Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois) is sweeping the country like a whirlwind, and he is reviving a sense of excitement, enthusiasm, hope, and renewal among voters who are looking towards the upcoming election as a new beginning with a new president. Though he has been criticized for his lack of extensive experience in a leadership role as well as his deficiency in outlining exactly what comprises his message of “hope” and “change,” he continues to generate interest and stimulate crowds. People may ask, “What is it about this guy, Obama?”

Obama is clearly focused on his goals, and he possesses directional determination. He knows what he wants, and he knows how to go after it. He is a powerful orator with sophisticated salesmanship capabilities. The product he knows how to sell is Barack Obama. 

“I may be skinny but I’m tough, too”, says Obama. Though he can be resolute and assertive, he is savvy enough to know how to balance his tenacity and combine it with class, polish, and genuine amiability. His toughness is not undercut or overwhelmed by crass mean-spiritedness nor is it embraced with pettiness and catty behavior that often comprises the Queen Bee Syndrome that tends to predominate in female-led arenas.

It is obvious by the response to Obama, in these early stages of the political game, that he is being perceived as a breath of fresh air. Which way that breeze will ultimately blow is too soon to say for certain, but it is easily recognizable that his scorecard is progressing by leaps and bounds.