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Why he's running: It's the "fierce urgency of now" (borrowing from MLK). This is a "defining moment" for America. There's a long list of problems to address: the war in Iraq, a "flatlining" economy, lack of health care, failing schools ...

On change: "I was convinced we couldn't solve these problems unless we changed the way politics worked in Washington." Which means bringing people together, challenging the special interests (Republican and Democrat) that dominate Washington, listening to the people.

In detail, though, many of his ideas are pretty standard liberal Democrat Washington-can-solve-all-problems-with-more-money stuff. And, no matter what he says about special interests, when Washington spends tons of money, there are special interests lined up for their share.

The answer for schools is to invest more in early childhood education and raise teacher pay. Set high standards but don't measure progress with a single high-stakes test. We want kids to learn art, music, history and all the other subjects that contribute to a well-rounded education. With No Child Left Behind, the federal government left the money behind.

We've got to make higher education affordable by providing a $4,000 tuition credit for each student per year for four years. But students have to give something back, like volunteer work at a homeless shelter or a stint in the Peace Corps (I don't know if that's a payback because it probably costs about another $4,000 a year to keep a PC volunteer in the field; anyway, there's no shortage of PC volunteers already). Obama said states are giving less money to their universities because their budgets are strapped (one reason: "They're building more jails.") The federal government should send more money to the states.

Reducing poverty requires, first thing, reminding ourselves that in a wealthy country we shouldn't have very poor people. President Bush's economic policies, however, don't care about the poor. The government should expand the Earned Income Tax Credit and cut taxes for families earning less than $75,000. We need to create jobs that pay living wages. The money spent in Iraq should be spent instead for roads and bridges here. We should create a green economy. And we all need to have "a change of heart about what America is all about."

On immigration, Obama called for better border security and better monitoring of people in this country on visas. Next, a crackdown on employers hiring illegal immigrants (this drew big applause). That would still leave 10-12 million undocumented workers here, he said, and there aren't enough resources to round them up and ship them out (I wondered if they would still be called undocumented "workers" if all their employers were cracked down on.) Obama said they have broken the law and should be fined, made to pay back taxes, learn English and go to the back of the immigration line in order to earn a pathway to eventual citizenship.

On pay and benefits for workers, Obama said he supports trade agreements that enforce labor and environmental standards. He wants to "strengthen our unions," in one way through the "Employee Free Choice Act." (In my view, the measure is misnamed, as it allows union certification by "card check" method and blocks employers from calling for secret-ballot elections; secret ballot always is more conducive to "free choice," but Obama is trying to help unions, not employers.)

Obama gives the impression he would be hard on businesses. He wants to add windfall profits taxes on oil companies and penalties on "polluters" to generate "billions of dollars" for federal research aimed to achieve "energy independence." He wants to eliminate private lenders from the college loan business, using the money they would make in profits to benefit students. (I hope he doesn't decide newspapers are making "obscene profits" to justify some federal crackdown on us.)

Maybe the most interesting segment was his response to a question about his personal religious faith. He described himself as a Christian who believes he will attain everlasting life because Jesus died for his sins. "I also believe in a gospel of not just words but deeds" This means caring for the poor, applying the Golden Rule, being a good steward of the earth, treating people with kindness. "I've tried to channel this into my politics."

He added that good people who happen to be Jews or Moslems are not "less children of God." His late mother, he said, was the kindest person he knew but not a Christian. "I'm sure she's in heaven."

He took the opportunity to return to the subject of Jeremiah Wright, his former pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. (Note: The invocation for Obama's event was delivered by Greensboro's Rev. Cardes Brown. An irony?) Obama insisted that Wright's objectionable statements made up only a tiny fraction of his ministerial output, and the controversy should not become a distraction from more important issues.

Obama is a talented politician who stands a very good chance of winning the presidency. He warned that he is not a perfect man and will not be a perfect president. People will disagree with some of his views and actions, he said (hard to believe of the adoring people in the audience today), but of course he's right. I think any politician who promises that government can fix all problems will end up disappointing people. However, he's persuasive in arguing that government can do a better job.

Having witnessed Obama's "town hall meeting" today, I see why he's done particularly well in smaller states and in caucuses. I'll bet, among voters who have seen him in person, he's way ahead. As the campaign wears on, however, and the public and media bear in more closely on his policies in detail, he'll begin to lose many of the moderate voters who have supported him to this point. That doesn't mean John McCain will win them, but for all his personal appeal and desire to unite Americans, Obama will not win -- if he wins -- by a landslide.