Don't Believe the Hype

So, we were watching that Russert show yesterday, when "Mr. Wonderful" Barack Obama made the "announcement" that he was "thinking about" running for president in 2008. If you hadn't already concluded that he was thinking of running in two years, you haven't been paying attention, people. But this raises two questions: (1) Why would he be thinking of running in 2008? And (2), why would people be excited that he's thinking of running in 2008?

First question first. My sense is that Obama's thinking is motivated by the idea that someone in the Democratic primaries in 2008 will emerge as the anti-Hillary, or the non-Hillary, anyway. And right now, it's very hard to see who that person is. Obama says to himself, "If I run, I can run as the alternative to Hillary. That's the road to the nomination." (The road to the nomination, that is . . . and then this guy with a lack of experience problem goes up against media darling St. McCain?)

Now, a subsidiary question: If Obama competes with Hillary, who's the Lefty? If you're like me, out here waiting for a genuine liberal . . . I guess Al Gore is our hope. But he's not running, yet.

Second question, which is basically, why would voters be attracted to Obama as the anti-Hillary? To put it another way, why is Obama regarded as "Mr. Wonderful"?

I just don't get it. If you watched (and listened to) that Russert interview, Obama sounded just like generic Democratic senator. If you just read a transcript, without names or references to Obama's new book, I defy you to identify Obama as distinct from Kerry, Biden, or even Lieberman based on the content of his answers. More importantly, I follow politics pretty closely, and I can't tell you what Obama's big issue is. I can't name an issue on which he's led, in his less-than-two-year Senate career. I have no idea what he stands for, except for platitudes. And if you actually listen to the guy, that's what he gives you. Platitudes. Like "hope," "the American dream," "personal responsibility." But without policy, these are just empty words.

My best guess is that Obama flatters the establishment, as a certain spouse of mine has put it. He's a non-angry black guy, and he has bought in to all the b.s. that oldsters like Joe Klein have been peddling for years.

But some of us are still waiting for someone who will be able to successfully challenge the utterly discredited establishment and shake things up. And Obama has absolutely nothing to offer us, except more of the same.

If you aren't angry at this point, then you're stupid. Even if you were editor of the Harvard Law Review.