"Obama and America" (audio)

WBUR's "On Point," audio:

It's the first Tuesday in November. A year from today, America picks a new president. Barack Obama may or may not be on that final ballot. The votes that will determine the fate of his candidacy start just weeks from now, in Iowa and New Hampshire.

That short clock is pushing new considerations of Obama and -- whether one supports him or not -- just what an extraordinary product of the American and global culture he is. In his person, and in his way of thinking, he could be a game-changer for this country.

Is it a change Americans want? A change they can trust?

This hour, On Point: looking again at a one-of-a-kind contender, Barack Obama.

Guests

· James Traub, contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine
· Laura Washington, columnist for The Chicago Sun-Times
· Andrew Sullivan, senior editor at The Atlantic Monthly and author of the blog "Daily Dish"