Obama in 2008: Yes he did

The junior senator from Illinois officially made history Tuesday night. Barack Obama, an African-American, will be the Democratic nominee for presidency of the most powerful nation on earth.

Here's a little TOKM free association:

--Even if he had lost to Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama's candidacy would have been one of the most unique in history. Few had ever even heard of Obama before his 2004 speech at the Democratic Convention in Boston. His victory over the prohibitive favorite, Clinton, is evidence of his one-in-a-generation political savvy. He did what Rick Lazio couldn't...do you know who that is?

--Oh yeah, and he's an African-American. Does this matter, you say? Of course it does. It restores, for me at least, a greater sense of pride in the American people. The "Old Boy Network" is still operating in American Politics, to be sure, but Obama has an opportunity to smash an even larger mold. We've had Margaret Thatcher, Golda Meir and Angela Merkel in the West; but we've never had a Barack Obama. Obama is a one-man wrecking crew, with the capacity to undue noxious popular perceptions that have plagued this country for generations. This is a step in the right direction.

--In retrospect, the prolonged primary season was chock-full of costs and benefits for the Democrats. One benefit, of course, was the increased media attention for their two show ponies. Both Clinton and Obama are professional politicians and rarely are worse off for the wear of the media spotlight--unlike McCain. That being said, Obama will have to mend more fences than any nominee in recent history. The only thing worse than a divisive campaign where bridges are burned is a REALLY LONG divisive campaign in which LOTS of bridges are burned.

--The talking heads on MSNBC are totally enamored with Obama. Chris Matthews, of "thrill going up my leg" fame, is totally in the tank for Obama--and he is not alone. I really like Matthews, to be honest, and I'm not a believer in some conspiracy in media to affect political outcomes. That being said, Obama, unlike Hillary Clinton and John McCain, is hard not to like. Journalists are people, too. Matthews and his deskmate, Keith Olbermann, have the outward appearance of giddy schoolgirls when talking about Obama.

--There were three speeches tonight in succession from McCain, Clinton and Obama and one thing is clear: John McCain couldn't compel a librarian to clean her glasses. Oh, and "Go John McCain" just doesn't flow like "yes we can."

--Who are these people? That is the question I ask myself, sometimes audibly, when I watch a campaign speech on television. I'm convinced that the people in that room--in every single one of the rooms--share one brain. Iterations of largely the same form cheer age-old campaign promises each and every cycle. Who are these people who buy colored cardboard, markers, paste and glitter to make their own unique signs with slogans like "count every vote?" and "Indiana is Obama Country"? What planet do they come from? I guess that's just the audacity of hope rearing its ugly head.

--I do, however, remember when John McCain was the darling of the mainstream media back in 2000. I didn't really like him back then, either. But, would we be better off now had he won? Probably.

--McCain did a hatchet-job on Mitt Romney--a guy I could take or leave--during the primary process and it left a bitter taste in my mouth. He beat this drum about Romney calling for a timetable for withdrawl in Iraq. Romney never said anything of the sort. Luckily for McCain, most people didn't care enough to look into it.

--I don't hate John McCain any more or less than the average Washington politician; but, I think there is a large kernel of truth in amongst the rhetoric from Obama regarding McCain. All comedy aside, McCain would be Bush Light. In terms of foreign policy, what changes if Johnny Mac becomes president?

--All in all, I am pretty happy with the McCain vs. Obama matchup. Hillary Clinton is a bottom dweller in a cess pool and if she had been the nominee I would have had to shower with Simple Green to get the stench off after voting for McCain.

--My gut feeling is that Hillary Clinton does not want to be Vice President, but would love nothing more than to be able to turn it down.

--Obama may very well win in November based solely on an historic voter turnout; but, it will not happen without Obama running the gauntlet for the next five months. His "pastor problems" are not going away. To win, Obama will have to become what he professes to hate: a "race to the bottom" politician.