But as I stood on the floor of the convention as Obama was speaking I had the distinct sense that, a half-mile or so from where I remember seeing Edward Kennedy claiming victory on primary night 1962, a star was born. Barack Obama at this moment has no Republican opponent in his Senate race (because nominee Jack Ryan withdrew after the Chicago Tribune and WLS obtained his divorce records) and, whoever the Republicans nominate, seems likely to be elected easily. (Axelrod does not disagree that he will carry the Collar Counties around Chicago, the most Republican part of the state.) At 43, he has many years of a political career ahead of him (though not as many as Edward Kennedy had in 1962). Most Americans, as you can see from the polls showing Colin Powell ahead of everybody in 1995 and 1996, would like nothing so much as to elect a consensus-minded, obviously able African-American as their president.
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Given the broadcast blackout, and the likelihood (I write without knowing this for sure) that the cable news channels covered only parts of his speech, Obama will not immediately enjoy the huge upward boost in American politics he would have gotten if, as in the old days, his speech was fully covered. But he clearly has the political skills to be a serious national candidate. And as an senator from Illinois, of African-American descent, he is hardly likely to be completely ignored. The selection of John Edwards as a vice presidential nominee insured Hillary Rodham Clinton a serious competitor for the Democratic presidential nominee in either 2008 or 2012. The keynote speech of Barack Obama insures any other Democrat who wants to be president in the next 20 or so years of a serious competitor in his or her race. The old-line broadcast networks may not have been watching Tuesday night but, as one star born 42 years ago delivered his somewhat disappointing valedictory speech in national politics, another star was born.
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