Obama's Lucky Charms

Voters everywhere gave him tokens of good fortune. A look at what was in his pockets

Callie Shell / Aurora for TIME

It was one of the recurring features of his days on the trail: supporters pressed all sorts of trinkets into Barack Obama's palms as he worked crowds and shook hands. Some voters worried about his chances, his health or his safety; others just wanted to give him something. He kept a few in his pockets every day as a reminder of the hopes people had placed in him.

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