The son of an American mother and a father from the Nyanza province of Kenya, Barack Obama's presidential ambition is to unite the US and in doing so become the country's first black president. Obama has only been in the US senate for two years [EPA]A talented orator, Obama has been a consistent critic of the US-led war in Iraq and was quoted as far back as 2002 saying he would have voted no on the Iraq resolution.The senator first came to the political fore in 2004 when he addressed the Democratic national convention and delivered a rebuke of the Bush administration's Iraq policy."When we send our men and women into harm's way, we have a solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why they're going to care for their families while they're gone, to care for their families upon they're return," he said.As is often the case with "rising stars", the buzz around Obama, especially in the Democrat camp, has been electrifying and his good looks and charisma have inevitably led to comparisons with John F Kennedy.His political centrism and strong religious values also play well with both liberal and conservative Americans looking for a new era following the Bush administration and a solution to their country’s problems.In Smokey's barbershop on Capitol Hill, Al Jazeera talked to African-Americans who say Obama has instilled an optimism in their community that they have not experienced in a long time."He's all about helping us achieve the things we need to achieve," says one woman while another thinks Obama is "articulate, smart. Seems to be the one who wants to unite the country. He loves his country".Lack of experienceHowever, despite the hype, there are some factors that suggest the 45-year-old senator for Illinois might not be charting an inexorable course to the White House.First, Obama may not even secure the Democratic nomination from an ever-increasing field that includes political heavyweights such as Hillary Clinton.