An exhausted Barack Obama, who worked overtime to fan the flames of celebrity in his Democratic U.S. Senate campaign, spent his first day as senator-elect Wednesday struggling to downplay his political star power and the great expectations that flow from it.
Obama has not yet served a single day in the Senate. But he is already the focus of intense speculation about presidential aspirations thanks to a blowout victory Tuesday over Republican Alan Keyes that will make Obama the Senate’s only African-American member.
On Wednesday, Obama declared flatly that he would not run on a national party ticket in 2008–and he lectured reporters to stop asking him about it.
Instead, the 43-year-old Democrat from Hyde Park stressed repeatedly that his only goals as a freshman senator would be to deliver a better standard of living for the voters of Illinois and figure out how to navigate the Capitol.
“I am not running for president. I am not running for president in four years. I am not running for president in 2008,” said an emphatic Obama, still battling the remnants of a cold and operating on two hours of sleep, as he met with reporters in his Loop campaign office.
“Come on guys, the only reason I am being definitive is because until I am definitive, you will keep asking me this question. It’s a silly question,” he added. “Guys, I am a state senator. I was elected yesterday. I have never set foot in the U.S. Senate. I have never worked in Washington. And the notion that somehow I am going to start running for higher office, it just doesn’t make sense.
“My understanding is that I will be ranked 99th in seniority. I am going to be spending the first several months of my career in the U.S. Senate looking for the washroom and trying to figure out how the phones work.”
While Obama had scoffed at such White House talk during his campaign by calling it “media hype,” he did little behind the scenes as a candidate to discourage such speculation. On Wednesday, he said the hype needed to be “corrected.”
Democrats did well in Illinois on Election Day, but that was an exception to the national trend. With John Kerry failing to unseat President Bush and Democrats losing ground in Congress despite Obama’s win, party leaders and the media will be ever more tempted to focus on Obama as someone with potential to fill the Democratic leadership void.
“No,” said David Axelrod, Obama’s lead campaign consultant, “I don’t think we’re trying to dampen expectations. We’re trying to douse them. We’re trying to pour as much water as we can find on them. We don’t want even a smoldering ember when it comes to this. It’s just not healthy for him.”
Obama spent his first morning as senator-elect briefly shaking hands outside Union Station during the rush hour. But most of it was consumed by granting interviews to a broad range of national and local media–something that will do very little to deflate the buzz he says he doesn’t want.
Lowering his media profile could prove a double-edged sword for Obama, whose clout as a Senate newcomer would largely derive from the breadth of his public following.
Obama declined to dwell on his political future, saying that he and others in his party are still “trying to assess the landscape after what was admittedly a tough night for Democrats.”
Democrats were already in the minority in the Senate before Tuesday, and the Republican grip on the chamber grew even stronger. Indeed, not only did Democrats lose four seats overall in the Senate, but they lost their minority leader with the defeat of U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle of South Dakota.
This dynamic will make it more difficult for Obama to move forward on his legislative wish list, which is topped by broadening health-care coverage to more people, especially poor children.
With Bush in the White House, Obama said he might be forced to modify his health-care ideas. He might now push forward with his proposal to offer tax credits to businesses for providing better health insurance, or allowing businesses to save money by joining a government-run insurance pool.
Obama stayed true to his message of building bridges between the parties. He said his first priority would be to travel the state, seeking advice from both Democrats and Republicans on what issues matter to them. As part of that effort, he is planning a five-day tour of the state next week.
Obama captured not just national but international attention in scoring his big victory. In Kenya, where his father was a well-known politician and where election returns of the race were announced over the radio, the president sent his congratulations along.
“You have proved to be a role model not only for the American youth but the many young people in Kenya and indeed in Africa who have been following your campaigns, that exhibited a high degree of innovation, professionalism and vigor,” President Mwai Kibaki said in a statement.
Obama and his staff remained mystified Wednesday that Keyes had not called to formally concede, the Democrat’s aides said. Keyes made no public appearances Wednesday, and neither he nor his aides could be reached for comment.
Keyes spoke to supporters Tuesday night after Obama declared victory, but the Republican did not use the appearance to acknowledge his defeat or to congratulate Obama.
“At some point you have to look at the scoreboard and you have to stand up and be a man,” said Robert Gibbs, an Obama spokesman.
Obama captured 70 percent of the vote to 27 percent for Keyes. The 43-percentage-point victory margin was a record for a Senate election in Illinois.
Before his state tour next week, Obama said he wants to spend time with his wife and two young daughters after two years on the campaign trail. He said he planned to take his wife, Michelle, to see the new film about the life of Ray Charles.
Meanwhile, Obama’s advisers will be busy trying to plan his future in Washington, as well as beginning to sort through resumes to help Obama assemble a Senate staff of 50 or 60 workers.
Axelrod said Obama realizes that he will be stepping into a fiercely competitive political environment in Washington.
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“Politics is not just about everyone sitting around singing `Kumbaya,'” Axelrod said. “But one thing about being raised in Chicago politics and Illinois politics is that you have some sense that politics is a contact sport. Barack, I think, understands that it is not all sweetness and light. But I also think he can handle himself in that environment.”
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%% Illinois exit polls.
(Includes map)
GROUP OBAMA KEYES
Black voters 92% 8%
White Protestant conservatives 18% 77%
Catholic voters 75% 23%
BY REGION
1. Chicago 88% 11%
2. Cook suburbs 75% 23%
3. Collar counties 65% 32%
4. North 62% 35%
5. South 61% 36%
%% Notes: Based on exit polls of 1,373 voters in Illinois. Percentages may not equal 100 due to support for other candidates.
Source: National Exit Pool Survey conducted by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International. Plus/minus 4 percentage points.
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