Why Obama should run

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Over at MyDD, Matt Stoller makes a good case for why Obama should run (and he may). It's not that he supports Obama, it's just that "we need his voice in the fray".

There's a lot not to like about Obama, particularly his "strong disdain for progressives" and his "sickening praise of Bush". So why should he run? "For the Democratic Party, we would be able to engage our hero in a debate over policies and ideas, and we'd be able to take him down off a pedestal and actually grapple together with common challenges. That would make us as a party stronger. For the country, all Americans would be able to move beyond the rock star persona, and get to the substance, and that would be good. Public debate is better than rock star adulation."

Well put. I'm not sure I'd support Obama, particularly in '08, but it would certainly be interesting to have him in the race. (And there is the Veep spot, after all.)

For more, see Crooks and Liars, which has the video of Obama's appearance on Meet the Press yesterday.