Obama's Time Could be Coming

As the "Obama Express" rolled through the Bay Area last week, my thoughts went back to the 2004 Democratic Convention. The crowd had been electrified by the stirring speech given by then-senatorial candidate Barack Obama. An elderly woman looked at me with tears in her eyes saying: I didnt think I would live to see it, but I may be looking at the first African-American president."

I dont think there is any question that Obama, D-Ill., is the brightest star in politics. He is intelligent, attractive, charismatic, cerebral and self-effacing in a way we have not seen since JFK. When he walks into a room, you know he is there. He embodies the title of his new book, The Audacity of Hope. But are a great speech and a new book the makings of presidential aspirations?

With most of the focus placed on the midterm elections, the Mark Foley scandal and the real potential that the Republicans will lose one, if not both houses of Congress, it is almost unprecedented that a junior senator, who has fulfilled only one-third of his first term in Congress, would be given such attention because there is the possibility that he might run for president in 2008.

Right now, the idea of Obama running for president is outpacing the reality of his candidacy.

But the idea came closer to reality when Obama told Tim Russert recently on NBCs Meet the Press, My main focus right now is the06 (election) and making sure that we retake the Congress. After Nov. 7, I'll sit down and consider it.

There is nothing like the possibility of something happening to titillate our emotions in ways with which reality simply cannot compete. Just ask Ted Kennedy.

Many were enthralled with the idea of Kennedy challenging President Carter for the Democratic nomination in 1980. The Kennedy mystique captivated the press as well as many with-

in the Democratic Party until Kennedy formally announced his candidacy. But after a heavy dose of Chappaquiddick, Kennedy lost his luster and Carter got the nomination.

I listen to pundits pro and con raise the issue of Obamas lack of experience. Some are quick to point out there was the same concern about candidate George W. Bush.

If we juxtapose the two men, I think it bodes well for an Obama presidential run. Since most of the power in the Texas legislature rests with the lieutenant governor, being governor of Texas does not compare with being governor of California, New York or Florida, let alone the majority of the other states in the union.

But Bush defeated incumbent Ann Richards for governor when she had a 57 percent approval rating. He also defeated Al Gore and John Kerry. I realize that some will eagerly point to Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004, but neither race should have been close.

Who has Obama defeated? When he ran for Congress, Bobby Rush handily defeated him. The disarray of Illinois Republicans during his senate campaign allowed him to easily defeat Alan Keyes, whom Republicans shipped in from Maryland.

What is really telling about the excitement around Obama potentially running is the lack thereof for other possible candidates. Whether it is Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, John Edwards, Joe Biden or even an anti-war candidate like Russ Feingold, none possess enthusiasm that rivals Obama.

Though all have more experience, to many, the Democratic bench still looks thin.

Maybe the time is right for Obama to run. It could very well be that his lack of years in the Senate is actually a strength. He was not there when many of his current colleagues, forced to decide between the courage of their convictions and the perception of appearing patriotic, chose a Faustian bargain which they are still clumsily attempting to explain.

If, as New York Times columnist David Brooks recently opined, the quarter-century of conservative domination is over and there is not a mass exodus toward status quo, Democrats and perhaps the American people are willing to go in a different direction -- a direction that can be best articulated by Barack Obama.

Byron Williams is an Oakland pastor and syndicated columnist. E-mail him at [e-mail] or leave a message at [phone]. Send a letter to the editor to [e-mail].