by Louise Heal

Created on: July 03, 2007   Last Updated: March 19, 2008

October 21st 1990. Start of the Japanese Formula 1 Grand Prix at Suzuka. Ayrton Senna on pole position in a Mclaren-Honda. Alain Prost in second in a Ferrari. The flag comes down and the drivers go towards the first corner. Ayrton Senna collides with Alain Prost's car and they both spin off the track. The race is over for both of them. Telemetry checks on Senna's car show that he didn't brake as he went into the corner. It is widely believed that Senna collided intentionally with Prost, in revenge for Prost's actions at Suzuka the previous year.

Alain Prost was a superb Formula 1 driver. He was a legend, a great driver by anybody's standards. In any normal lifetime, this would have been enough. But when he was up against Ayrton Senna, he could not compete. He was possibly a better driver than Senna and beat him to the world title in 1989, but Senna just wanted it more than anybody else. He would go to any lengths, take any risks to get what he wanted. Senna kept his foot down at any price. He had his foot down in Imola in 1994 and it killed him.

How much does Barack Obama want the US Presidency? He is undoubtedly an exceptionally talented individual and stands for so much that is good: a new generation of politics, the first black president. In any normal lifetime, Obama would be heading straight for Camelot.

Hillary Clinton has suffered setbacks in her career. Her former position as First Lady is a double-edged sword. It gives her the political experience, but the legacy of Bill Clinton's political scandals will stay with her. She acts as if none of this matters. She has always acted, even in the darkest hours, as if none of this matters. She has never blinked and has never been diverted from her goal.

Barack Obama knows that he is talented and popular. He and his supporters know that he has the potential to be a fantastic president. What they may not know is how much Hillary Clinton wants the presidency. Like Alain Prost, Barack Obama may be found wanting when he is up against the sheer determination and willpower of Hillary Clinton.

The question is: how much does Barack Obama want to be US President?

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