I don't think the "Stevensonian" approach is doomed to failure. I think Antonio Villaraigosa's successful campaign for Mayor of Los Angeles was a prime example. He came across as the enlightened voice of reason, selling himself as a positive figure, a pragmatist and moderate. This contrasts with his previous campaign, which he lost to James Hahn, where Villaraigosa campaigned as a real street-fighter, as a progessive/liberal standard-bearer, and alienated the white voters of the Valley as well as the Black voters in the city. The parallel of a nonwhite politician selling a positive, warm message, achieving success in a diverse electorate, has often occurred to me while watching Obama.