# Obama forms committee to explore presidential bid **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 16, 2007, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233 "2007-01-16T19:28:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233/21 "2007-01-17T13:32:03Z")
Soory for the double-post but one more set of thoughts. Can he beat HRC? Certainly. How would he face up against McCain in a general election? That depends on how Bush’s “surge” goes. If it works (which I hope it will despite my every belief that it will be a catestrophic move) then McCain becomes unbeatable for his support of it before it was even announced. If it is the mistake most of us think it is then McCain is toast and any other potential Republican nominee is an underdog to vitually anyone other than HRC, IMHO. Even Edwards. Okay not Kucinich. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233/22 "2007-01-17T13:46:40Z")
Honestly I think if either Obama or Clinton are put forth as the presidential nominee that the Democrats will lose the 2008 election. Not trying to rain on anyone’s parade but I think that is the reality of the situation. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233/23 "2007-01-17T13:51:59Z")
Why do Americans fall for these con men? Obama has no experience of any kind which qulaifies him to be president. Why can’t we get a minimum IQ standard for presidential candidates? I’d also like to see the field widened to include people posessing Ph.Ds-God knows we’ve had enough incompetent presidents! ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233/24 "2007-01-17T15:20:50Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. Is he electable? > > I have doubts on the latter point. Senators rarely make good presidential candidates, and in 2008 Obama will still be only a freshman senator. All he’s got going for him is the “star power” of the moment. He needs to put in more time, accumulate more clout, and maybe serve a term as governor of Illinois for the executive experience. I believe that he’s entirely electable, having already won an election by a large margin in a state that’s a pretty good representative of middle America. It’s true that recent Senate candidates have faired poorly in presidential elections, but then again we haven’t had a Senator like this for a long time. He clearly appeals to people with his willingness to break party lines and he’s a ture ‘people person’. As far as experience, I see little reason for him to wait another election cycle (or possibly two) before running. Recent elections give little confidence that the American people want candidates with extensive experience. More importantly, he can’t simply put the dynamic of his campaign on hold for four or eight years and expect it to still be there when he returns. Obama is hot right now, so his best chance is to run right now. Of course it remains to be seen how the public reacts to the blitz of attack ads from Blacks for Truth claiming that Obama is actually white. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233/25 "2007-01-17T15:49:16Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] Why do Americans fall for these con men? Obama has no experience of any kind which qulaifies him to be president. Why can’t we get a minimum IQ standard for presidential candidates? I’d also like to see the field widened to include people posessing Ph.Ds-God knows we’ve had enough incompetent presidents! [/QUOTE] Are you trying to show how others would attack him in a “Swiftboat” manner, or are you serious? I doubt the UofC would have a lecturer in Constitutional law who would not meet any minimum IQ requirements we would set. Also Obama’s success at Harvard law and running the Harvard Law Review speaks well of his intellect, as did his first book (I have not read the second book yet.), as did his responses to specifc questions during his senate campaign. His intellect is one of his strengths, so that is why I wonder if you are not wholly serious. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233/26 "2007-01-17T15:55:44Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] Why do Americans fall for these con men? Obama has no experience of any kind which qulaifies him to be president. Why can’t we get a minimum IQ standard for presidential candidates? I’d also like to see the field widened to include people posessing Ph.Ds-God knows we’ve had enough incompetent presidents! [/QUOTE] You’re all over the place here. Inexperience doesn’t equal low IQ, Ph.D. doesn’t equal experience or competence. I get that you think he’s a con man, but could you try explaining why? ---
**Author:** ![Mayo\_Speaks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mayo\_Speaks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mayo_Speaks)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233/27 "2007-01-17T16:17:28Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] Why do Americans fall for these con men? Obama has no experience of any kind which qulaifies him to be president. Why can’t we get a minimum IQ standard for presidential candidates? I’d also like to see the field widened to include people posessing Ph.Ds-God knows we’ve had enough incompetent presidents! [/QUOTE] Why do you consider Obama to be a conman? And how is he “another Jimmy Carter”? More importantly, what makes you think that his I.Q. is lacking? ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233/28 "2007-01-17T16:27:18Z")
[QUOTE=pool] Honestly I think if either Obama or Clinton are put forth as the presidential nominee that the Democrats will lose the 2008 election. Not trying to rain on anyone’s parade but I think that is the reality of the situation. [/QUOTE] Me too. I think the “America is ready to look beyond race” people are overly optomistic about race relations in this country. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233/29 "2007-01-17T16:41:04Z")
It’s simply amazing to hear Republicans complaining that Obama has too little experience. They are the one group that has pretty much no right to do that, given that they just spent 8 years defending and bosoming up to a guy who’s only qualification is holding one of the weakest governorships in the union and investing other people’s money based on who his daddy was, and failing mostly miserably at that. [QUOTE=BobLibDem] The whole process is silly. Just what do these exploratory committees do, anyway? If it’s just having some people get together to debate your potential candidacy, why on earth do you have to announce it? [/QUOTE] It’s mostly a tax/fund raising/elections law thing. You can raise a certain amount of money without having to definitely commit it to certain things. It’s really pretty complicated and irritating, but suffice to say, it’s not really the candidate’s choice, but the way the system works. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233/30 "2007-01-17T16:42:00Z")
I don’t know anything about him except he’s well-spoken and half-black (hey, he didn’t go to Notre Dame, did he?). I’m not married to Hillary or anyone else and am more than willing to vote for him, depending on his views. But I never read or hear anything substantive about Obama except he’s well-spoken and half-black. What are his views on foreign relations? National security? Immigration? Healthcare? Abortion? Gay rights? I’m sure all this will come out eventually, but I don’t want to even think about voting for him w/o knowing at least some of this. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233/31 "2007-01-17T16:55:41Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] You’re all over the place here. Inexperience doesn’t equal low IQ, Ph.D. doesn’t equal experience or competence. I get that you think he’s a con man, but could you try explaining why? [/QUOTE] I’ll grant you Obama went to law shcoll-I see this as more of a problem than a benefit. In my opinion, lawyers are good at talk-that is what they are paid to do. Most of them are no technologically bright, and very few (that I know) could fix a broken kitchen sink. They also see the world in a different way-they actually belive that the world works according to contracts, etc., and most of what’s wrong with our government (in MHO) is dues to too many lawyers in governmnet. think about it-Hillary clinton generated 1600+ pages of gobbledegook (in he vaunted national healthcare plan). I suspect that she NEVER read most of it. Stete legislatures churn out hundreds of pages of bills, laes, etc.-most of which is never used. I’d like to see scientists, engineers, economists, etc., running the government-we’ve had too many lawyesr, for far too long! ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233/32 "2007-01-17T17:00:58Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] I’d like to see scientists, engineers, economists, etc., running the government-we’ve had too many lawyesr, for far too long! [/QUOTE] Darn straight. One of the nation’s best presidents in recent history had his degree in nuclear physics and ran his own peanut farm. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233/33 "2007-01-17T17:01:25Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] In my opinion, lawyers are good at talk-that is what they are paid to do. [/quote] Maybe they might also be good at drafting legislation? And understanding the potential effects of lefgislation, so they don’t get surprised by unintended consequences? And understanding the Constitution and its implications? And the role of the judicial system? There’s a _reason_ lawyers are in government, you know. > [@](#): > > Most of them are no technologically bright, and very few (that I know) could fix a broken kitchen sink. We ain’t hiring a plumber. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233/34 "2007-01-17T17:02:55Z")
Just to continue on my theme, note that powerline has just made the “inexperience” argument about Obama. [http://powerlineblog.com/archives/016508.php](http://powerlineblog.com/archives/016508.php) Yes, the very same powerline that had this to say about George Bush, who arguably has less real experience as a leader (and much of it BAD experience) than Obama: “It must be very strange to be President Bush. A man of extraordinary vision and brilliance **approaching to genius** , he can’t get anyone to notice. He is like a great painter or musician who is ahead of his time, and who unveils **one masterpiece after another** to a reception that, when not bored, is hostile.” John Hindraker, Powerline ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233/35 "2007-01-17T17:07:55Z")
[Obama to announce run for presidency February 10](http://www.sj-r.com/Sections/News/Stories/105603.asp) Personally, I’d very much like to see him elected vice-president in 2008 (ah, but with whom?), and president in 2012 or 2016 if all goes well. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233/36 "2007-01-17T17:21:37Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] I’ll grant you Obama went to law shcoll-I see this as more of a problem than a benefit. In my opinion, lawyers are good at talk-that is what they are paid to do. Most of them are no technologically bright, and very few (that I know) could fix a broken kitchen sink. [/QUOTE] Alright, now please tell me what this has to do with anything, including your other comment. I’m all in favor of electing scientists, but if they’re all lawyers, how is Obama less qualified or intelligent than any of the other lawyers? How is he more of a con man than Hillary or anybody else? ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233/37 "2007-01-17T17:52:27Z")
[QUOTE=Eve] I don’t know anything about him except he’s well-spoken and half-black (hey, he didn’t go to Notre Dame, did he?). I’m not married to Hillary or anyone else and am more than willing to vote for him, depending on his views. But I never read or hear anything substantive about Obama except he’s well-spoken and half-black. What are his views on foreign relations? National security? Immigration? Healthcare? Abortion? Gay rights? I’m sure all this will come out eventually, but I don’t want to even think about voting for him w/o knowing at least some of this. [/QUOTE] You could always [look it up](http://obama.senate.gov/issues/), you know. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233/38 "2007-01-17T17:56:08Z")
[QUOTE=DSeid] How would he face up against McCain in a general election? That depends on how Bush’s “surge” goes. If it works (which I hope it will despite my every belief that it will be a catestrophic move) then McCain becomes unbeatable for his support of it before it was even announced. If it is the mistake most of us think it is then McCain is toast and any other potential Republican nominee is an underdog to vitually anyone other than HRC, IMHO. Even Edwards. Okay not Kucinich. [/QUOTE] McCain isn’t going to get it. He’s recently started re-sucking up to the fundies, but a GWB Part III strategy isn’t going to get him through the primaries. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233/39 "2007-01-17T17:57:50Z")
[QUOTE=Shayna] You could always [look it up](http://obama.senate.gov/issues/), you know. [/QUOTE] Jesus kee-rist, I assume you did not _mean_ that to come off as obnoxious as it did? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2007, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233/40 "2007-01-17T18:05:57Z")
[QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] [Obama to announce run for presidency February 10](http://www.sj-r.com/Sections/News/Stories/105603.asp) Personally, I’d very much like to see him elected vice-president in 2008 (ah, but with whom?), and president in 2012 or 2016 if all goes well. [/QUOTE] I laughed when I heard that. I guess that’s the “official” announcement, but seems to me he’s already announced it. Looks like the right wing-nuts are jumping on this. Someone sent me this e-mail today, and I think it’ll be popping up in more than a few places: > [@](#): > > Subject: Fw: SHOULD WE BE NERVOUS > Probable U. S. presidential candidate, Barack Hussein Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a black Muslim from Nyangoma-Kogel, Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white atheist from Wichita, > Kansas. > Obama’s parents met at the University of Hawaii. > > When Obama was two years old, his parents divorced. His father returned > to Kenya. His mother then married Lolo Soetoro, a radical Muslim from Indonesia. When Obama was 6 years old, the family relocated to > Indonesia. > Obama attended a Muslim school in Jakarta. He also spent two years in a Catholic school. > > Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a Muslim. He is > quick to point out that, “He was once a Muslim, but that he also attended > Catholic school.” > > Obama’s political handlers are attempting to make it appear that Obama’s introduction to Islam came via his father, and that this influence was temporary at best. In reality, the senior Obama returned to Kenya soon after the divorce, and never again had any direct influence over his > son’s education. Lolo Soetoro, the second husband of Obama’s mother, Ann > Dunham, introduced his stepson to Islam. Osama was enrolled in a Wahabi school in Jakarta. Wahabism is the radical teaching that is followed by the Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad against the western world. > > Since it is politically expedient to be a Christian when seeking major public office in the United States, Barack Hussein Obama has joined the United Church of Christ in an attempt to downplay his Muslim background. > > Let us all remain alert concerning Obama’s expected presidential > candidacy. I know he went to Punahou (very prestigeous private school in Hawaii) after Gr 5, but have never heard of his “radical Muslim” step-father before. I see they got the name right, but I’m assuming that’s all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forms-committee-to-explore-presidential-bid/388233.md?page=3)