You know it’s a slow news day when the top story of the day is: a freshman U.S. senator says he might for President in 2008. I’m betting that if Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) said he’s thinking about running for President, it wouldn’t be the top story of the day.

Barack Obama (D-IL) seems like a nice enough guy (for a liberal Democrat), but he doesn’t deserve the rock star status that he enjoys. Where did that come from? Did Oprah do it? Is it because he’s young and black? There are other respected young, black politicians who have a much more substantive background, but don’t get nearly the same attention. Congressman Harold Ford of Tennessee is an articulate, young black politician who has gained quite a bit of respect in congress, but lacks Obama’s star power.

Obama sprung on the national political scene like the second coming of the Beetles. Without doing anything, other than giving a “can’t we all get along” speech to the Democratic National Convention, he immediately took on Presidential status. He hasn’t been at the center of any major accomplishments or battles during his two years in the Senate. He was an unknown local politician before running for the Senate. He won an open seat after his Republican challenger got bogged down by a messy personal scandal and dropped out.

For some reason, the media adopted Obama as a political darling who just has to be president some day. He hasn’t paid any dues. He apparently doesn’t have to. He gets a free media pass to the front of the presidential line. All he has to do is say that he’s thinking of running and he is the top story of the day. Obama is purely a media creation.  He may one day demonstrate some substance, but so far, he’s nothing more than a shell of a politician, whom the media considers attractive for aesthetic reasons; he’s young, black and well-spoken, as if that is somehow unique and uniquely attractive.

If the elite media had their way, Obama wouldn’t have to campaign for President. They would just elevate him to the position as if it were rightfully his. Fortunately, it doesn’t work that way. If he actually does deserve the position, he’s going to have to earn it the old-fashioned way. Then we’ll see if he really has the right stuff. I’m not saying he doesn’t. I’m just amazed that so many in the elite national media require so little evidence. (Feedback)

Today’s Trivia Question

Japanese tourists often have to seek psychological help after visiting (where)?

a)      Pearl Harbor

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