In a political system where style is at least as crucial as substance, every aspect of how a candidate is perceived matters. During the 2000 election, the media criticised Al Gore's choice of polo shirts five times in eight days; in 2004, John Kerry was slammed for looking too "French". So every facet of a candidate's personal story is spun. In a world where George Bush, the teetotal, expensively educated son of another president, can be sold as an Everyman to such an extent that the public say he is the candidate they would most like to have a drink with, perceptions are everything.
Far from being a stranger to this game, Obama is a master at it. At 45 he has already written a memoir and his speech to the Democratic convention, which launched him on to the national stage, was based primarily on his personal story. In his second, bestselling book, The Audacity of Hope, he has a whole chapter on family, most of which is about his own. With just two years of senatorial experience he may be new; but as a presidential hopeful he is no ingenue.