Meeting the "Hope-monger"

Barack Obama came to the YearlyKos Convention this afternoon for a candidates' forum with all of the candidates (except Joe Biden, who is not well loved in the DailyKos community) in attendance. After the forum, the audience divided into separate "breakout" sessions with the individual candidates; I attended Barack Obama's. Asked whether he has the LBJ-like moxie to make the kind of deals needed to accomplish real progress on important issues, or just a sunny disposition, Obama's reply was, "Welcome to Chicago." Obama got his political start in a city known for bare-knuckle politics and back-room deals. However, he also cautioned against an excess of cynicism, saying that it is necessary to maintain a sense of hope that progress is possible, remarking that some might call him a "hope peddler" or even a "hope-monger." There are a lot of people in this country who could use a dose or three of that hope.

I tried to get a photo of Obama, but my camera was being somewhat recalcitrant, probably owing to weak batteries. Harrumph. Still and all, being in the same room with these figures was an electric experience, well worth the trip to the Windy City.

Technorati tags: Barack Obama, YearlyKos