American Idol Debuts   
Contributed by The Gray Dog

I am not a wizard or a pundit.  But, as a former Illinois resident, I had the opportunity, missed by most of the country, to watch Barak Obama rise out of nowhere to become another lightweight ultra-liberal U.S. Senator from the state that gave us Carol Mosley Braun and Dick Durbin.  Because of that experience, I was quick to point out his undeniable star quality when I wrote “American Idol Mystique” on December 3rd 2006.  I now find it incredibly amusing if not prescient, that Obama should announce the formation of his “Presidential Exploratory Committee” on the same day that the newest season of “American Idol” debuts.

Continue reading "American Idol Debuts"

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Click the pic. Try to act surprised. (H/T: MKH)

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Obama Already Learning from Exploratory Committee

(2007-01-16) — First-term Sen. Barack Obama, D-IL, today said he’s excited about the formation of his presidential exploratory committee, and has already learned a lot from the process.

“This morning, I got a call from the chairman of my exploratory committee,” said the 45-year-old lawmaker. “He says they’ve already discovered that the presidency is a big, important job and that the president lives in a special place called The White House.” ...

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Barack Is Beautiful?
James Taranto

The Associated Press reports that Barack Obama, Illinois's African-American junior senator, has established a presidential exploratory committee in preparation for a possible run next year. Meanwhile, London's Sunday Times reports that there is a distinct lack of enthusiasm among so-called civil rights leaders:

At a meeting of activists in New York last week, the Rev Jesse Jackson, the first black candidate to run for president, declined to endorse Obama. "Our focus right now is not on who's running, because there are a number of allies running," Jackson said.

The Rev Al Sharpton, the fiery New York preacher who joined the Democratic primary race in 2004, said he was considering another presidential run of his own. And Harry Belafonte, the calypso singer who became an influential civil rights activist, said America needed to be "careful" about Obama: "We don't know what he's truly about." . . .

When asked about Obama's likely candidacy, [Sharpton] shrugged: "Right now we're hearing a lot of media razzle-dazzle. I'm not hearing a lot of meat, or a lot of content. I think when the meat hits the fire, we'll find out if it's just fat, or if there's some real meat there." . . .

"He's a young man in many ways to be admired," Belafonte said. "Obviously very bright, speaks very well, cuts a handsome figure. But all of that is just the king's clothes. Who's the king?"

What's going on here? It's common enough for black "leaders" to attack black Republicans like Clarence Thomas and Michael Steele--Belafonte has even made racist remarks about Colin Powell--but Obama is a Democrat, so the hostility toward him isn't partisan in origin. Nor is it ideological, really. Obama may not be as ultraleft as Belafonte, but he is a very liberal Democrat--certainly more liberal than either of the Clintons, whom the "civil rights" crowd lionize.

Our view is that Obama threatens Jackson, Sharpton and Belafonte precisely because he has an appeal that transcends race. If Obama is able to gain widespread appeal as a national political figure, it undermines the basis of white guilt, namely the assumption that America remains a deeply racist society. Men like Jackson, Sharpton and Belafonte have made their careers on the exploitation of white guilt. Obama is a threat to their power and livelihood. ...

*** Update and bump. Original timestamp 2007.01.16.12:25

The Year Of Nick The New Guy
Ed Morrissey

Barack Obama sort of ended all the suspense this morning, by doing exactly what everyone expected, only a little sooner. Obama announced that he would create an exploratory committee as the first step towards running for President in 2008:

Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, whose best-selling books and political travels generated huge pressure to run for the White House, joined a crowded Democratic field yesterday, vowing to advance "a different kind of politics" in a campaign that could make him the nation's first African American president.  ...

It's early in the season, so we'll cut him some slack, but it isn't the job of the President to work on eliminating the partisan bitterness in politics. Most of that revolves around Congress anyway, and Obama would have more impact working on that goal from his current position -- which to be fair, he has. The President's job is to run the executive branch -- and for that task, we generally don't find a lack of experience to be an asset. ...

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Barack Obama- Straight up cake boy
Posted By Uncle Jimbo

Ok I've got it, it was actually there all along but I needed the audio. I am becoming resigned to President Barack Hussein Obama, as he is perfectly inoffensive and custom-made for the feel-good, look-good mentality of far too many Americans.

They liked Clinton because he was likeable to them, and so is Obama. Yeah, fine go ahead and elect the empty suit, but know full well and good that I'm gonna keep making fun of him. So here is the latest salvo, a classic B-side from the Sultan of Seattle- Sir Mix A-Lot. ...