Obama-mania Explained

Rarely is the right and left Cheddarsphere so united--united, in fact, with right and left elements of Wisconsin's "mainstream media"--as they are now over one question: Barack Obama--what's up with that?

Obama was in town the other day hawking both his book and Democrats running for office, and, as Anne Q swooned for him, voices from all over wondered, sometimes in mock exasperation, what the big deal could possibly be. Well, the answer is simple, and I'll give it to you in two words:

Harold Ford, Jr.

Okay, I realize that that's two words and an abbreviation, but hear me out.

In 2003, even into 2004, there was a ton of talk among the comments sections in the national liberal blogs about Harold Ford, Jr., being an ideal candidate for Vice President in 2004. Those discussions always seemed to end with someone--often me--pointing out that by innauguration day 2005, Ford would still have been only 34 years old, ineligible to hold the post.

But Ford has what Obama has--they are both young, attractive, moderate, light-skinned African-American men. This excites just about everyone in the Democratic Party.

You see, the only reason Democrats have been losing nationally is because our candidates have been too white. Or, the only reason Democrats have been losing nationally is because our candidates have been too old. Or, the only reason Democrats have been losing nationally is because our candidates have been too ugly. Or, the only reason Democrats have been losing nationally is because our candidates have been too liberal. Or, the only reason Democrats have been losing nationally is because our candidates have been too northern (Ford only)/ not religious enough (Obama only).

In other words, whatever particular diagnosis any given pundit or blogger may have made to explain away the Democratic Party's national woes in the last several elections, Ford (in 2003) and Obama (today) are the cure. And we really would like to heal our woes, so when we see a cure, we grab onto it with both hands and start gobbling it up.

So the next time Eugene Kane or Patrick McIlheran or your favorite blogger asks, "What's the deal with Obama?" just tell them he's the cure du jour for what's ailing the Dems. By 2008, assuming he runs, which I kind of doubt, we may well be onto something else (perhaps middle-aged, maverick, short, Jewish men, eh, Russ?) as our national obsession.