The Tom Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, IA yesterday was Barack Obama's coming out party as a national candidate for higher office. Whether that campaign is for President or Vice President in 2008 or 2012 is still up in the air -- but there's no doubt after watching Obama aggressively work the Iowa faithful (and dropping a bit of news that he has some staffers working for Iowa candidates this fall) that Illinois' junior Senator plans to play on the national stage very soon.
His speech didn't come close to the soaring heights of his 2004 keynote at the Democratic National Convention. A strange amalgam of high-minded rhetoric and red meat stumping, the speech had some powerful moments and great lines. Perhaps the best was Obama saying that the war on terror has become a war fought between September and November in even numbered years. But like other rhetorical high points, Obama fouled the line off and only seemed comfortable with his oldest material.
To the Iowa faithful, though, a B+ Obama sure beats anything else they have to listen to on a beautiful fall day. And given the droning boredom of rhetoric filling the mouths of Iowa Dems -- no doubt straight from Washington consultant labs -- Obama's star power alone was enough to carry the day and inspire Obama '08 petitions and t-shirts.
The only open 2008 aspirant on hand was former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner who spoke for two minutes and worked the crowd. Coming on the heels of his own pig roast Saturday in Virginia -- another fabled annual political affair -- Warner seemed a bit tired yesterday... Perhaps the high cholesterol weekend
took a toll.
Other odd sights... What on earth was GOP focus group maven Frank Luntz doing at this event, wearing a "wake up Wal-mart" sticker? And could someone please buy poor Joe Trippi a nice two year tropical vacation so that he can rest up and stay away from his drug of choice? Joe kept proclaiming he wasn't interested in the 2008 race, but his presence made his words hard to believe. Take care of yourself, Joe, and stay off the junk.
-- Guest contributor Dan Conley is a former speechwriter for Viginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.
September 18, 2006
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