Remember the name Barack Obama. You'll be hearing it a lot as this election season unfolds.

"There's a certain tone in politics that I aspire to, that allows me to disagree with people without being disagreeable."

In a political era saturated with cynicism and deceit, Mr. Obama is asking voters to believe him when he talks about the values and verities that so many politicians have lied about for so long. He's asking, in effect, for a leap of political faith.

So far, at least, the voters of Illinois seem to be responding.