Obama's Performance in New Hampshire: Election 2008

Barack Obama is a bona fide political star. He can deliver a rousing, crowd pleasing speech as good as anybody. In fact, he can do it better than most. Obama faces other serious contenders in the populist angling John Edwards and the pragmatic Hilary Clinton, both of whom have considerable star power. In the Democratic debates earlier this week in New Hampshire, the democratic candidates dug their claws into each other.

The real balancing act for the candidates at this point is to be careful to make it seem that you are clawing your way up instead of merely trying to claw the other candidates to death. After all, two of these people will be thrust together to run together for the highest office in the land.

The debate was pretty entertaining and was political theater at its best. I watched a tired-looking Obama veer from direct questions and keep his answers in the realm of the abstract. In what I saw, he talked a little about his experience as a community organizer and other political battles he had waged, but I found myself having a hard time grasping onto any actual claims of what he would do.

I had no problem hearing the "change" rhetoric that is standard Obama. I like hearing it and I like Obama. I think he is a great politician and has the ability to inspire. In domestic and international PR terms, I think he has a lot going for him. He also seems very sincere.

Still, I got the feeling that Obama was in a little over his head. He's not as experienced as Senator Hilary Clinton or even New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson (who doesn't have a sahara snowball's chance to win).

Today in New Hampshire, it is clear the John McCain is the winner. This is not completely surprising because historically he has down well in New Hampshire. He won the primary there in 2000 against George W. Bush.

Over on the democratic side, the race is very close between Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama. The race is neck and neck. One of the interesting things is that Obama has fared better than Senator Clinton with women in the state.

People want change and they want someone who can inspire them. Many people, young and old, are flocking to the support of the people who seem the most different and further outside of Washington. Ron Paul is perhaps the best example of this. His fundamental constitutional views and rhetoric are getting a lot of acclaim.

Barack Obama is very young and speaks in lofty rhetoric that gets people excited. One woman who watched one of his speeches said that Barack Obama has a "big, broad mind" and the ability to think things through and bring different groups of people to the negotiating table.

This is in part a reaction to the current administration that has effectively shut out a lot of the public's involvement in the political process.