Obama shines brightly on national stage

[Freddie Stubbs]

CBS' Schieffer: 'This guy is a rock star'

By David Mendell
Tribune staff reporter
Published July 25, 2004, 2:11 PM CDT

BOSTON -- U.S. Senate candidate Barack Obama's ascending political star appeared to rise another 1,000 feet Sunday after the Illinois state senator stepped into the often blinding headlights of the Sunday morning talk circuit--and didn't get run over.

Besides the host of obligatory Illinois media interviews, Obama made the rounds of high-profile Sunday morning news shows that often can make or break a political candidate's career. If the early reviews were any indication, Obama's fast-moving career continues ahead at near blinding speed.

Obama, the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention here Tuesday night, appeared on NBC's Meet the Press with Tim Russert, CBS' Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer and Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer. Russert, in particular, put Obama to the test, asking a series of hardball questions designed to throw the intellectually nimble Obama off his game.

"This was sort of his 'welcome to the NBA' moment," said Obama's lead media consultant, David Axelrod, of the Meet the Press appearance. "I'm biased, but I thought he was unflappable."

more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/specials/elections/chi-040725obama,1,2817135.story?coll=chi-news-hed

[readmylips]

1. He was great....love his tone of speach....

except, I thought they put too much makeup on him ala Gore. Those guys better look at themselves in the mirror before facing the camera. They can say, no I don't want this much makeup.