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As the scores from Super Tuesday become finalized, what has become clear is that Obama now emerges as a powerful challenger to Hillary Clinton. Particularly with the departure of Edwards, Obama has proven that he can win in every corner of this country and even attract mass appeal in rural and conservative regions. The significance of this fact should not be lost upon anyone, for Obama, a multi-racial candidate with a Muslim sounding name, this is no easy feat. It is all a testament to the image and theme that his campaign and candidacy has been able to cultivate. Obama's popularity amongst White and conservative voters note a dramatic departure from previous Black contenders for the presidency, who were primarily drawn from careers focusing exclusively on civil justice issues. Obama's popularity justifies the argument that he may have successfully shifted from the role of the "Black" candidate to the candidate who just happens to be Black. I have been perusing a large number of blogs lately, including a large proportion of conservative blogs. What has struck me has been the surprising support and admiration that many conservative white males feel towards Obama. In great contrast, there is uniform antagonism towards Hillary Clinton. What, I believe, has generated this positive publicity has been the tone of the Obama campaign from the beginning. It has been a tone about change and self-renewal. Instead of being focused on demonizing the opponent, or attacking the Republican party, the Obama campaign has maintained a consistent theme of unity, of a shared sense of pride as Americans and a shared future destiny regardless of what background you hail from. Obama possesses a certain charisma that allows him to connect and relate to the audience, regardless of who or what they are. Lastly, from what I've gathered, Obama has the special ability to make all Americans proud of this country again, whether they are liberals or conservatives. This is a very important point and should not be underestimated. Whatever happens from here, one thing is sure, Hillary will need to put in all she's got to maintain her front runner position.
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