Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama. (AFP/Getty Images/File/Joe Raedle)

How is it possible that a young and inexperienced junior senator from Illinois has amassed a record-breaking 32.5 million dollars for his presidential campaign and surpassed even the seasoned, slick and corrupt Hill-Bill team in raising money for the Democratic Party primary? This fund-raising coup reveals just how disenchanted and worried are many Democrats, especially principled liberals and people with good sense (not usually allies), regarding the prospect of Hillary becoming the next president of the United States.

Indeed, Barack Obama has exceptional qualities and deserves kudos for his achievement. He is genteel, articulate, poised and charming. He is a Harvard-educated lawyer, yet he remains accessible to the common man. He has been married since 1992, has two lovely daughters and is by all accounts a devoted family man. He is a pious Christian and a member of the United Church of Christ. He has virtually sky-rocketed into the national spotlight—winning a landslide victory in his Senate race in 2004; he became the fifth African American Senator in U.S. history and the only current African American Senator. His fame has been enhanced by the publication of two-bestsellers, Dreams from My Father (1995) and The Audacity of Hope (2006). He now trails only behind Hillary in his bid to secure the nomination of his party. And he has done all of this even before he celebrates his forty-sixth birthday later this summer.

Before Obama announced his candidacy in February, 2007, his political might was unknown. Yet, almost overnight, he has a groundswell of support. He boasts this is “the largest grassroots campaign in history” for 258,000 people have contributed funds. This means his fund-raising triumph has come mostly from small donations. In contrast, Hillary has 60,000 donors which have resulted in 28 million dollars. This is one of the few examples in which “little money” trumps “big money.”

The question on everyone’s mind is—how? How did a relatively unknown and inexperienced African American male succeed in defying all the odds in fund raising against a former U.S. president and a former first lady who has been chasing money tirelessly for years? In fact, Obama beat Hillary in fund raising so badly that in order to achieve her total 28 million, Hillary had to transfer 10 million dollars garnered from her Senate campaign into the treasure chest for the primary campaign. The Illinois senator’s success is easy to explain: for many Democrats, Obama is clearly the anti-Hillary choice.

Obama is all that Hillary is not. In the first place, he is a principled liberal. Unlike Hillary, who waffles like a tennis ball in the U.S. Open, Obama’s war record is consistent. He has steadfastly opposed the Iraq war and has pledged to withdraw the troops once elected. Obama also stands as the champion of the little man whereas Hillary appears to be an elitist who speaks in a condescending manner and who likes mostly to hob-knob with the rich, powerful and famous. Obama has seized the anti-establishment mantle whereas Hillary has her hands greased deep inside the till of the Democratic machine–with links to big money and shady transactions. Most important, Obama has a record for honesty and fair dealing; he has championed transparency in government and ethical conduct whereas even Hillary’s most ardent supporters choke on their words when they try to exonerate her from all the charges on her plate.

Indeed, Obama is the incarnation of a liberal fantasy–all the more because he is the underdog. He is the Cinderella in the campaign: the good one that might not quite defeat the ugly stepsisters unless there is some kind of divine intervention, or fervent grassroots activity. As an African American male of complex descent—a white mother and an African, Muslim father–Obama also appeals to the liberal vision of creating a world of racial and religious harmony. In short, Obama has captured the liberal imagination whereas Hillary has only offered them the cold prospect of power.

The gentle Obama has been brilliant in climbing to these heights thus far. Yet, as his power grows, so will shine the sharp edge of Hillary’s knife. As Insight has reported, Hillary established a team of investigators whose goal was to attempt to discredit Obama by investigating his Muslim background. In the backlash that resulted from our expose, she has learned to be more circumspect in the use of nasty little tricks. But, if we know Hillary–and we do–she will descend into the gutter once again. Obama will have to be on guard and must find creative ways to outpace her on the campaign trail as he has on the money trail.

Obama’s fund raising miracle clearly illustrates the extent to which Hillary is weak: on the left there is rising pressure against her; on the right there is a monsoon, biding its time, but swirling nonetheless. Will the Democratic Party soon awaken to the growing American consensus? The nation will not be governed by the white-trash Hill-Billies of yesteryear and much prefers candidates with class and true grace—regardless of their race, religion or even political stripes.

- Washington Watch is a weekly column published in Insight (www.insightmag.com).