Who is Barack Obama? an Update

As the Democratic race for the nomination heads toward a climax of sorts, I thought I would revisit the question that I asked in a previous post. I have written and rewritten a short bio of Obama the last several days, and just cannot make myself happy with it, so I will abandon the same, and provide some good links to materials I have found so that a reader can go to far better written and researched articles.

Obama's current home town newspaper provides the best and most detailed investigation, although it is not as in depth as it could be. The Chicago Tribune series can be found here. I encourage everyone to go there and read to your heart's desire.

Other materials can be found here, and here, and here. Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list.

Having spent numerous hours poring over stories about Obama, I have come to some conclusions about him that I will list below. Naturally, if new evidence comes out, my conclusions are subject to change.

1. Obama is a superbly intelligent man with a great deal of talent for politics. His wife, Michelle, is also very intelligent, but not so politically gifted. Both are leftist Ivy League "social activists." The campaign that the Obamas have run has been one of the best I have ever seen in my 50 years of politics. At least until now.

2. Obama is not a messiah or a harbinger of change, but a very bright and ambitious politician who rapidly worked himself up within the Chicago Democratic machine. His connections to Tony Rezko, now on trial for political corruption, will need much deeper investigation. Rezko has been described as a "fund raiser" by the press in connection with Obama, but my opinion is that Rezko is nothing more than what we used to call a "bag man" for the Cook County organization. The house deal, as well as other dealings, bear much more scrutiny than has been apparent to date. I am sure we will hear more about that later, if our press does an honest job.

3. The Obama campaign is like a box, all dressed up like a Christmas present with all of the glitter and pretty ribbons one would like. On the box, there appears to be something for everyone...peace, harmony, hope, change, bi-partisanship...everything all the polls say that most American voters desire in a candidate.

4. The box is empty. If one looks at his record, there is nothing to suggest that he will be able, or even try, to accomplish all of that. He has never said what he would do that would make any of this happen. As Walter Mondale would say: "Where's the beef?"

5. What he really offers is the sad old left wing platitudes and programs. See his booklet, The Blueprint for Change, in PDF form here. Some of it sounds good, but.........promises made by politicians are seldom kept, and most of them cannot be.

6. The likelihood that Obama will be our next President is better than 50% right now.

Read it and weep, or celebrate, depending upon your preference.