My friend Michael Powell (a former colleague from the New York Newsday days, and -- for what it's worth now -- the world's leading authority on Rudy Giuliani) has a great profile up of the walking contradiction that is Barack Obama:
On the cusp of becoming the first African-American to capture a major party nomination, Mr. Obama remains a protean political figure, inspiring devotion in supporters who see him as a transformative leader even as he remains inscrutable to critics.
He has the gift of making people see themselves in him and offers an enigmatic smile when asked about his multiracial appeal.
"I am like a Rorschach test," he said in an interview with The New York Times. "Even if people find me disappointing ultimately, they might gain something."
There's lots of good detail, so read the whole thing. It's weird how Obama gets to this stage with so many people feeling that they don't know him, but then how many people know the real McCain.