold” speech at the 2004 Nominating Convention. Time will tell as to whether he will end up crucified, or save a Democratic Party itching to gain control of the White House.