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Barack Obama

— What kind of country would this be like the first day of a Barack Obama presidency?

Would the divide between right and left be as deep? Would people in the developing world still view America with skepticism and sometimes hostility? Would race continue to be as poisonous an element in our culture?

The answers to those questions are unknowable, but the possibilities of an Obama presidency, not the list of his accomplishments, is what makes him the most exciting figure on the Democratic scene.

His abilities to compromise, inspire and speak to a broad spectrum of the electorate earns him our endorsement for the Democratic nomination in 2008.

A look at the numbers from the Iowa caucuses put some substance to those hopes.

Obama assembled a coalition that included the most liberal voters, even though he was not the most liberal candidate, combined with young voters, first-time caucus-goers and independents.

The African-American candidate won a solid victory in a virtually all-white state. The turnout at the Democratic caucuses was double what it had been four years earlier in another hotly contested race.

Obama`s ability to inspire was on display in Maine on Sept. 25, when he packed the Portland Expo, thrilling the crowd of young and old supporters with a call to work together for the common good. Politics, he said, was a mission, not a business.

``What I`m asking you to do is hard,`` he told them. ``But if you don`t want to get involved, nothing will change.``

Obama`s opponents have charged him with being weak on policy, arguing that change is not achieved by hoping for it, or by asking nicely.

But Obama has demonstrated a predisposition for sitting down with people of diverse views and reaching a consensus. That makes him the most likely candidate to breakdown the current stalemates in Washington.

His health-care proposal, for instance, is not as ambitious as his rivals`, but it may be harder to attack politically.

Obama has been labeled ``naive,`` especially for his comments on foreign affairs, including his stated willingness to talk with America`s enemies without preconditions.

That charge is partly pre-election rhetoric among candidates jostling for position. But the truth is that Obama is not experienced in foreign affairs, and would have to surround himself as president with people who are.

If the campaign he has run so far is any indication, however, he has no problem listening to those who know more than he does. Sometimes the ability to learn quickly can be more valuable than hands-on experience.

Obama is running against a strong and well-financed field in the Democratic party this year.

Sen. Hillary Clinton is offering the nation another historic first, the chance to vote for the first woman presidental nominee. Clinton is a formidable politician who knows as well as anyone about what it takes to translate ideas into results.

Clinton`s supporters say her experience makes her a sure- thing, ready to lead on her first day in office. But she will never be able to heal the political divide because she played too big a role in its creation.

If Obama continues to put together coalitions that defy the usual boundaries of race, age and political ideology, he has a chance to take the nation in a new direction.

That may be a gamble, but it is one we should be willing to take.