Barack Obama
Labor Day Parade, Milford, N.H., Sept. 3, 2007

Dahlia is wearing her patriotic Wonder Woman sundress, which is red with white stars. The ensemble makes for an irresistible parade picture, allowing me to crash an informal Obama press conference without any media resentment. The baby is only 7 weeks old at this point, and Obama notices. "Ooooh, a new one!" he exclaims with an enthusiasm that seems genuine. I hand Dahlia across the yellow police tape and remember that Obama has two young daughters. He knows what he's doing.

During the 2004 presidential race, I took a few photos of my then 2-year-old boy, Ari, with Democrats Howard Dean, Joe Lieberman, and Wesley Clark. As a first-time parent, I was overly protective and had most of the candidates pose next to his stroller. I was planning to use the same cautious approach this time. But after Obama didn't drop my second child, I was hooked. No more plastic buffers between candidate and baby.