Carlton Duncan in Jamaica sent me this video of Obama answering an audience of Republicans in Baltimore. This blog has followed Obama’s progress from a relatively unknown name, but at a time one or two were sizing him up. Here he is shown handling a potentially hostile group of people. Interesting to see how questioners address him. The first is careful to bring in the situation of black Americans, giving Obama a letter from a little boy whose father is unemployed and apparently without prospect of a job. Patronage is something Obama is likely to face and here he deals with it with dignity and authority.