Clinton believes Obama’s support is largely a mirage–a bunch of true believers whose passion might help him cinch the nomination, but that may prove an insufficient bedrock for winning a general election when the spell might be broken by tough questions about national-security credentials, economic-policy plans and rich experience. She can’t stop from shaking her head in disbelief when longtime friends who are elected officials inform her that they are going to endorse Obama and were chiefly convinced by their children’s enthusiasm for his candidacy.
Mr. Casey decided to back Mr. Obama, the person close to him said, because of his “ability to bring disparate groups together and transcend some of these racial and other kinds of divides.”
“Also, his kids were on his case, his four daughters,” the person said about Mr. Casey. “Not that they dictate to him, but he was paying attention. He was wondering, Why are these kids, who aren’t very political, so interested? He does have the ability to light up a younger generation.”