Here's what I'm saying about Obama. Obamas are, quite frankly, a dime a dozen in the Democratic party. Everybody knows that it could have been Harold Ford. Everybody knows that it could have been Corey Booker. Either of them would have electrified black voters equally well and neither of them, from my perspective, is an order of magnitude less qualified.
But McCains in the Republican Party are extraordinarily rare, and if he doesn't get the nomination, the wingnuts are going to maintain their stranglehold. It really has gotten to the point at which Republicans are exhibiting McCain Derangement Syndrome. They are mouthing 'McCain Feingold' like pinkos mouth 'Haliburton', and most of them couldn't name one provision of that McCain Feingold bill. McCain's popularity is driving the wingnuts absolutely batty. Ann Coulter is the first of many to fly off the handle.
I look at Obama like found money. He's already made his impression. I don't have a psychological need for him to be anything more than a good senator from Illinois. As far as I'm concerned, he has yet to fill the shoes of the late great Paul Simon. And no I don't think he is as good as Doug Wilder, or Mickey Leland, or Ron Brown or Hazel O Leary, or Condi, or Togo West.
In fact, let's count them off. Only a few of these are dead, and perhaps that's not fair, but they're not long dead. Again, I'm not necessarily saying that they would be electable, I'm just looking at raw talent.
Mickey Leland: Smarter
Charlie Rangel: No comparison
Togo West: No comparison.
Colin Powell: No comparison
Joycelyn Elders: Ballsier
Hazel O'Leary: Smarter, Better Administrator
Ron Brown: Classier, more influential
Willie Brown: More Powerful
Harold Washington: More charismatic, tougher
Doug Wilder: Classier, tougher
Harold Ford: More Experienced
Shirley Chisom: Gutsier, Smarter
Condi Rice: Craftier, Smarter
Edward Brooke: Tougher, Classier
Michael Steele: Because I said so.
Now here are the guys I think who are roughly in the same class as Obama, and they are no slouches.
Corey Booker, David Dinkins, Richard Hatcher, William Gray III, Diane Watson, Yvonne Burke, Harold Ford, Alexis Herman, Deval Patrick, JC Watts, John Conyers.
I'm sure there are people I have overlooked.
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