Article: He's black, took cocaine and has the middle name Hussein. Yet Barack Obama is the dream presidential candidate. Alas, in U.S. elections, fairytales seldom come true.

Byline: GAVIN ESLER

HE ADMITS to taking cocaine. He went to school in Indonesia.

He is a political novice. And if the mood in Washington is to be believed, he could be the next President of the United States. Yes, Barack Obama is the unlikeliest star of American politics for years. Whether he's the best thing, is another matter.

Despite all the hoopla and fanfare that has greeted Obama's declaration, a week ago, that he is seeking the Democratic nomination for the 2008 presidential elections, he remains something of a political enigma.

Indeed, the secret of his success so far has been that he is a blank sheet of paper on to which ...

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