This 1995 profile of Barack Obama the community organizer is about the most illuminating article I've read on the man. What's striking, as others have mentioned, is how much of Obama shines through: His words tumble forth in the same complex, inspirational, deeply intelligent paragraphs we know and love, his thoughts turn to unity and steadfastly avoid demonization. But what's important is the emphasis on his actual time as a community organizer.
This is the profession from which he comes, the experiences that vaulted him into elected office, the skills he used to get there. You can look at Hillary's decades in political life and understand instantly where her caution comes from. You can study John Edwards' trial lawyer days and get a handle on his fundamental populism. And you can read about Obama's organizing background and see how deep his desire for unity and talent for consensus-building go. His was a job of common ground, of bringing people together, of kneading and stretching and spreading a solution until all parties could agree on its desirability. This may make him very effective in getting things done. Or, conversely, it may make him very ineffective if folks simply refuse to agree and he can't jettison potential allies for stronger policies. Draw your own conclusions.
While on the subject of Obama, I've often assailed him for not using his prominence and political capital to lead in the Senate. Yesterday, that changed.