First Sign of Obama Mud

"Obama is an empty vessel. Not a Clintonesque figure in that he tries to appeal to all voters in some way but rather a welcoming icon who invites the voter to take something away and make it their own as far as how they view the man. Is this dishonest? Or is it great politics? . . .

"We see this dance by the media every four years. Bored with writing and talking about the same old faces, the media seeks out a darkhorse candidate and elevates him for a short while to prominence -- only to then amuse themselves by tearing him apart piece by piece once they've decided he is not worthy of all the glowing coverage.

"In Obama's case, there is the added significance of race to be considered. Will the Senator's blackness protect him from the usual smear tactics practiced by politicians from both parties?"

An intriguing question, given that we've never had a serious black contender for the presidency--or a serious female contender, for that matter.

John Podhoretz is skeptical of Obama and alludes to the Rezko matter:

"If you love Barack Obama, as almost everybody interested in U.S. politics does right now, ask yourself this simple question: What do you know about his opinions on any subject? . . .

"He is now the semi-official Rorschach Candidate of 2008.

"The Rorschach Candidate is the one who provokes enthusiasm not because of the positions he takes but because of who he is. He doesn't seem like a politician; he seems to be better than a politician -- fresh, new, different . . .

"A sitting senator, albeit one with only two years under his belt in Washington, he's already cast hundreds of votes -- and his votes suggest only that he is a down-the-line liberal Democrat with nothing remotely unconventional about him.

"Indeed, his close relationship with a crooked Illinois fund-raiser -- a relationship that will surely become clearer and more public if he runs -- suggests he is a conventional politician in another, more distressing way."

Power Line's Paul Mirengoff sees the senator as pretty left-wing:

"It is Obama's image as an eclectic (his self-description) candidate with substantial crossover appeal that makes him seem so attractive to many. The image has no basis in reality -- Obama is a pure left-liberal Democrat, and the next eclectic or moderate substantive position he takes is likely to be his first. But image can be nearly everything, and as long as he can cling to his present image, Obama has the potential to be formidable. Even with cheerleaders like Tim Russert, though, Obama can't maintain his current image while fighting to stay well left of Hillary Clinton, who undoubtedly will lurch leftward herself if it looks like she needs to.