Obamarama

As my brother Koko can tell you, I tend to be particularly susceptible to certain fashionable trends. In Koko's words, I am always in the midst of a particular "phase." For instance, as a young child, I had a "pogs phase," a "magic phase" (though I never really knew how to play either of these games) and, of course, a "pez phase." Now that I'm older, my phases are a bit more staid, though no less banal. Now, for instance, I find myself caught in the eye of a rip-roaring "Obama phase."

The point of this post isn't to justify my Obama obsession; I'll let my fellow bloggers read Audacity of Hope, which speaks for itself (it literally speaks for itself if you listen to the book-on-tape version read in the low, soothing voice of the man himself). Rather, I just wanted to note that, contrary to the opinion of Betty and likeminded naysayers, Obama can win the primary. If you look at the recent polls from eight different states, you'll notice that Obama is either winning or running neck in neck with Hillary in three states, and is in second almost everywhere else. Now, in several states he is a far second, but this is expected, considering that 1/3 of Americans have never heard of Obama, and "Another 14 percent said his name sounded familiar but they didn't know enough about him to have an opinion". That's 47% of Americans who don't know Obama well enough to support him.

If these polls bespeak trouble for any candidate, it's John Edwards, who is only polling ahead in one state (his own) and is no better than third anywhere else. Indeed, in some states he is a distant (and John Kerry-like) third. In California, for instance, Hilary and Barak are both in the 30s, and Edwards has 6%! This all despite the fact that, though not as well known as Clinton, Edwards is a far more familiar name than Obama (though probably not as well known as “Osama,” two men CNN seems to consider interchangeable). In short, this race is Obama's for the taking.