Obama the "Risky" Candidate

Have you ever been at work and your boss says, "we have a consultant coming in to look at how we can change what we are doing for the better"? Remember the first thought in you mind? Was it: Oh no, am I going to lose my job? Did you think: Change why do we need to change? Did you resist the change because you knew from experience that it just would not work?

Well it seems that the "Change" candidate is morphing into the "Risky" candidate. Change is difficult at best and catastrophic at worst. Remember when you changed your hairdresser or barber. When you changed your mechanic of 20 years. When you changed to a new doctor. When you changed grades in school. Scary wasn't it.

Americans are now looking at Obama as the candidate whose change we don't want, or don't understand, which is even scarier.

According to a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll over half of American whites consider presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama as a "risky" choice for the White House, whereas two-thirds believe McCain as a "safe" pick, a new survey has revealed. The July survey showed that over half of Whites called 46-year-old Obama a "risky" choice for the top post, while two-thirds said McCain is a "safe" pick.

Given all the media fawning over Obama, the large crowds he draws, and the great press he has been getting Gallop reports today that the race is a dead heat: Obama 46% and McCain 44%, all within the margin of error.

The only answer for this is people are looking at the "messiah" and seeing he is not wearing any clothes. They are tiring of his change message and asking change what? Change who? Change me?

Charles Krauthammer asks, "has there ever been a presidential nominee with a wider gap between his estimation of himself and the sum total of his lifetime achievements?" Is this the man we want to put in charge of changing all of us?

A Wall Street Journal/NBC New poll found, "When voters were asked whether they could identify with the background and values of the two candidates, 58% said they could identify with Sen. McCain on that account, while 47% said the same of Sen. Obama. More than four in 10 said the Democratic contender doesn't have values and a background they can identify with."

"Obama is going to be the point person in this election," says pollster Peter Hart, a Democrat who conducts the Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll along with Republican Neil Newhouse. "Voters want to answer a simple question: Is Barack Obama safe?"

Patti Carr, 59 years old, of Collierville, Tenn., outside Memphis, says she voted for Democrats Bill Clinton, Al Gore and John Kerry. But she isn't yet sold on Barack Obama. His experience is giving her pause.

"I see Obama as a very nice person but I don't believe he has the experience at this time to be president," she says. "He's new, he's young and he still has a lot to learn, I believe." She leans for now toward Sen. McCain, but is open to persuasion.

Riki Frank, 44, a graphic artist and stay-at-home dad from Auburn, Wash., leans toward Sen. Obama, but hesitates because of his personal background.

"I'm a white-bread American. I was raised in Iowa. I got the Midwestern work ethic," says Mr. Frank. "He's a black man. His name -- is unique. It's definitely not a Catholic name. He's kind of way off the pattern of the norm of what I grew up with. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Just because I can't relate to the person doesn't mean it's a bad thing."

"I just don't think we're ready for a black president," says Donna Bender, 62, of Oshkosh, Wis., a retired credit clerk and registered Democrat. "I'm prejudiced."

So I ask again, Is Obama the "risky" candidate? More and more Americans are beginning to think so.