Obama Says No For ’08
Barack Obama has ruled out a run for the White House in 2008:
Who knows if this will end rampant speculation about the future of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), but for the record, he said Sunday he will not run for president in 2008 or accept an invitation to be tapped to run for vice president.
Obama told Tim Russert in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he thought he had closed the door about the possibility of a White House bid in 2008, but obliged his questioner with a statement that seems clear, simple and unequivocal.
“I will serve out my full six-year term,” Obama said. “You know, Tim, if you get asked enough, sooner or later you’re going to get weary, and you start looking for new ways of saying things. But my thinking has not changed.”
To clarify, Russert said, “So you will not run for president or vice president in 2008?”
Obama replied, “I will not.”
The interesting thing here is not the presidency; it is widely assumed that 2012 will be the earliest Obama will seek that office. The news is the vice presidency – it is also widely assumed that Obama would make a pretty irrestible choice for that office; that’s my view as well.
Of course, these disclaimers are par for the course – very few people actually admit they are running this early – and one doesn’t really ‘run’ for vice president these days; more often one is chosen, so multiple grains of salt are in order…
“Of course, these disclaimers are par for the course – very few people actually admit they are running these early…”
True, but even fewer are so direct and unequivocal. The time honored approach is to use the “I have no plans to run for the presidency (wait for it)… at this time.”.
I can only speak as someone who voted for the guy – won’t be surprised if he does run, but will not be happy about his inability to finish out his first term here. I suspect a lot of my fellow Illinoisans will feel likewise.
Why don’t we get Dickie “The Hack” Durbin to run instead – man, love to see that guy run outta here.
Oh, wouldn’t it be nice to vote for a Democrat like Obama! That is, given that in my home state of MA we will never have a serious Republican for whom we can vote. I suppose I could move to CT…
dmac: I am offcially envious.
I wouldn’t put on the green eye shades just yet, Too Many – he was taking moderate stances on most of the issues so far, but skirted the edge recently in defending Hillary’s “plantation” statements, then adding in a few more of his own. I’m hoping he felt that he had to do it because of his newfound stature, and to show fealty to his party.
And we’re still stuck with Nazi/Gulag/Guantanamo – doofus Durbin, who makes almost as many appearances on the Sunday talk shows these days as Schumer and Biden – what a bloviator. A lot of voters here had no idea what a long – time party hack he was during his local rep. days here in Chicago – but they’re getting a full taste of his idiocies these days.
Most of us hoped that Dickie was going to be more like Mayor Daley – a pragmatist above all. And just like in MA, the Repub. party here has been an official joke for many years now, with such deplorable tactics as running in Alan Keyes last time to challenge Obama. Pathetic.