Can Barack Obama Become the Jackie Robinson of the American Presidency?

Sixty-one years ago, a truly great athlete broke the color line in America's "National Pastime," which still resides near the core of our culture.

Now the question of whether Barack Obama can do the same for the American presidency has moved to center stage.

Simply put, Jackie Robinson was one of history's most gifted all-around athletes. He mastered five major sports -- football, baseball, basketball, tennis and track. As a complete performer, he may have been surpassed in the Twentieth Century only by the great Jim Thorpe.