Strangely, that was the thought that came to mind as I got my first glimpse of Barack Obama, striding across the floor of an otherwise empty hall, an aide or two in tow, but no visible security in sight. Strange, I thought.

He is not a big man. But he moves with an easy grace and an economy of movement. He smiles easily, and his grin lights up his entire handsome face. (A journalist beside me whispered intently to her friend, ``His skin like, glows!")

He is not partial in public to neckties. Neither was Ted Williams. Williams wanted to be known as the greatest hitter who ever lived. Only 45, Barack Obama has time yet to define his legacy. But perhaps not as much time as he might have thought.

Events are gaining on the junior Senator from Illinois. Events like last Sunday's gathering in Manchester, New Hampshire. It was billed as a victory celebration for New Hampshire's suddenly triumphant and resurgent Democratic party which, on November 7th, re-elected its Democratic Governor, swapped Democrats for the state's two Republican congressmen, took over both houses of the state legislature, and from the notches to Nashua, basically repainted the Granite State from rock-ribbed red to Boston blue.
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