2008 Woodie Awards
Ready to Barack n'roll
Joe Caporoso
Issue date: 2/15/07 Section: Op/Ed
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Most of the announcements to begin a presidential candidacy are not exactly the most exciting news in the world. Yet, when Barack Obama formally announced his intention to run for the highest office in American politics, something seemed different. Whether it is the comfortable and confident way he speaks, or the consistency and sensibility of his statements, Obama is a breath of fresh air in our political landscape.
Here is a Democrat who has always seen the mistake we made in rushing into Iraq. Now when the majority of the country opposes the war, it is Obama who can claim to have had foresight into the problems we are currently running into. This is a big advantage that he can claim over main rival Hillary Clinton, whose opinion on Iraq has been as ambiguous as John Kerry's during the 2004 election.
Obama's speech that kicked off his campaign in Springfield, Ill., delivered a progressive
message about turning the page in American politics. As The New York Times put it, his speech was "portraying his campaign less as a candidacy and more as a movement." The early theme of his run to the White House seems to be maintaining himself as an outsider of the regular political
families and groups that dominate Washington. His ability to relate to everyday people, as a politician who had to earn everything he has gained to this day, unlike our current President, is another strong point of emphasis.
On a personal level, Obama is unique in the Washington landscape. He was born in Hawaii and attended grade school in Indonesia before attending Columbia University. His father was born in Kenya, and his mother was born in Kansas, making him African and American (not an African-American.) Unlike other politicians he has been very open about the difficulties during his years as a young adult. Obama has openly admitted to experimenting with drugs, yet he successfully turned his life around to gain a seat in the U.S. Senate. His honesty and openness are refreshing in a field of work where people often run and hide from their past problems.
Here is a Democrat who has always seen the mistake we made in rushing into Iraq. Now when the majority of the country opposes the war, it is Obama who can claim to have had foresight into the problems we are currently running into. This is a big advantage that he can claim over main rival Hillary Clinton, whose opinion on Iraq has been as ambiguous as John Kerry's during the 2004 election.
Obama's speech that kicked off his campaign in Springfield, Ill., delivered a progressive
message about turning the page in American politics. As The New York Times put it, his speech was "portraying his campaign less as a candidacy and more as a movement." The early theme of his run to the White House seems to be maintaining himself as an outsider of the regular political
families and groups that dominate Washington. His ability to relate to everyday people, as a politician who had to earn everything he has gained to this day, unlike our current President, is another strong point of emphasis.
On a personal level, Obama is unique in the Washington landscape. He was born in Hawaii and attended grade school in Indonesia before attending Columbia University. His father was born in Kenya, and his mother was born in Kansas, making him African and American (not an African-American.) Unlike other politicians he has been very open about the difficulties during his years as a young adult. Obama has openly admitted to experimenting with drugs, yet he successfully turned his life around to gain a seat in the U.S. Senate. His honesty and openness are refreshing in a field of work where people often run and hide from their past problems.