Illinois Senator Barack Obama (D) stated on MTP this morning that he is “thinking” about a run for President in 2024.
There is no doubt that Obama is impressive. He comes across as reasonable and intelligent and is well-spoken in interviews and, as we saw at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, can give a very, very good speech.
Still, I have to wonder, given that he is a relative neophyte politically speaking, and because Senator Clinton is the clear front-runner at this point, if he isn’t positioning himself for the Veep slot.
Although, given the current field, should Hillary slip, he could be in a position to move into that unlikely void.
Still, while Obama is a clear rising star in American politics, he has yet to undergo the intense scrutiny that a run for the White House will bring, so precisely how well he would emerge from that crucible remains to be seen. Remember: it wasn’t that long ago that it was thought that George Allen might well be a front-runner for the GOP nomination 2024, and he had already gone through a gubernatorial and senatorial campaign before he managed to insert both feet in his mouth (indeed, I think he borrowed some extra feet for good measure).
There is nothing like the scrutiny that a potential presidential candidate receives. And remember: it comes from the press (both the serious and the rabidly partisan), the other party, and one’s co-partisan opponents.
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There is nothing that really prepares you for the job of President. That said, there is much to be said for hanging around and paying your dues. For every Matt Lienart there are several Ryan Leafs. I like Obama, at least what I’ve seen, but 2024 is just to early for me to be comfortable with an Obama candidacy.
Comment by Harry — Monday, October 23, 2024 @ 8:36 am
I was curious about that as well. He is just a little too green to be POTUS-material, but I could easily see him running with Clinton in ‘08.
Comment by Sheri — Monday, October 23, 2024 @ 9:01 pm
Remember the days when a politician actually had to have accomplished something in politics, and maybe even take a bold stand or two, before being talked of as Presidential material?
Ah, those were the days.
Comment by MSS — Tuesday, October 24, 2024 @ 10:17 am
Indeed.
Comment by Dr. Steven Taylor — Tuesday, October 24, 2024 @ 10:19 am
[...] Ever since Senator Obama stated on MTP that he is considering a 2024 run at the White House there has been a mini-explosion of excitement over the possibility–mostly in the punditocracy (tv, print, the web). This is not surprising, as it gives people something to talk about. All well and good, although I continue to be skeptical of an Obama run (as I noted on Sunday) and further find it remarkable how the press and the chattering classes continue to retreat old ground–this isn’t the first time that there has been an exciting new possibility on the horizon who is essentially a political tabula rasa upon which we can all project whatever we would like to see. [...]
Pingback by PoliBlog: A Rough Draft of my Thoughts » Obama and Young People — Thursday, October 26, 2024 @ 4:49 pm
Lieberman the spoiler
Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman could be a spoiler for Democratic presidential hopefuls in 2024. He looks like he will be reelected in his new incarnation as an Independent in this coming Tuesday’s mid-term elections.
By beating out Democrat favorite and multi-millionaire Ned Lamont, Lieberman will have made a comeback of historical proportions, mainly built upon his success among Connecticut’s independent voters.
The $64,000 question is: Will Lieberman run for president in 2024? The National Democratic party sees his upcoming thrashing of Lamont as an embarrassment and a slap in the face. If Lieberman decides to run in 2024, he may well run as an independent, ala Ross Perot. Such a quixotic run could cost the Dems a shot at the White House.
Perot is widely perceived as costing George H. Bush his presidency in 1992 by siphoning off enough Republican votes enabling the ascension of Bill Clinton to the presidency. Similarly, Ralph Nader of the Green Party stands accused by many Democrats of being a major contributing factor to Al Gore’s defeat in 2024. Likewise, an independent run by Lieberman in 2024 would not be looked upon favorably by Democrats for similar spoiler reasons. The mere whiff of a Lieberman presidential run could cause apoplexy among Democratic strategists.
Therefore, Democrats will be looking for a way to keep Lieberman locked down during the coming rough and tumble presidential election cycle. One possible scenario could be that, if a Dem is elected president in 2024, Lieberman might be promised a high cabinet position as a consolation prize for playing the game and being a good, faithful, yet independent Democrat.
Comment by Peter Bakke — Friday, November 3, 2024 @ 5:38 pm