Chicago Sun Times Editorial - Obama just might be right candidate at the right time

Chicago Sun Times Editorial - Obama just might be right candidate at the right time
Copyright by The Chicago Sun Times
February 11, 2007


There was nothing subtle about Sen. Barack Obama's choice of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, where Abraham Lincoln gave his famous "house divided" speech, as the setting for Saturday's announcement that he is running for president. He not only wanted to note the historic nature of his campaign as the first viable African-American presidential candidate, but he wanted to invite comparisons between himself and Abraham Lincoln, another Illinois legislator with little experience who went to Washington and united the country. He peppered his speech with references to Lincoln, whom he described as "a tall, gangly, self-made Springfield lawyer," and he even borrowed a phrase from the Gettysburg Address to close his speech, calling on his supporters to help him usher in a "new birth of freedom."

Yes, it took a lot of nerve. But then again, Obama has built his campaign less on his track record and more on the brash promise that he can do something great. It's his biggest strength and his greatest weakness. That is not to say that he hasn't demonstrated leadership abilities or built a decent resume that includes eight productive years in the Legislature and a promising start in the U.S. Senate. But if he gets elected president, it won't be because of his experience -- it will be because voters believe in the depth of his potential.

Critics would like you to believe he is a media creation. There is some merit to that contention, especially in recent months as Obamania exploded. But it's also undeniable that it was his political skills, charisma, intellect and passion that made him so appealing and prompted the media to anoint him as the Democratic Party's biggest rising star. He demonstrated those abilities when he ran for the state Senate in 1996, when he won the primary for U.S. Senate in 2004 and when he stole the show with his electrifying keynote speech later that year at the Democratic National Convention.

Will those qualities and an emphasis on hope be enough to win the presidency? That remains to be seen. He is no doubt too liberal for many people. He has been barely tested in the hardball waters of national politics and media scrutiny. He faces a far different mix of Democratic primary opponents than he faced when he ran for Senate, including New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, who has strong appeal among the African Americans who might be expected to be Obama's base. But in one key area, those abilities have proved to be sufficient, and that is in giving him the fund-raising prowess that will be necessary to run a serious campaign.

Other African Americans who have run for president have demonstrated some of the same qualities and abilities. But none has displayed them in the same measure and with the same flair as Obama. And just as he benefitted from some luck in his Senate race, he could benefit from being the right candidate in the right place at the right time in 2008. By then our nation will have withstood 16 years of divisive and cynical politics. It seems a stretch, but maybe voters will put a premium on finding someone they believe will put an end to the divisiveness. Maybe they'll be looking for someone with a fresh face, an optimistic outlook and -- dare we say it -- an "audacity of hope."