Submitted by J.H. Cohen, J.D., Ph.D., May 10, 2007 11:02

In the 19th Century, we had a previous "conciliator," the great Kentucky Senator, Henry Clay, known, then, as the "Great Compromisor." Clay, brilliant, beloved, successful, with extraordinary oratorical gifts, saved the Union on four occasions before the outbreak of he Civil War. Yet, for all of this, he ran and lost for the presidency 5 times, losing in 1844 by only 5,000 votes. He could make Obama stand on his head; there simply is no comparison between the men.

Moreover, as to Obama's infectious smile, I find it more suitable for charicatures than for candidacy. He really looks silly. And to the extent that commentators have combined his smile with his youth, they are yet mistaken. The man is not a youth. He is 47 years old. Most American CEOs are younger than that and we have had several presidents still younger --Teddy Roosevelt, for example. And need I remind you that during the 1930s, all the leadership of Nazi Germany were in their 30s --Dr. Goebbels, Himmler, Goering, Ribbentrop. Indeed, Hitler was the "old man" of his regime; when he was named Chancellor and Fuehrer in 1933, he was an ancient 43!

So much for Obama's youth, his smile, and his conciliatory capacities. He's a puff piece, way over his head and out of his league, he will never be ready for prime time, and he is this year's "flavor of the month." By this time next year, he will be unheard from.

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