Does anyone know why Obama decided to run for president this year?

I believe that there was a lot of "anyone but Clinton" sentiment going around and he and his advisers felt that he would have a better time of it having the momentum of anti-Clinton behind him.

You strike while the iron is hot. In this nation where we were craving leadership Obama was showing himself to be a man we could follow, who's judgement we could trust, who was right the first time.

We were so deprived of leadership that we rallied around him. Many people relied on hillary to be our next president, she had the inteligence, connections and background and she was an incredible Senator, but she lacked the charisma of a truely great leader.

People saw the leadership and were drawn to it. People like Oprah made a difference, you don't hear about her now much, but when she spoke about him on her show, that massive audience listened. Obama knew his oportunities would be there in 4 or 8 years, but Oprah wouldn't have her show then. So running this year would at worst introduce him to America, but intelligent people who advise him saw a real opportunity here and they were right.

He is only in his 40's and yes, we have had younger Presidents but just think, if he waited until he was 60 to run and failed, 8 years later he would be considered old.

Let's see, Lincoln was about his age when he ran for President and had served only 2 years in congress and that's pretty much it. Teddy Roosevelt was younger, and served only 1 year as a Governor when he ran for Vice president and 1 year later he swore in as President of the USA. The man actually ran for his second term at Obama's current age. JFK, pretty much the same story, a few more years in congress, but younger and the timing was ripe.

There was a huge upside, and very little downside, it's was a wise decision.

It's been shown pretty clearly that Senate experience makes it harder to become President, not easier. If he waited 8 years for Hillary to be done, there would be a mountain of Senate votes for the other Democrats and the Republicans to point out and destroy him with. No matter how good your record is, a Senate voting record kills you. That's why there hasn't been a Senator elected since Kennedy, even though lots get nominated. It's the unknowns who can introduce themselves to the public in the right way that get elected President. Bush and Clinton come to mind.

Simple answer: "Lightning in a bottle"

1) Obama had momentum from his great speech during Kerry's nomination (very much like Reagan's speech at Ford's nomination many years earlier).

2) His record as opposing the Iraq war got him instant credibility on what was the biggest issue at that moment

3) His change message resonated with voters early in the primary season when messages matter more than machines.

4) As a former community organizer he knew how organize helpers

All these factors aligned

Look.......every election year it's the same shell game..........

we pretend that "anyone" can run.......but in fact, the two candidates are hand picked by both parties well in advance, and the rest is all SHOW.

But the damnedest thing happened this time!!!!!

The republican Golden Boy, Rudi, came up lame, ----much to their suprise, and they were forced to go with someone else.

They tried to run Thompson up the flagpole, but no one was saluting.............

so as much as it chargrins them........they really had no choice but to go with the tried and true McCain.

Not that it matters, ------since the next President will be Democratic anyway.

That's the result of the ANTI-BUSH sentiment sweping the country at currently almost 80%.

Now as for the democrats.......a simliar story.....

Hilliary had the nomination and the nod from day ONE. Everyone else was just eye candy...............

but then , a funny thing happened..........one of the guys who was SUPPOSE to just stand there, and pretend he was a serious contender.........actually BECAME a serious contender!!!!!

People LIKED him. He was articulate.............quite refreshing after 8 years of Bush.

He could enunciate his words properly.......English teachers the world over, rejoiced!

and he was BLACK......holy cow...........who in their right mind expected THAT, the SAME year, we were ALSO running the first WOMAN ever????

wow! Talk about the year of CHANGE!!!!

BOTH ideas appealed to people.,......and we ended up with a real slug fest on our hands, and Hilliary's CAKE walk.......turned into a 15 round title bout.

and guess what? The no name challenger WON!!!!

Whoa!!!!!!! who is NOT impressed?

He just knocked ROCKY on her pantsuited butt.

Ya GOTTA admire that. ! He came from NOWHERE to steal the title!!!

It was an EXCELLENT bout and the better contender won.

End of story.

and that story will repeat itself in Nov.

I think Obama is running because he seen Arnold and Jesse in office. The envy was so over whelming, he wanted to show the world that a no body that lacks experience could make it to the top in the States. However, he misjudged one minor detail - Real Americans who will make a stand against democratic sloths such as him - McCain '08

A Chicago Tribune article claims that his team was prepping him for a run 2012 or 2016 but he was swept up in the media interest and the crowds at his book signings.

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There is no particular formula that "works".

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Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president had probably the least political experience of anyone who was elected to the presidency (only 2 years as a Representative), yet history remembers him as one of the greatest presidents.

James Buchanan, the 15th president, had probably the most political experience of any president (43 years) and history is does not remember him kindly.

The country is in a very bad shape here and abroad..times are getting out of hand and if a Democrat besides himself runs and gets elected he would have to wait a long time before running as the Democrat candidate who won will not be able to turn this country around in four or eight years..

so he probably was advised to run now..and strike when the Republicans are at there weakest with the current administration...

but with John McCain and an iffy vice president..and the Hilary supporters going amok...he will have to be very lucky to beat John McCain...it will be a close race..but its too soon to declare a forecast..

His connection in Chicago for one. And it is clear that some of the power brokers like Ted Kennedy in the party were pushing him on and have been grooming him for some time. I worry about his Chicago connections. We already know that some of them are not the sort that most of us would have over for dinner.

Well, first of all, i tnk being in his 40's is old enough 2 B president. I mean there is no young or old 2 B president, if they hav skillz 2 B 1!! Mayb u feel lyk he is too young because previous presidents were old.

Secondly, Obama decided 2 run for president this yr, Bcause he felt like america waz ready 4 changes:)

He had everything to gain, and nothing to lose (same as the rest of them)

The worst he could have done was to gain experience, and get any scandal out of the way

Nothing to do with Hillary, she was just collateral damage