While doing some surfing, I thought I’d unearthed a great find, only to realize that it was referenced in what appears to be the inaugural post at runbobama.org.

Well, anyway, there’s a long, interesting article written by Garret Graff (former Dean staffer and son of former AP Vermont Bureau Chief, Chris Graff) from November 1st, 2006 that deserves some further attention.

Graff writes…

As hard as Obama has worked in his career, luck has played a big role in his rise. The frontrunner in his 2004 Senate primary, Blair Hull, and his Republican opponent, Jack Ryan, both were tripped up by troubles with their ex-wives. Had it not been for a restraining order against Hull and allegations of Ryan’s trips to sex clubs, Obama might never have stood before the Democrats in Boston that July. “He knows that he may be the best politician in America, but he also knows that in 2004 he was one of the luckiest,” says David Axelrod, his top political adviser.

A combination of skill and luck put Obama where he is today: poised to be the first black US president—if he wants to be. There are hurdles he has to clear. He has no administrative or executive experience. And although he has dedicated himself to foreign policy, he has no national-security background.

Then there’s his family: His wife, Michelle, has opposed his forays into electoral politics because of the strain it puts on the family and the long absences it requires from their daughters, Sasha, five, and Malia, eight. According to sources close to the family, she has expressed concerns about his security should he seek the presidency. “It’s a good time for his politics, but it’s not a good time for him personally, with his young family,” says adviser and law-school classmate Cassandra Butts.

At least half a dozen African-Americans have preceded Obama as candidates to be America’s first black president, from Jesse Jackson to Virginia’s Douglas Wilder. Colin Powell’s 1995 flirtation with the race traced much the same arc Obama’s has—the “Draft Powell” movement coincided with the publication of his memoir. But none has arrived at what seems to be such an opportune time with such broad appeal. Poised for a multicity book tour and an appearance on Oprah, Obama is into a fall full of speculation.

Obama is cutting a new path in modern politics—one in which he is his own trailblazer. His campaigns for state senator and the US Senate were successful without early support from the Democratic Party. By the time the Democrats threw their arms around him in 2004, Obama was well on his way. “If you think about his trajectory, it was pretty much just Barack on his own. He’s been his own best political adviser for quite some time,” says Butts.

Intensely competitive, Obama typically saves his fiercest battles for the Scrabble board, the basketball court, or the golf course. He has navigated his political career in a way that has created few real enemies. “If Barack has any enemies out there, they come from just sheer jealously,” says Illinois state senator Kirk Dillard, a Republican. “I don’t believe he has any enemies who have a good reason.”

In Washington, Obama has become a policy wonk. “He’s an amazing person in his capacity to understand the issues,” says Chris Lu. Obama also has worked to develop the framework for his worldview and approach to governing. “Early on he wanted to come up with an overarching narrative,” says Samantha Power, who worked with him on foreign policy. “I was really struck by that desire to front-load the big thinking, the toughness of cracking this nut, articulating this balance between freedom and security.”

Lots more there, so read the whole thing if you get a chance.

And now, the rest of today’s featured links…

Obama: I don’t see any urgency
Chicago Sun-Times - Chicago,IL,USA
NEW ORLEANS — Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama toured hurricane-scarred New Orleans on Monday after criticizing the White House for the slow …

Barack Obama and the Great Divide
Washington Post - Washington,DC,USA
Barack Obama (D-Ill.) can win black votes ("is black enough") hinges entirely on his association with white people. In other words, the premise of those …

John Young: Obama and info assassination
Waco Tribune Herald - Waco,TX,USA
Why can’t you hunt antelope online when Internet hunters are stalking Barack Obama? Point, click, fire away. And make sure Fox News gets your e-mail. …

The Audacity of Hope, By Barack Obama
Christian Science Monitor - Boston,MA,USA
In a refreshing voice, presidential hopeful Barack Obama gives readers a blueprint of his view that America requires "a different kind of politics." …

LA College Claims Barack Obama As Alumnus
CBS 2 - Los Angeles,CA,USA
(AP) LOS ANGELES Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama may have degrees from Columbia and Harvard Law School, but a small liberal arts college in a …

Fox defense of Gibson’s report on Obama smear missed mark
Media Matters for America - Washington,DC,USA
Barack Obama attended a madrassa in his youth. But a statement from Shine, as quoted by the ABCNews.com report, never addressed Gibson’s charges that Sen. …