World's eyes on Obama: Pressing the flesh in Iowa, Dec. 22.

Journal du Dimanche au Quotidien, France

Barack Obama? ... Probably Not

"Is the United States ready to elect a Black president? In two centuries, only two Blacks have been elected governors. … If Obama does maintain his lead throughout this campaign, it will be because his case eases the very conscience of the country. … something really essential will have changed in the United States.

The Chronicle of Gilles Delafon

Translated By Pascaline Jay

December 23, 2007

France - Le Journal du Dimanche au Quotidien - Original Article (French)

Is the United States ready to elect a Black president? In two centuries, only two Blacks have been elected governors in the country. So President? … probably not.

Yet a week before the kickoff to the race for the White House, the Democratic senator from Illinois, Barack Obama, born of a Kenyan father, is favored in the polls. He now outstrips his rival Hillary Clinton in the state of Iowa, where the first primary will take place on January 3rd. [Actually, Iowa holds a caucus rather than a primary ]. He's also catching up in New Hampshire, where voters will decide on the 8th.

Better still, he's so far the only Democrat that can beat all of his potential Republican rivals on Election Day. This is the hour of Obama. With his freshness and his spirit of “openness,” he says that once elected, he's prepared to reach out to Republicans, such as Californian governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Prudence is called for, however. Iowa is an epiphenomenon blown out of proportion by hungry media pugilists. Barely 130,000 voters will decide these polls, and they are hardly determinative. Four years ago, Democrat Howard Dean was the odds-on-favorite in Iowa until he confronted maneuvering by supporters of John Kerry. [Most would argue it was Dean's famous "scream" and the reaction of the media that did him in  WATCH ].

Yet the case of Obama nevertheless highlights the obvious: the incapacity of Hillary Clinton - who has the best ground operation - to be loved by the vast majority. And it would be wrong to bury the most left-wing of the three, prophet John Edwards, too quickly. It's even too early to count out a Republican, for that matter. Believing that the mere rejection of George Bush would be sufficient to ensure victory for the Democrats is a risky bet. Republicans are now expressing tremendous enthusiasm for the Mormon, Mitt Romney, and the Baptist, Mick Huckabee.

But if Obama does maintain his lead throughout this campaign, it will be because his case eases the very conscience of the country. If he comes out a winner on the evenings of January 3rd and 8th, then something really essential will have changed in the United States.

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