Barack Obama Making His Way to the White House - 2:56 p.m.

Look who's on the cover of the Sep/Oct issue of Men's Vogue. It's the star of the 2004 Democratic convention, Barack Obama. When Barack Obama took the stage to deliver the keynote address, no one outside a tight political circle knew his name. It only took a few minutes for that to change.

"On behalf of the great state of Illinois... (APPLAUSE)... crossroads of a nation, land of Lincoln, let me express my deep gratitude for the privilege of addressing this convention. Tonight is a particular honor for me because, let's face it, my presence on this stage is pretty unlikely."

"My father was a foreign student, born and raised in a small village in Kenya. He grew up herding goats, went to school in a tin- roof shack. His father, my grandfather, was a cook, a domestic servant to the British. But my grandfather had larger dreams for his son."

"Through hard work and perseverance my father got a scholarship to study in a magical place, America, that's shown as a beacon of freedom and opportunity to so many who had come before him. (APPLAUSE) While studying here my father met my mother. She was born in a town on the other side of the world, in Kansas. Her father worked on oil rigs and farms through most of the Depression. The day after Pearl Harbor, my grandfather signed up for duty, joined Patton's army, marched across Europe. Back home my grandmother raised a baby and went to work on a bomber assembly line. After the war, they studied on the GI Bill, bought a house through FHA and later moved west, all the way to Hawaii, in search of opportunity." (APPLAUSE)

"And they too had big dreams for their daughter, a common dream born of two continents. My parents shared not only an improbable love; they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or "blessed," believing that in a tolerant America, your name is no barrier to success. (APPLAUSE).. They imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren't rich, because in a generous America you don't have to be rich to achieve your potential." (MORE APPLAUSE)

There was much more, certainly some of the things he said had been said by others, but it was the way he said it, the genuine belief in the power of faith and opportunity for change which guided his words that had TV commentators (Chris Matthew comes to mind) wondering if he would run for president some day.

The Men's Vogue article retraces the story of his life told in his memoir Dreams From My Father, a 54 week New York Times best-seller, that he says allowed him to pay off his college loans. Touches on his second book due in Oct.The Audacity of Hope, speaks on his wife and kids who a family friend says "is his rock".. AND of course asks if he'll run for president.

"Look, it was highly unlikely that I would ever be a U.S. senator, so it's very flattering for people to talk about a presidential race."

In other words, it'a question that he dances around. In fact, he avoids any of the shine people place on him.. "I'm so overexposed I make Paris Hilton look like a recluse," he said. Vogue writes that the gossip in Washington is that Obama isn't not  running for president.

Obama is aware of the challenges he'd face, that he has limited foreign policy experience, that candidates like Hilary Clinton are well ahead of him, and that anyone next to sit in the White House is going to have "clean up the mess."

Some might throw in his race as a big factor as well, but all of those things are the obvious. If he ran I think he'd be more concerned with finding a way to express his desire to do great things.

Article excerpt: He recalls walking recently through a corridor of the Capitol Hilton, which is filled with portraits of all 43 presidents, and pondering their careers. "You go through and you think, 'Who are these guys?' There are - what? - maybe ten presidents in our history out of 40-something who you can truly say led the country? And then there are 30-odd who just kind of did their best. And so - I guess my point is - just being the president is not a good way of thinking about it."

"My attitude about something like the presidency is that you don't want to just be the president. You want to change the country. You want to make a unique contribution. You want to be a great president." end excerpt

To this point Barack Obama seems content with playing the background, learning the game from the sidelines (and in the trenches of Congress), 2008 seems too soon, but there would be no surprise to hear his name in 2012. Especially once Hillary Clinton loses to Rudy Giuliani.