Cultural and political image

Obama's family history, early life and upbringing, and Ivy League education differ markedly from those of African-American politicians who launched their careers in the 1960s through participation in the civil rights movement. Expressing puzzlement over questions about whether he is "black enough", Obama told an August 2007 meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists that "we're still locked in this notion that if you appeal to white folks then there must be something wrong."

Obama acknowledged his youthful image in an October 2007 campaign speech, saying: "I wouldn't be here if, time and again, the torch had not been passed to a new generation."

Obama's skills as an orator have been compared with those of other respected speakers such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ronald Reagan.Obama delivered a series of weekly internet video addresses during his pre-inauguration transition period and said he will make a series of addresses similar to Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous fireside chats throughout his term as president to explain his policies and actions.

Obama's international appeal has been described as a defining factor for his public image. Polls show strong support for him in other countries, and Obama met with prominent foreign figures before his presidential candidacy, including with then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair with Italy's Democratic Party leader and then Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni, and with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Obama won Best Spoken Word Album Grammy Awards for abridged audiobook versions of Dreams from My Father in February 2006 and for The Audacity of Hope in February 2008. His "Yes We Can" speech, which artists independently set to music, was viewed by 10 million people on YouTube in the first month, and received an Emmy Award. In December 2008, Time magazine named Barack Obama as its Person of the Year for his historic candidacy and election, which it described as "the steady march of seemingly impossible accomplishments."