Barack Obama for President?
Barack Obama for President?
By: Pam Cunningham
Moline, Illinois -- We begin with the road to the White House. The 2008 election is still a long ways off, but a number of candidates have already announced they're running.
Illinois Senator Barack Obama has not yet decided, but there's a lot of people behind him if he chooses to run. A group called "draft Obama" has been paying for commercial time in his home state of Hawaii. Now, the group is buying time in Iowa.
The "draft Obama" group is buying commercial time. And in another commercial venture, Obama has sold hundreds of thousands of copies of his book, Audacity of Hope. We asked local voters here at the library what they think of him as a potential presidential candidate.
Milton Johnson of Moline says, "He doesn't have the experience. We don't know where he stands. He's very elegant. He's very great. He's not ready, let's wait for the next time around."
Paul Reynolds, who was visiting family in Moline, disagrees with Johnson. He thinks Obama is a good choice. "He has a good shot because he's articulate, he has a positive attitude, he doesn't seem like he wants to be all negative like most politicians."
The local reaction to a Barak Obama presidential bid is mixed. Since he hasn't filed yet, one group is trying to encourage him and has bought time in Iowa.
Some would argue his book, Audacity of Hope is the beginning of a campaign.
Karen Stegh of Moline says if any candidate has a book, she would read them. "To give a person an idea of more of their philosophy, just to know more in general about them."
Obama's book has been on the New York Times best seller list for weeks. And locally it is on the Quad City Times best seller list too. But will that convince voters he should be president?
Irvine Sanderson of Fulton says, "There's a lot of people out there that got a lot more knowledge than he does, I'm not saying he wouldn't make it, he could, who knows who makes a good one."
Another possible presidential candidate is Hillary Clinton. Local voters were unsure of her candidacy.
Johnson says, "I don't trust her no more than I can throw a ball."
Stegh says, "I don't know at this time if we're ready for a woman candidate."
Senator Clinton released this month the 10th anniversary edition of her book, It Takes a Village. And whether comparing the candidates or their books, these voters feel the same about both.
Stegh says, "I think it would be good to read both of them."
Reynolds says, "I'd read Obama's book that's about it."
Johnson says, "If they want to write a book let them write a book."
We ask, "Are you gonna read it?"
Johnson continues, "No, heavens no."
At the Moline library, they've had Clinton's original version, It Takes a Village, since February 2004 and it is sitting on the shelf. On the other hand, Obama's Audacity of Hope has been at the library since October, it has been checked out three times and has a waiting list of 87 people.
Senator Clinton says she will make the decision on whether or not to run in the new year.
http://www.wqad.com/Global/story.asp?S=5872474
By: Pam Cunningham
Moline, Illinois -- We begin with the road to the White House. The 2008 election is still a long ways off, but a number of candidates have already announced they're running.
Illinois Senator Barack Obama has not yet decided, but there's a lot of people behind him if he chooses to run. A group called "draft Obama" has been paying for commercial time in his home state of Hawaii. Now, the group is buying time in Iowa.
The "draft Obama" group is buying commercial time. And in another commercial venture, Obama has sold hundreds of thousands of copies of his book, Audacity of Hope. We asked local voters here at the library what they think of him as a potential presidential candidate.
Milton Johnson of Moline says, "He doesn't have the experience. We don't know where he stands. He's very elegant. He's very great. He's not ready, let's wait for the next time around."
Paul Reynolds, who was visiting family in Moline, disagrees with Johnson. He thinks Obama is a good choice. "He has a good shot because he's articulate, he has a positive attitude, he doesn't seem like he wants to be all negative like most politicians."
The local reaction to a Barak Obama presidential bid is mixed. Since he hasn't filed yet, one group is trying to encourage him and has bought time in Iowa.
Some would argue his book, Audacity of Hope is the beginning of a campaign.
Karen Stegh of Moline says if any candidate has a book, she would read them. "To give a person an idea of more of their philosophy, just to know more in general about them."
Obama's book has been on the New York Times best seller list for weeks. And locally it is on the Quad City Times best seller list too. But will that convince voters he should be president?
Irvine Sanderson of Fulton says, "There's a lot of people out there that got a lot more knowledge than he does, I'm not saying he wouldn't make it, he could, who knows who makes a good one."
Another possible presidential candidate is Hillary Clinton. Local voters were unsure of her candidacy.
Johnson says, "I don't trust her no more than I can throw a ball."
Stegh says, "I don't know at this time if we're ready for a woman candidate."
Senator Clinton released this month the 10th anniversary edition of her book, It Takes a Village. And whether comparing the candidates or their books, these voters feel the same about both.
Stegh says, "I think it would be good to read both of them."
Reynolds says, "I'd read Obama's book that's about it."
Johnson says, "If they want to write a book let them write a book."
We ask, "Are you gonna read it?"
Johnson continues, "No, heavens no."
At the Moline library, they've had Clinton's original version, It Takes a Village, since February 2004 and it is sitting on the shelf. On the other hand, Obama's Audacity of Hope has been at the library since October, it has been checked out three times and has a waiting list of 87 people.
Senator Clinton says she will make the decision on whether or not to run in the new year.
http://www.wqad.com/Global/story.asp?S=5872474
posted by presgore19 at 8:15 PM
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