Nicholas Kristof on Obama's electability

[ginnyinWI]

Saw this interesting article today from the NYT--was tempted to post in GD-P, but you know how that has been lately. Some really good points on how well Obama might do in the General:

“During extensive interviews in recent weeks in Republican-leaning states, Politico found widespread belief among current and former Democratic statewide officials that Obama is the more electable candidate with their electorates. These politicians also frequently registered a fear that Clinton’s personality and past history make her too polarizing to win independent and Republican-leaning voters.”

Another way of looking at electability is to wonder whether it’s more of a disadvantage to be black or to be female. Shirley Chisholm, the black woman who ran for president in 1972, argued in effect that there were more sexists than racists in America. “I met more discrimination as a woman, than for being black,” Ms. Chisholm once said.

snip

Moreover, Mr. Obama’s charisma has stood up surprisingly well since he first sprang upon the stage in 2004. Some old hands believe that if he casts a spell upon many voters in red states, it’s not because of some momentary dazzle, but because he truly possesses an exceptional and enduring political talent for connecting with independent voters.

“I’ve worked for three presidents and known two or three others,” said Michael Blumenthal, who started his public career under President Kennedy and served as Treasury secretary under President Carter. “And Obama is just about the only politician I’ve ever seen who compares to Jack Kennedy.”

whole article here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/07/opinion/07kristof.html?_r=1&oref=slogin