President Obama?

Having done just about everything that the DSCC (Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee) has asked him to do – like traveling to 20 or 30 states this year to drum-up support for Democratic candidates, Junior Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) is quietly wondering about his answer to something that has become the million dollar question for the 2008 Presidential election:

Will he (Obama) run?

Currently in the midst of a national tour to tout his new book, “The Audacity of Hope,” Obama has been quietly examining whether to run for president in 2008 or not while at the same time reaching out to Democratic operatives and measuring the effect of a presidential run would have on his wife and children.

According to an article published in today’s Chicago Tribune entitled “Obama dips toe in 2008 waters” (online subscription needed), Sen. Obama has been “constantly calling” Democratic Strategist (and Al Gore’s 2000 campaign manager) Donna Brazile and “checking the water.”

Brazile went on to say that Obama has “gotten the presidential bug bite," and that she is scheduled to talk politics with Obama shortly after next month’s Mid-terms.

Adding fuel to the speculation fire, Time magazine devoted a cover story in recent weeks with the headline "Why Barack Obama Could Be the Next President."

Sure, Obama has been pussyfooting around any questions about a possible presidential bid since arriving in the Senate two years ago and for the last few months he has remained focused solely on helping the Democrats obtain a majority in the House and Senate in next month’s elections.

End of story, right?

Well… not so much.

Let’s look at what could be the most telling piece of evidence of his shifting thoughts, a vague, and yet still encouraging, statement that he gave when someone asked him if he would think about a run for the presidency after the November elections:

“When the election is over and my book tour is done, I will think about how I can be most useful to the country and how I can reconcile that with being a good dad and a good husband. … I haven't completely decided or unraveled that puzzle yet."

Sure, there will always be the chatter about his “lack of experience”, but I tend to agree with Huffington Post scribe Richard Greene, who stated: “It should be remembered that there was a rather young Governor with zero national or international experience who made the argument that one could and would surround themselves with people of great experience in those areas.”

And he did a damn good job… stories of cigars and red dresses notwishstanding.

Can’t we have the same hope for Obama?

I do...