Dear Joe,
Go back to 1960 when the questions abounded about whether Jack Kennedy had sufficient gravitas to run for president following the candidacies of Adlai Stevenson and General Eisenhower; both towering figures in post war America.

Very few view George W. Bush, Richard Cheney, Bill Clinton, John Kerry, Bob Dole and George H. Bush as larger than life statesmen.

Why the new standard for Obama? Didn't the John Kennedy nomination and election establish that a different standard is not only possible but desirable?
Richard Sheir
Montpelier, Vermont

JOE KLEIN: I think it may well be time for a new generation of leadership—we baby boomers certainly haven't been very good at it—but given the country's problems, I'm going to be holding all the presidential candidates to a higher standard this year. Here's the standard: If you aren't straight with us about the sacrifices we're going have to make to get the country back on track, I'm not going to take you seriously. My guess is, if he runs, Obama will meet that standard.

Dear Joe,
Could you please tell me just what has Sen. Obama ever done for the country other than give a grand speech in front of the democrats? Are they so desperate to find a junior senator whose name even Kennedy cannot even pronounce, to run this nation? I just don't get it — don't they want Hillary or Chris Dodd?
Pat Walter
Oyster Bay, NY

JOE KLEIN: So what did George W. Bush do for the country when he ran in 2000—other than have the same name as the last Republican president?

Dear Joe,
Are you willing to make a prediction that Obama will be our first black president?
Gil Thibault
Laguna Beach, CA

JOE KLEIN: No. I don't make those sorts of predictions. But he sure does have a very good shot.

Dear Joe,
My class is studying Mr. Obama. They recently learned of his current influence and vast possibilities. What are some of his views of academia and the possibility that educational systems are failing students?
Willa Turk-Domio
Jacksonville, FL

JOE KLEIN: Obama has had a lot to say about education. I suggest you contact his office for the details.

Dear Joe,
As a native Illinoian and a life-long democrat, what has Obama occomplished for the people of Illinois & the USA? Are we voting for the president or a prom king? BS does not get the job done as Clinton demonstrated. Hillary & Obama in '08 and 8 more years of the GOP. For starters compare Obama's accomplishments with the governor of PA. There are many good and accomplisned dems in the US. A pretty face is not enough, but many people will take looks and BS over substance most of the time. Could Truman even get the nomination today?
Bob Phelps
Baltimore, MD

JOE KLEIN: You're right about Obama's relative lack of experience—an important consideration, especially on national security matters. And yes, I've always believed that Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell would be a great candidate for President—and double yes with an excalamtion point: we need a plain-speaker like Harry Truman to run the country in this difficult time. But the model here is another relatively inexperienced U.S. Senator who was the first of his generation to seek the presidency in a difficult time—John F. Kennedy. Given his talents, Obama may have the ability to play in that league. We'll see...

Dear Joe,
Senator Obama appears to be a calm politician, (he won't ruffle feathers). In the chance he seeks the presidential election, I feel he will need some coaching and mentoring from senior political figures, will he get that development?
Joann Kern
Chicago, IL

JOE KLEIN: He seems pretty humble about what he knows and what he doesn't—so, yes, I expect he'll be in the market for mentors.

Mr Klein,
Do you think that B. Obama has a true and coherent political vision, like Blair and Clinton in their prime, or is it just charisma?
Pierre-Simon Gutman
Paris, France

JOE KLEIN: Too early to tell—but he has the sort of mind that enables him to take apart issues, break them down to their essentials and then come up with coherent solutions. Whether this will translate into a coherent governing philosophy—aside from that good old American standby, pragmatism—is difficult to know at this point.

Dear Joe,
I can relate to Mr. Obama in the sense that while being liberal, there are often no absolutes, and therefore there are times when you must leave one sliver of yourself open to hear the other side and continue seeking truth where possible. I believe that Americans are starved for someone to be themselves; to "strip" themselves naked before the American people no matter how revealing that skin might be. After Clinton and Bush we want truth, and we need reality from our leaders in a time where "reality TV" seems to make fools of us as a nation. My question is this: Do you think from your time with Mr. Obama that he senses that our population could find this approach necessary and refreshing, and that he is tapping into that? Or do you feel that he is being politically naive in his approach to politics thus far, but does not care, and only cares about being his true self. This is a poorly phrased question so I understand if it cannot be posted, but I would love a response perhaps to my email if that is the case. Thank you, Sir.
Stephen Hanley
Massapequa Park, NY

JOE KLEIN: I guess you're asking if his approach is calculated—that is, a consequence of his reading of the political mood—or natural. My response is that it's probably a bit of both. If you read his first book—Dreams From My Father—it seems clear that Obama's natural tendency is to weigh all the options before acting. But I also sense that he sees this as an antidote to the current hyper-partisanship. I don't think it's naïve, but I'm also not sure that it'll work...although, for the good of the country, I hope it does. We certainly need a quieter, saner approach to politics.

Dear Joe,
I enjoyed your article. Is Senator Obama positioning himself as a potential vice presidential candidate on a Hillary/Obama ticket or Gore/Obama team in 2008 since he is still a newcomer to the national scene?
John Johnson
New York, N.Y.

JOE KLEIN: Obama would have to be considered as a potential V.P. whether or not he runs for president. If he runs, I'd guess he'll be running because he thinks he has a good chance to win.

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