Barack Obama

[Jake]

Yeah, that worked so well with John Kerry. Charisma/communication skills are much more important than experience when it comes to getting elected.

Experience is more important to actually preforming the job.

[Jake]

Obama would lose for much the same reasons as Kerry. The Republican nominee would push them off message by smearing them with distorted Senate votes, the same as Bush did with Kerry's Iraq War votes. It's very easy to do this to Senators and it would take a lot to keep the far left liberal tag from sticking to Obama, especially considering the company he's kept in his first Congress. Based on his Progressive Punch score, he's the 8th most liberal Senator (right there with Kennedy, Boxer, and Clinton) and he's comparatively about as liberal as Tom Coburn is conservative (this ignoring that the Progressive Punch ratings are designed to make the entire GOP caucus look like extremists).

[Jake]

Obama would lose for much the same reasons as Kerry. The Republican nominee would push them off message by smearing them with distorted Senate votes

Ummm, and I bet you don't think John McCain's 26 years of Senate votes will be a problem either?

McCain's image is already defined as moderate (whether or not that's the case), Kerry's wasn't, Obama's isn't.

The Democrat's best chance in 2008 is Bill Richardson. Pair him with a charismatic bottom of the ticket (Obama would work here) and the ticket can pretty much only be defeated by McCain.

[Jake]

How many years in national gov't did W have?  or Clinton? or Reagan? or Carter?

All had at least six years as Governor before taking office, three of them in some of the largest states in the country. Obama has two years serving in the Senate, four by the time he'd take office. No President, hell, no major party candidate for President has had less experience before taking office. Let Obama simmer in the Senate for at least one re-election campaign and see whether he actually is something more than charisma in a suit.