Bad closing week for Obama?

Is presidential hopeful Barack Obama having a tough week? What prompted this post is a report from the NBC owned station in DC tonight.

“Barack Obama says if he doesn’t win in 2008 he will never run again. Obama says he and his wife will be different people in eight years and not as able to connect with the concerns of the average American. It was just five years ago that the Obama’s still had law school loans to pay off, and were living in a small condo.”

The news reminded me of the time Oral Roberts went on the air and told his followers that God would call him home if they didn't send money quickly!

Is Obama kidding or is he merely throwing the adult version of a temper tantrum?

How is he going to change? Is he going to acquire great wealth and not be able to connect with the concerns of 'the little people?' Will he be too old to understand what 'average' Americans want/need? Assuming he stays in the Senate, is he planning to forget about the people who sent him there? What gives, Obama?

Maybe Obama should take a closer look at his Iowa audience and then tell everyone with a straight face why he won't be able to connect with them in eight years.

I think there is a different motivation behind his comment. He has presented himself as the agent of change. Suddenly he is faced with having to respond to a very difficult international crisis. And during times of crisis a natural response is to gravitate toward stability. It isn't necessarily a good time to be talking about change.

Obama's troubles were compounded by an inept response to the assassination of Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. And then a feeble attempt by his campaign to spin their way out of it.

Even Chris Matthews, an Obama cheerleader, had to admit the statement was "cold."

Probably sensing trouble brewing about the remarks, Obama's chief political strategist David Axelrod tried to deflect attention away from his candidate by claiming that Sen. Hillary Clinton was to blame for her part in a series of events that resulted in Benazir Bhutto's assassination. (Taylor Marsh has a series of posts on this.)

Here is Obama's response to Wolf Blitzer:

Unfortunately for Obama, the tragic assassination of Benazir Bhutto has caused some to take a second look at the junior Senator from Illinois. And his actions suggest that he might not be ready for prime time.

It's no secret that I support Sen. Hillary Clinton. I think of all the candidates she is the best qualified to lead -- and here is an example of why I believe this to be true:

So what do you think?