Sunstein Tops

I don't feel at all guilty saying that Cass Sunstein's defense of the Obama hype makes mine look positively weak. Sunstein worked with Obama at the University of Chicago (where he was a part-time lecturer in Constitutional Law), and is absolutely effusive in his praise. But he also notes the facile nature of the "if he weren't Black" line of inquiry:

I have no idea how Obama would be regarded if he were white. (He might be regarded as this generation's Jack Kennedy; the two have a similar quickness, youth, charisma, and capacity for humor.) But for any successful politician, there are many necessary conditions for their success. Would George W. Bush be president if his last name were not Bush? Would Al Gore have become vice-president if his last name had not been Gore? Would Senator McCain be a serious candidate for the presidency if he had not been held prisoner in Vietnam? Would Bush, Gore, or McCain be where they are today if they were African-American or Hispanic? (What kinds of questions are these?)

Well spoken, Professor.