>> How can he make the case for his special ability
>> to rally all Americans of diverse backgrounds and
>> interests, yet have such a big problem with one group?

By reaching them from the bottom-up. Not everyone is inclined to be persuaded by politicians; we're a rather decidedly skeptical population these days, not that it's an entirely new phenomenon. Obama can't reach every single person by speaking from a platform; no one can. That's among the reasons why he and his supporters are in the process of forming organizations across the country, not just in the hopes of winning the general election but also with the goal of getting more people motivated toward participating in the mechanisms of their own government. It's an admirable long-term plan. A large network of informed supporters has the potential to reach far more people than any one politician, in familiar and comfortable ways that stand a better chance of communicating successfully. The cynical and dissociated state of our country will not be completely changed by a few months of primary-season campaigning. It will take many years before that many people will feel meaningfully involved in the process, but given a President who's very serious about that goal, it just might happen.