Run, Obama, Run.

And so it begins.

After Barack Obama's infamous comment on Oprah about considering a run for presidential candidacy, I have been waiting for the various pundits to build him an altar of support and then sacrifice him upon a pyre of criticism.

Richard Cohen, one of my favorite Washington Post columnists, discusses why he is interested in watching Barack Obama run:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/23/AR2006102301033.html

However, I was left a bit cold by some of the implications what he used in his analysis.

What was the purpose of Cohen stating that "staying out of jail" was apparently the only requirement to serve in the Illinois Senate? There may be some kind of shoddy track record with Illinois senators that I am unaware of - however, it is interesting that "staying out of jail" was the phrase used with a black candidate.

Also, Obama's age is offered as a reason why he will not be taken seriously. At 45 years old, Richard Cohen states "On the world stage, he would be a child." Ageist implications aside, it should be pointed out that two of our most revered presidents - John F. Kennedy and Theodore Roosevelt - were respectively 43 and 42 years of age when they stepped on to the world's stage.

(I also find it quite interesting that Cohen later compares one of Obama's speeches to one that JFK would have made - and yet the correlation between ages was never made.)

Cohen also analyzes how Obama's background would provide a much needed perspective on international diplomacy, and his strong record of consistently voting against the Iraq War .

The piece ends, and it seems that Cohen is interested in seeing Obama as a candidate - not because he believes Obama has a chance of winning the presidency and ushering in a wave of change, but because he believes that it would "sharpen the focus of the other candidates."

While Cohen is careful to avoid the issue of race in his analysis, I am left with the feeling if Obama was a promising young white candidate, Cohen would have hailed him as the savior of the Democratic Party. However, since Obama is a minority, it appears that he is no more than an interesting item to spur discussion amongst the real candidates.

Somehow, I feel as though this condescending tone from the mainstream news pundits is going to hold as long as Obama is considering running for presidential office. Apparently, Ellis Cose shares my sentiments - on MSNBC.com, he writes about "The Bradley Effect", describing a phenomenon where a black candidate led in the polls, but ultimately lost the election to the opposing white candidate. While discussing the potential election of Harold Ford Jr., which would make Ford "the first black senator since Reconstruction," Cose illuminates that challenges that black candidates face when appealing to a mostly white constituency.

Cose concludes his piece with:

Ford's entire career has been built on the assumption that we are indeed in a very different place than when Bradley loss his bid to become governor of California. It would be nice, and not only for Ford, if that assumption proves to be true.

Interestingly enough, Cohen also refers to a change in our country's collective consciousness, stating "For someone like [Obama] to be a presidential candidate -- maybe even president -- says oodles about this country."

Yes, it does make a statement about the changes in the American cultural landscape that Obama is able to hint at throwing his hat into the ring as a presidential contender, presumably without fear of unjust political persecution or an immediate assassination attempt.

And some would say that the somewhat muted reaction to the news means that America may be ready to seriously consider an African-American citizen to take the position to the highest government office in the land.

I believe a number of telling statements will be made by the American public if Obama makes a serious bid for the presidency. How will the Democratic majority react? Can they back a non-white candidate? Can white voters accept a non-white candidate as the President of the United States? Is the Democratic Party truly looking for a change in leadership, or is that just empty lip service? Every voter action, whether rejecting or affirming Obama's candidacy on several different levels, will present a clear statement about the current political and social climate of our nation. It is from these statements we can begin piecing together what statements America is making about what type of leadership they are looking for, and what factors are they looking for in a candidate.

All of this uncertainty is a fertile breeding ground for all the questions I raised above and more.

However, the most pressing question on my mind is: what is the statement that America will make back to Obama?