Barack Obama? Why not?

Democratic Senator Barack Obama (left) from Illinois has shown at least a tiny bit of interest (a.k.a. "highly interested and all-but-announced") in running for the Democratic nomination in 2008. Whereas Hillary Clinton's non-announced candidacy is "old hat" already, Barack Obama is a new thought for 2008, at least the way he's being portrayed in the media.

And just as we were asking "is America ready for a woman president?" we are now asking "is America ready for a youngish African American president?"

Are we?

Mediawingnuts' answer to both questions is a resounding "yes!"

He answered a rather leading question on NBC's Meet the Press with, "My main focus right now is in '06 ... After November 7, I'll sit down, I'll sit down and consider, and if at some point I change my mind, I will make a public announcement and everybody will be able to at me."

Hmmm ... sounds like he's running to me! What do you think?

In Senator Obama's case, it took one very fine speech at the Democratic Convention in 2004 ... followed by his face on Time's cover with a lead article, "Why Barack Obama Could be the Next President" and, like a sky-rocket, he's been rising to the top of the party ever since. Hillary peaked too early, they say, and Kerry has been portrayed as a loser. Gore? Who knows? He combines Hillary's early "peak" with John Kerry's having been beaten by the worst president in history.

2008 seems like a million years away ... but in today's world, time is truly relative. It might be worthwhile to read the book he's touting ... something called The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream. But for that, I'll need a dime plus ten minutes ... the source of either of which is in short supply right now for this old man.