Obama curbs the euphoria and builds his base

For bartender Gary Tognetti, that was just as well.

"It's important for Americans to be pragmatic," Tognetti, 32, said as he tended a cheeseburger on the grill. "He doesn't have a red cape with an S on the chest. He can't save the world."

That was an implicit message that Obama seemed to be sending in his brief news conference, broadcast live from Chicago. Speaking publicly for the first time since his victory speech, Obama was businesslike in tone and largely grave of mien.

The demeanor struck many observers -- both supporters and skeptics -- as on-target. Tognetti, who served as a state and county delegate for Obama during the Democratic primary, hoped that Obama's serious attitude and frank talk about the nation's problems would help Americans temper their expectations of the man.

"I know some people put away their cynicism during the election, and I hope they don't become cynical again if he doesn't move mountains -- which he won't," Tognetti said.

That sense of adjusting to realities permeated Dojo, an Asian restaurant on the campus of New York University.

"Anyone with any grasp of the issues understands there is no way he can live up to all of the promises," said Rich Kelleman, 38, over lunch.

Obama began: "This morning, we woke up to more sobering news about the state of our economy. . . . "

A crowd gathered around the television, including a man in a military-style jacket with an Obama button. "We've done good, huh?" he said to a woman standing next to him.

"I love him," she replied.

The love was palpable in other pockets of the country as well, including on Auburn Avenue, the historic Atlanta street where Martin Luther King Jr.'s body lies next to his former church. Obama posters were still visible in the windows of many small stores, including the Silver Star Barber Shop.

Jarae Middleton, an African American Obama supporter, was waiting for a trim there Friday afternoon and watching Obama's delivery carefully. Middleton said he still had trouble processing the fact that a black president-elect was addressing the nation.

"It's kind of surreal," said Middleton, 26, who works in marketing. "It's like seeing Morgan Freeman in the movies."

Deangelo Thornton, a 23-year-old pursuing a business degree, was worried that critics would be waiting to pounce on the first black president-elect.

"You don't get no second chances on first impressions," Thornton said.

When Obama finally walked to the lectern, a few minutes late, the friendly undercurrent of barbershop banter ceased. All eyes were on the man on the flat-screen TV. The faces of the barbers reflected Obama's seriousness -- after all, they said, their cash-strapped customers are waiting longer between cuts these days.

They chuckled happily, however, when Obama, who is biracial, talked about the dog he would like to get for his girls -- a dog from the pound, he said, a "mutt, like me."

"Oh, they're going to use that one on the headlines," Middleton said, smiling.