The thing that has turned me off about the Barack Obama campaign is the messianic fervor surrounding it. So when I read recently that David Boren had endorsed him, I took note. Boren isn't your groupie-type, willing to suspend critical thinking in return for good feeling or a conscience cleansing.

Curious about his reasoning, I called the former Democratic senator, who now heads Oklahoma University. Boren reminded me that he isn't on the liberal side of his party. So his views don't always coincide with Obama, whom the non-ideological National Journal — to much notice — recently rated the Senate's most liberal member.

Boren, who served in the Senate from 1979 through 1994, acknowledged a "leap of faith" in his endorsement. "There are no guarantees in politics," he said a few times during our conversation.

But what he likes is Obama's temperament, his emphasis on more unity in Washington and his willingness to find new ways to live in a world with multiple powers.

Boren wrote a book about these themes, "A Letter to America," that came out earlier this year. Afterward, he received a phone call from Barack Obama. (The Clintons, Boren notes, did not call.)

The Oklahoman flew to meet with Obama, where they exchanged ideas about bipartisanship. You may remember that Boren hosted a forum in January with numerous moderate Demo-crats and Republicans who are interested in decreasing the partisanship in politics.

Obama, he said, spoke Lincoln-like about a divided house not being able to stand. The Illinois senator also said that he wanted to create bipartisan working groups.

What Boren especially liked was Obama's interest in listening as president, both to Capitol Hill and world leaders. "We're living in a multi-polar world," said Boren, a former Senate Intelligence Committee chief, "and none of us, even our grandparents, have lived in that."

I remain skeptical that Obama can achieve the unity he wants. He's not a legislative wunderkind. And when he does come down on issues, like the war in Iraq or domestic spending, it's usually on the left side. He's also untested — real untested — in the world.

What appeals to me about someone like David Boren supporting him anyway is that he knows all that. He's not trying to read too much into Obama.

More than David Boren needing Barack Obama, Barack Obama needs David Boren — and realists like him. They can reach beyond the teen-idol worship to speak to the skeptics. Cultish devotion won't do it.

And if Obama becomes president — which I think he will if the Democrats nominate him — he'll need an experienced David Boren counseling him about governing — and reaching across the aisle on his behalf. Boren admits that Obama has little experience on Capitol Hill, where he's been like Jack Kennedy, who had a lesser Senate record because his eyes always were on the White House.

Boren has some particularly good ideas about bridge building. For example, he'd have the president and top cabinet members meet regularly with Congress' ranking foreign and military policy committee members.

He also knows how hard it is to turn Washington's tide. He talks about how both parties' caucus meetings became feasts during his days in Congress for scoring points against the other side.

He laughingly said that, in a fit of pique, he once stood at the end of one Senate Democratic meeting and said the next time he would like the caucus to talk about the national interest. No one even cracked a smile. The caucus leader tersely replied, "Thank you."

Obama has been in a rough patch. The Washington Post reported over the weekend how, as a state senator, he tried to help a supporter and former employer get a tourism contract.

Not the end of the world, but he could use steady hands to guide him through crises. David Boren and others like him won't let a messianic sheen stop them from giving tough advice.

William McKenzie is an editorial columnist for the Dallas Morning News.