Black Box Report

So today was yet another iconic moment for barrack Obama. Instead of "yes we can", nearly a quarter million Germans heard the senator tell them "this our time." The elements have grown familiar; a moving backdrop, standing room only crowds, rousing address and then thunderous applause. His campaign is responsible for almost every indelible moment in this neverending election season, he's running at a time when the public is thirsting for change, his opponent is saddled with an unpopular president and war, and is, even by his own supporters admission, not exactly inspiring.

So why, if he's so hot and McCain anything but, is this race still a race? The Wall Street Journal put it best: “Midway through the election year, the presidential campaign looks less like a race between two candidates than a referendum on one of them -- Senator Barack Obama.”

The polls back it up; the latest numbers show Obama up six points, same as a month ago. And interestingly, by a two to one margin, voters are focused on what kind of a president Obama would be compared to McCain.

What I want to know is, what are they waiting for? I get the experience issue; two years ago the guy was going to work in Springfield, but what experience is actually a strong suit for McCain? Stay the course in Iraq? I can't see people lining up for that bumper sticker. Is it the color thing, or the unfamiliar name? I'm sure some people still get freaked out by a black guy in the oval office, and others still buying the smear campaign centered around Obama’s full name and the scary connotations they try to evoke, but that's not enough to explain why this race doesn't have a double digit spread.

The only thing I can think of is that people look at Obama like the new kid in school. So far he's friends with everybody from the jocks to the geeks, but a lot of the student body still isn't sure. Is he too good to be true or is he a breath of fresh air that every school, and country, needs?

His speech in Germany may be another step in convincing the skeptical but I think, for many, he still has a long way to go.