Michelle Obama has told CBS' "Early Show" that Barack is still the "underdog" in this race -- and that he will be, until he's sitting in The White House. In her words, she also added:
"[A] guy named Barack Obama, who is a young, beginning-to-be-known candidate, is always an underdog . . . That's how we've spent the last twenty months, really being reminded of of how long a shot this has been."
The quote reminds me of her comments earlier last spring, when she said:
"[I]n this ever-shifting, moving bar, Barack Obama will always be the underdog. No matter how much money he raises, no matter how many wins he pulls together, no matter how many delegates he accumulates; he is still the underdog. It's the way it works."
Now, just for a dose of reality for Mrs. Obama. Her husband has been lauded as the Messiah; benefited from the most fawning coverage bestowed on a presidential candidate, at least since JFK; is running in the most Democrat-favorable electoral environment, at least since Watergate; has raised more funds than any presidential candidate ever; has become a worldwide celebrity; and is spending an unprecedented amount of money running negative ads about his opponent.
And all of it has come to a man who has nary a significant legislative accomplishment to his name -- and no real professional accomplishments, aside from having published two memoirs about himself. In my world, that's a pretty darn sweet deal.
Yet in her world, they're still "underdogs." It's hard to see what, short of being coronated by acclamation, would convince her that they're not victims.
Are there racists out there? Of course, sadly. But at this point, Gallup reports that Obama's race may actually be a slight positive for him. So please, spare us all the comments about his "funny name."
For once, it would be nice to see Mrs. Obama actually seem happy and grateful for the overwhelmingly positive reception that her husband's candidacy has received, both at home and abroad. Maybe she's very different in person, but from her interviews, she projects the sense that resentment -- rather than appreciation -- is her default mode.
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