There is no doubt: Barack Obama is intelligent, dynamic, charismatic, articulate, and progressive. The junior senator from Illinois is authentic. He is values-driven. And he resonates. The Great Black Hope for all of America (or, at least, 50.1 percent)? Perhaps. But I was a bit disappointed by the declaration he released announcing he has formed an exploratory committee for a presidential campaign. It was...bland.

The short statement--which a tie-less Obama read in a video posted on his campaign website--focused on vague uber-themes. He noted the country hungers for "a different kind of politics" and called for all Americans to come together for the common good: "A change in our politics can only come from you; from people across our country who believe there's a better way and are willing to work for it." Spoken like a true former community organizer--a resume item much to his credit. But he had little to say about policy specifics and what Americans should be organizing for. He added, "it's not the magnitude of our problems that concerns me the most. It's the smallness of our politics. America's faced big problems before. But today, our leaders in Washington seem incapable of working together in a practical, common sense way. Politics has become so bitter and partisan, so gummed up by money and influence, that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions." As for the Iraq war, he had only one sentence: "And we're still mired in a tragic and costly war that should have never been waged." At some point, he will have to say much more on this front.

Yes, this is only a statement announcing the formation of an exploratory committee. Obama said that on February 10 he will reveal whether he will actually run for president. (An exploratory committee lets him raise funds without making a full commitment.) But this was a moment to draw attention to ideas (or a vision) that goes beyond a desire for communal, post-partisan politics.

Obama has done a fine job up to now of playing the right music for a presidential run. Soon he will have to lay down the lyrics.

Posted by David Corn at January 16, 2007 04:32 PM