Yes, They Can

Barack Obama took his first step yesterday to becoming an official presidential candidate. Though it is not official, it appears that it will become so on February 10^th.

His fiercest competition for the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton, has been noticably silent for about the past month. Whether he, she, or neither is making waves, their mere presence is the elephant in the room whenever the topic of 2008 arises.

Having spent a great deal of time reading about the assets and liabilities of these two candidates I was shocked when yesterday a young black man say to me flatly (and with a tone of disappointment), "a black man and a woman? Looks like we'll have another Republican." Perhaps I am naïve, but America does not appear to me a place that any longer bars a person from any office on account of his/her demographics. Of course, will race and gender be a factor? Absolutely. However, those who view having either a woman or a minority in the White House as a novelty, in my analysis, will outweigh the few who refuse to vote for these two solely on the basis of sex or race.

Based on what I know of these two, it is likely that I will not be voting for either of them. However, here is a message for those who would like to sit back comfortably and say "Hillary can't win" and "America won't elect a black man": Either of these two can win. That is not to say that they will, just that they can.

Yes, Hillary has the image of a real wench. Yes, Barack has very very little experience. Yes, they are both liberals in moderate clothing. But make no mistake about it: they can win. Hillary has a list of assets a mile long. Barack makes people swoon with his heart-warming hope-speak (and has Oprah on his side).

As conservatives it would be comfortable to hide our heads in the sand and pretend like we live in warm cocoon of the Republican Revolution. That time is no more. We live in the Iraq era, in the Bush-hater era, in the Freakshow politcs era, and in the liberal-media's-lovefest-with-Obama/Hillary-era. If a conservative is going to take the White House he/she will have to win many battles, not the least of which is the image war that says, "yes, I too can win this election."