The Maverick Tribe

Maverick Tribe, yesterday: 

Under what I am sure is enormous pressure to go conventional, [Obama] has occasionally indulged in some of the cheap shots and predictable tactics of his rivals during the course of this long campaign.  Especially in recent weeks, I could feel my own high expectations and confidence in him flagging.  Maybe he really is just a conventional politician? 

Today's speech showed that he isn't, and it reasserted the idealism and authenticity of his campaign. 

Barack Obama, today:

I think we were starting to get a little comfortable and conventional right before Texas and Ohio. And, you know, in some ways, this controversy has actually shaken me up a little bit and gotten me back into remembering that, you know, the odds of me getting elected have always been lower than some of the other conventional candidates.

And, if I bring something to this conversation, it's going to be because I do what I did yesterday, which is hopefully open up a new conversation about a new direction in the country.