Obama is running!

Barack Obama has just announced he is seeking the Democratic candidacy (sell technically setting up a committee but same thing in a couple of weeks) for President of the United States of America.

This will lead to a worried Hillary Clinton announcing her candiacy in the near future.

I think Obama has the potential to be a very good President of the United States. However a mere four years in the Senate is not enough experience, and 2008 is too early for him. If he doesn’t get the nomination, choosing him as the VP candidate would be a very smart move as it could lift black turnout by 5% – 10% or so.

If he does not blot his copybook I suspect he will become President in 2012 or 2016.

Official candidates to date now are:

Democrats

* Senator Joe Biden of Delaware
* Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut
* Former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina
* Former Senator Mike Gravel of Alaska
* Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio
* Former Governor Tom Vilsack of Iowa
* Senator Barack Obama of Illinois

Republicans

* John H. Cox of Illinois
* Michael Charles Smith of Oregon