Wag The Blog: Is Hope Enough?

"Hope" has become the hot new buzzword in American politics thanks to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

Obama emerged on the national political scene in the summer of 2004 with his speech at the Democratic National Convention in which he called the "audacity of hope....God's greatest gift to us." He went on to write a best-selling book last year entitled "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream."

But, of late, questions about when and whether Obama will move beyond his rosy rhetoric and into real-world policy proposals have begun to crop up.

The Associated Press' Nedra Pickler wrote a story earlier this week that began: "The voices are growing louder asking the question: Is Barack Obama all style and little substance?"

Former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) got into the act on Tuesday during a speech to the Communications Workers of America. "It's great to talk about hope but that hope has to be turned into action," he said.

So, is hope enough? Or does Obama need to quickly build out his policy credentials to win the nomination?

It's this week's Wag the Blog question. Offer your thoughts in the comment section. We'll monitor the discussion and pluck out a few of the most insightful and interesting comments to be featured in a post of their own.