OK, So Who's the White Barack Obama?

Human Events, Mar 31, 2008 by Rice, Ned

Because of this performance, Obama was now a serious candidate for the U.S. Senate, and he won the Democratic nomination on the strength of his obvious charisma-plus, perhaps, the fact that his strongest Democratic rival (millionaire Blair Hull) had been accused of domestic abuse. But things looked bleak for Obama in the general election-that is until Republican rival Jack Ryan withdrew after being accused by his wife, luscious "Star Trek: The Next Generation" star Jeri Ryan, of trying to take her to sex clubs. You heard me right: Barack Obama's path to the U.S. Senate was likely paved, in no small part, by angry "Star Trek" fans. After brushing aside last-minute GOP replacement candidate Alan Keyes in November, Barack Obama became just the third black person elected to the U. S. Senate since Reconstruction.

Poor Training Ground

Most voters agree that the Senate makes a poor training ground for the presidency, which is why former governors are more likely to be elected. Still, a really imposing legislative record might make even a young senator seem more presidential. So what are the highlights of Sen. Obama's legislative efforts to date (as MSNBC's Chris Matthews recently asked Texas state senator and Obama supporter Kirk Watson, only to be rewarded with a blank stare)? In his three-plus years in the Senate, Obama has sponsored or co-sponsored legislation dealing with lobbying, electoral fraud, climate change, nuclear terrorism, conventional weapons proliferation and promoting public accountability in the use of federal funds. Even more impressively, at least to me, Obama has supposedly managed to quit smoking. No wonder Time magazine named him one of the most influential people in the world in 2005-even before his vast legislative exploits had begun-and then again in 2007. But I'm sure that distinction also had nothing to do with his race. Lots of obscure, first-year white male senators are said to be among the most powerful people on planet Earth just hours after they've been sworn in.

So that's how Barack Obama compares to those former Presidents Keith Olbermann suggested were no more qualified than Obama is today to take those 3:00am calls. I note that these former Presidents all had executive experience, either as governors, Vice Presidents, or both, and that even the least qualified among them spent more time in public office prior to being nominated than Obama has. Note also that none of history's most notorious political lightweights are listed. If a Dan Quayle, a Ted Kennedy, a Lincoln Chafee or even a Kevin Federline had ever come within a hairsbreadth of a major party's nomination for President, with the support of international media coverage bordering on the hysterically favorable, we would be forced to concede Keith Olbermann's point. But none of those guys ever came within a country mile of being nominated, much less being at least an evenmoney bet to win the White House.

Just for good measure, let's compare Barack Obama with one more former President-one Obama had never resisted being associated with. Before winning his party's nomination, John F. Kennedy was a genuine war hero who used family connections to get into combat (and actually earned his Purple Hearts, unlike another so decorated Massachusetts senator), who served 14 years in the U.S. Congress (six in the House, eight in the Senate) and who also wrote two best-selling books, one of which was also awarded the Pulitzer Prize. With regard to Obama's trump card-his skills as an orator-I'll say this: Jack Kennedy was my President. Jack Kennedy was, for a time, my hero. I knew Jack Kennedy as a public speaker and you, Sen. Obama, are no Jack Kennedy.