Barack Obama's strong and rising support in public opinion polls indicates his campaign is for real. He is now winning in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina--the first three states to vote--and defeating all five Republicans seen to have a chance to get the Presidential nomination in head to head national matchups.

I spent parts of a couple of days for Obama in New Hampshire in December, and will go back for several more days on January 5. I am impressed that Obama has the right experience--a mixture of strong character, state government, and federal experience--and the kind of strong national base that can help him lead the Democrats to both victory and an administration of which the country will be proud.

There is no shortage of anger, cynicism, or defeatism in our country today. But the national mood of our country starts from the top. Obama at his best has similar inspirational qualities to John F, Kennedy at his best.