Hoping to say I told you so...

And only because I've met him and bought into the hype after a 20-minute speech:

National Journal, a respected Washington weekly magazine covering politics and government, asked 101 members of Congress and 137 lobbyists, former government officials and other political insiders which politician has the greatest potential to become president in 20 years.

The answer: the 44-year-old freshman senator from Illinois.

Of the 89 Democrats who responded, 45 percent picked (Barack) Obama, the Senate’s only black member, National Journal reported in its Nov. 11 edition. The second choice was “don’t know,” at 13 percent.

Some sample anonymous comments from poll respondents: “He’s a laser in a room of lamps,” and “He has the charisma and steady leadership qualities to make it to the White House.”

Read more, courtesy of the Rockford Register-Star, here.

And, as a potentially useless side note, did you know that Illinois is home to the Senate's No. 2-ranking Democrat (Dick Durbin) and the Senator who has more seniority than only one ofhis counterparts (Obama)? Well, you do now.