Why Obama

What makes this photo by Callie Shell, taken six days ago in Fredericksburg, Virginia, feel so defining?

To me, at this point in time, given the problems raining down on the country and with what the country has come to see of the candidates, this photo articulates why Obama is pulling away and will likely be the next President of the United States.

In Obama, I believe a majority of the electorate has found the right balance between electricity and the ability to weather the storm.

(image: Callie Shell / Aurora for TIME White House Photo Blog.  University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, Virginia, September 27, 2008)