Barack Obama’s presidential campaign has endured an extraordinary amount of hardships: a grueling, seemingly never-ending primary season, an all-out public relations disaster in the form of Reverend Jeremiah Wright, and, of course, an interview with Maria Menounos. Somehow, Obama’s emerged from each impasse all the better, but soon his camp will face its most significant challenge to date: Big Brother.

That’s right. The veteran CBS reality show will be veering into political territory this summer as it introduces the world to Libra, a self-professed Obama junkie who seems ready to spread the good word to the rest of her fellow “house guests” for as long as she remains trapped in the camera-filled compound. A human resources representative from Spring, Texas, Libra’s love for Obama has already been well documented by CBS. In one of the first promos for the new season, she proudly proclaimed, “I live in George Bush land, and I got my Obama sign out.” Couple that with a political science and economics degree from the esteemed Rice University, and all signs point to the high likelihood that Libra won’t be a wallflower when it comes to presidential discussion.

Also clocking in some time in the Big Brother compound, however, is Dan, an ultra-conservative Catholic school teacher who said in a press junket, “The scary thing is [that] Barack Obama is extremely charismatic [and] has an aura about him that’s gonna attract many, many uneducated people to vote for him.”

It’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that these two cast members will clash, but the question is who will come out on top? And how will these people’s tenures in the Big Brother house reflect the potential for each political campaign? Surely if Libra takes the big prize at the end (or at least significantly outlasts Dan), this may point to good things for Obama. But if Dan’s the one who comes walking out the doors with $500,000 in hand, we could be looking at a John McCain upset.

Of course, it may seem like a lot of weight to assign to one trifling reality show, but let’s not forget that the Big Brother experience is intended, on some level, to reflect society (assuming society wears bathing suits at all times). Just like in real life, these people must fight and claw their way to the top, pausing only for sustenance and the occasional reproductive exploit. It’s a hostile environment filled with self-interest, and anyone who can hold sway over it might just reflect how America will vote come November.

Then again, there’s a chance that both Libra and Dan will be goners by week two and the lifelong Hooters waitress could take the crown. If that’s the case, well, then America might be in for some very interesting changes indeed.

–Ben Mandelker

Photo by Ira Mejías