Have met and spoke with the man personally soon after he was elected in Il. He was the guest of honor at my Union's Constitutional Convention last year and he sat down and talked with all of the International staff (I am included in that staff) for more than an hour. We discussed many things but not really the Presidential race as he was not a candidate at the time. Did openly discuss his younger years and I found him to be very intelligent, straight forward, and seemingly truthful. In my present line of work I meet quite a few politicians and have to deal with them on a semi weekly basis and Barack Obama is, by far, the most charismatic and willing to listen on the hill today.