BHO = JFK(x2)

It seems that these days you can't swing a dead porcupine without hitting a bunch of heated discussion on the topic of everyone's favorite senator from Illinois, Barack Obama, and his 2008 presidential ambitions. But if you're not in the habit of swinging dead porcupines, these are the facts:

Barack Obama is a multi-racial, charismatic, young, religious member of the Democratic party. He became an instant star after his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic convention, and later that year was elected senator in Illinois by 2/3 of the vote. He positions himself as an advocate of bi-partisanship, and has very broad support. He's from Hawaii. He looks moderate. He has a photogenic family. People love him. End of story.

These factors cause me to hereby declare The 1st Law of Obama-Dynamics: If Obama runs, Obama wins. The problem with this is that, despite appearances, Obama is not a moderate. He's a liberal. A very liberal liberal. He's more liberal than Hillary Clinton. And he does a really good job of hiding it.

For example, look at the "on the issues" section of his website. Something immediately stands out: there's no mention of his positions on hot-button issues like gay marriage, abortion, or the war in Iraq. Why? Probably because the site is still under construction, and states that more issues will be added soon. But the fact remains that Obama doesn't spend a lot of his time talking about these classic left-wing issues. Why? Because he takes the liberal (AKA polarizing) position on all of them. Although Obama himself doesn't deny this, he makes it very clear that he wants to bridge the gap between the religious right and the Democratic party by de-emphasizing these issues. By putting the most polarizing issues on the back burner and putting issues that are much less likely to make the religious right angry (decreasing poverty, improving education, etc) on the top of his list, Obama makes himself look like a viable choice for people on both sides of the political aisle.

In this speech, Obama discusses his view on religion and politics. If you want to understand Obama, I suggest you read it. His liberal views come out very clearly, but at the same time he suggests that the far left rethink their view of the religious right. Instead of treating Christians like a bunch of ignorant fanatics, he calls democrats to respect religion in the public square, acknowledge it's power to transform hearts, and to embrace the things that liberals and religious conservatives agree on. I don't think rhetoric like this is going to win over any Christians at the very, very far-right of the political spectrum, but for the more moderate "values voters", this kind of thing could really make an impact.

In addition to all of this, the Republican party really isn't having a good time right now with it's public relations. We have an unpopular Republican president who primarily serves as a punching bag for comedians, a very unpopular war started by the aforementioned president, and ethics scandals among prominent Republicans in the house and senate. It's not a good time to be a Republican. And if the Republicans lose in the upcoming '06 elections, it could be the beginning of the end for Republican power. This is yet another factor that could lead to an Obama victory in '08.

And of course, there's also the factor of every TV journalists favorite group of people: the moderates and the "swing voters". This is a category that Obama could easily sweep in a presidential election. Think of him as a black John F. Kennedy. He's a young, eloquent politician with two adorable kids. People love that kind of thing. With his broad appeal and rhetoric of unity, the "undecided vote" is almost certainly going to decide in favor of Obama.

This makes the million dollar question on everyone's mind: is Obama going to run? So far, the answer is no. But every time the question is brought to him, the answer becomes less of a firm no, and more of a weak yes. Recently, when a reporter for TIME magazine asked him if he would consider running after the '06 elections are over, he stated: "When the election is over and my book tour is done, I will think about how I can be most useful to the country and how I can reconcile that with being a good dad and a good husband." In other words, he's probably going to run.

So, essentially, this is the breakdown:

1. Obama is a liberal member of the Democratic party, and has strong support from his base. To members of the Democratic party, he's a rock star. Obama gets 100% of the liberal vote.

2. Obama is charasmatic, eloquent, and a family man. The Republican party is now associated with corruption and failure. To moderates and swing voters, he's also a rock star. Obama gets 99.9% of the "in the middle" voters.

3. Obama treats conservatives like humans instead of dangerous animals. Obama often uses Christian rhetoric, and appears to be a man of integrity. In the midst if Republican failure, Obama may look like a welcome alternative. To conservatives, he may not be a rock-star, but he's still a respected guitar soloist. Obama gets 30% of the conservative vote.

If this guy runs in '08, the Republican party's chances could easily go down in flames. But hopefully, out of the ashes of the Republican party, the NEBRASKA PARTY, like the phoenix of legend, will rise, more glorious than ever before, uniting the religious right with it's rhetoric of hope, morality, reform, and Nebraskan prosperity! Viva La Corn Revolution!