Harper's, 2006: 'Barack Obama Inc.: The birth of a Washington machine'

[Newsjock]

http://www.harpers.org/archive/2006/11/0081275

... Already considered a potential vice-presidential nominee in 2008, Obama clearly has abundant political ambitions. Hence he is playing not only to voters in Illinois—a reliably Democratic and generally liberal state—but to the broader national audience, as well as to the Democratic Party establishment, the Washington media, and large political donors. Perhaps for this reason, Obama has taken an approach to his policymaking that is notably cautious and nonconfrontational. “Since the founding, the American political tradition has been reformist, not revolutionary,” he told me during an interview at his office on Capitol Hill this summer. “What that means is that for a political leader to get things done, he or she ideally should be ahead of the curve, but not too far ahead. I want to push the envelope but make sure I have enough folks with me that I’m not rendered politically impotent.”

The question, though, is just how effective—let alone reformist—Obama’s approach can be in a Washington grown hostile to reform and those who advocate it. After a quarter century when the Democratic Party to which he belongs has moved steadily to the right, and the political system in general has become thoroughly dominated by the corporate perspective, the first requirement of electoral success is now the ability to raise staggering sums of money. For Barack Obama, this means that mounting a successful career, especially one that may include a run for the presidency, cannot even be attempted without the kind of compromising and horse trading that may, in fact, render him impotent.

[Dawson Leery]

1. k/r

[gateley]

2. Interesting (for me) to go back and see what the predictions were about him in

2006. I wasn't aware of him then!

[somone]

3. The warning signs were there

[KT2000]

4. I remember that article

and they stressed that he was raising lots of money - even then.
I think I am beginning to understand his position.
He really does think that he is changing the dynamic in Washington. He is going after peace at any cost. He does not want the people to see the fighting so he keeps the fact that he is even negotiating secret.

He has separated himself from the public to achieve that goal. When he attacked both the Repubs and Dems he demonstrated that separation, which is why it will not work. His lone wolf style makes him a target for all sides.