“I don’t want to be coy,” said Barack Obama last Sunday when he was asked about a run for the White House. “I have thought about the possibility.”

And with those six words, the lid blew off the run of “Obama-mania” that has been mounting ever since a bright-eyed Barack Obama wowed the nation at the Democratic National Convention two years ago.

The now- junior Senator from Illinois, the kid from Kansas and Kenya, has served less than two years in Washington, but the drumbeat for an Obama presidential bid is absolutely booming.

Is he too young? Is he the right stuff? We’ll ask him.

Hear a conversation with Senator Barack Obama on hope, the country, and the US presidency.

“Our politics are inadequate for the problems we face right now.” Barack Obama

“There are a set of core values that are important to me personally.” Barack Obama

“The country is not as polarized as our politics would suggest.” Barack Obama

“I think the American people are profoundly non-ideological.” Barack Obama

“U.S. troops should withdraw from Iraq in the near future. … We should not retain a significant troop presence in Iraq in the long run either.” Barack Obama

“We need a change in tone to restore our image in the world. … We’ve had an [Bush] administration that has gone out of its way indicating that it doesn’t care what the world thinks.” Barack Obama

Guests:

Barack Obama, junior U.S. senator from Illinois. He is author of “The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream.”