FORT MADISON, Iowa – Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama’s campaign rolled out a new television ad on Saturday dubbed “Hope,”  emphasizing the Illinois senator’s pledge to fight against special interest influence in Washington, improve America’s reputation abroad, and “bring a fractured people together.”
 
The theme was pushed heavily not only by the candidate in his weekend stumping but also by Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, who joined Obama on Saturday to tell would-be voters his presidency would be “game-changing.”
 
“We have an opportunity as a generation not just to restore American prestige and confidence but to take it to a whole new level,” the governor told reporters while traveling on a bus through Iowa from one Obama campaign event to another. 
 
“He and I really believe in the power of hope,” the governor said. “That is a thing that people build lives on.” 
 
Obama, who has been dogged by concerns about his electability and relatively short stint of experience in government, fought back against those criticisms Saturday, saying he was the only Democrat that could beat any Republican next November. He said that while he may have less government experience than some of his rivals, he had the right kind of “life” experience to offer Americans hope for improvements in a range of social programs. 
 
He also offered a light-hearted spin. “I’m a black guy running for president named Barack Obama,” he told a crowd in Fort Madison. “I  must be hopeful. I must have hope.” 
 
The message seemed to resonate. One woman was overheard remarking to a friend afterward:  “I don’t care how big his ears are, I think he’d make a great president.”

– Photo credit: Reuters/Keith Bedford