The good news is there are rumours Barack Obama may run.

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Chatter about Obama's 2008 plans picks up

May 26, 2006

BY LYNN SWEET SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

Chatter is increasing among supporters of Sen. Barack Obama about him jumping into the 2008 presidential race as he cranks up his political operation.

Obama is now being helped by Washington public affairs strategist Minyon Moore, a Chicago native and veteran of the Clinton White House, who will serve as an unpaid adviser to develop an outreach plan for African Americans.

Obama (D-Ill.) is also adding to his team another Democratic strategist, Anita Dunn, to fill in through the end of the year as chief of his HOPEFUND political action committee.

Dunn, an adviser to '08 possible contender Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), is close to Obama's chief of staff.

The 2008 talk is not being stoked by the freshman Obama camp, but is surging from all sorts of backers who see no reason for him to pass up this cycle. One thing Obama's popularity and big political war chest bring -- he would not have to mount a White House bid in order to be considered for vice president on a ticket.

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I'd love to see Barack Obama run, even though I know he's not as left-wing as some people think. He is good looking, smart, a great speaker, very charismatic and engaging.

But what if he doesn't run? I started thinking about other people who could do the job, and it suddenly came to me that George Clooney would be terrific. Good looking, smart, with good politics and seemingly fearless. I don't know of any skeletons in his closet but with the right person even this doesn't necessarily matter.

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Originally posted by rasmus raven:
Now, will some of you Yanks start a "draft George Clooney" movement?

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Originally posted by Stargazer:
Americans (and Canadians) will not elect a black president, anymore than they would elect a woman president.

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Don't be so sure. Would you have believed the U.K. could have elected a female PM (of course, it's hard to tell after the fact)? Or that the U.S. could have people that look like Colin Powell or Condoleezza Rice in such positions of power?

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Originally posted by unionist:
Would you have believed the U.K. could have elected a female PM (of course, it's hard to tell after the fact)? Or that the U.S. could have people that look like Colin Powell or Condoleezza Rice in such positions of power?

Evil is colour- and gender-blind. Even a racist and sexist society knows how to use race and sex for its purposes.

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Originally posted by unionist:

Really, rasmus. Do you think Americans will ever accept a screen actor as President?

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I hope you're being sarcastic, unionist, as Reagan was a screen actor, and was president for two terms.

I really take offense as a feminist to the implication that Thatcher wasn't really a woman. A woman can take any political position she believes, and that does not compromise her womanhood. The assumption that all women should hold certain beliefs, by their nature, is sexist. Do men ever experience this?

I don't think Clooney would be a good choice. Obama is much better. Clooney took leadership on the Darfur crisis, but never articulated what it was he wanted as a response. (although maybe vagueness is a good quality for a politician...)

I recently read a poll (forget where) that 90% of Americans would vote for a woman. I think it depends on the candidate (Hilary is a poor choice, Oprah would be golden).

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Originally posted by EmmaG:
I hope you're being sarcastic, unionist, as Reagan was a screen actor, and was president for two terms.

I really take offense as a feminist to the implication that Thatcher wasn't really a woman.

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Reagan? President? When??

And who mentioned Thatcher?? I was referring to Cherie (see below). Honestly, EmmaG, pay more attention and don't jump to conclusions.

[EDIT to add:]

Cherie Booth Blair in Wikipedia

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A recent controversy to hit Mrs Blair was when she was granted an audience with the Pope. The Vatican convention is that females meeting the Pontiff should wear black, preferably with a black veil, or mantilla. By contrast, Mrs Blair, a staunch Catholic, chose to exercise the "White privilege", granted only to the wives of Catholic monarchs. Currently, these are Queen Sofia of Spain, Queen Paola of Belgium and Josephine Charlotte, the wife of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg. Queen Sofia exercised her privilege in a meeting with the previous Pope in 2003.

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[ 28 May 2006: Message edited by: unionist ]

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Originally posted by M. Spector:
I agree.

But your examples support my thesis that the first woman president and the first black president of the United States will be right-wing Republicans.

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