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Over the years and in two autobiographies, Obama has presented himself to the world as many things, including radical community organizer, idealistic civil rights lawyer, dynamic reformer in the Illinois and U.S. senates, and, finally, the cool presidential voice of postpartisan hope and change.

With his air of reasonableness and moderation, he has projected a remarkably likable persona. Even in the midst of a historically dirty campaign for re-election, his likability numbers remain impressive, as seen in a recent AP-GFK Poll that found 53 percent of adults have a favorable view of him.

But beyond the spin and the polls, a starkly different picture emerges. It is a portrait of a man quite unlike his image, not a visionary reformer but rather a classic Chicago machine pol who thrives on rewarding himself and his friends with the spoils of public office, and who uses his position to punish his enemies.

First lady Michelle Obama told the Democratic National Convention that "Barack and I were both raised by families who didn't have much in the way of money or material possessions."

It is a claim the president has repeated in his books, on the speech-making circuit and in countless media interviews. By his account, he grew up in a broken home with a single mom, struggled for years as a child in an impoverished Third World country and then was raised by his grandparents in difficult circumstances.

The facts aren't nearly so clear-cut.

According to Obama in his autobiography "Dreams from My Father," Lolo's brother-in-law was "making millions as a high official in the national oil company." It was through this brother-in-law that Obama's stepfather got a coveted job as a government relations officer with the Union Oil Co.

The family then moved to Menteng, then and now the most exclusive neighborhood of Jakarta, where bureaucrats, diplomats and economic elites reside.

A popular Indonesia travel site describes Menteng: "Designed by the Dutch Colonial Government in 1920s, Menteng still retains its graceful existence with its beautiful parks, cozy street cafes and luxurious housing complexes."

..........


Tellingly, Obama has never lived in a black neighborhood. Maraniss reported in his book that when leftist activist Jerry Kellman interviewed Obama for a community organizing job in Chicago, he asked Obama how he felt about living and working in the black community for the first time in his life.

Obama accepted the job but chose not to live among those he would be organizing. Instead, he commuted 90 minutes each way daily from his apartment in Chicago's famous Hyde Park to the Altgeld Gardens housing project where he worked.

It was an early instance of Obama presenting himself one way while acting in quite a different way.

LeadBolt wrote:Now AZ, there you go again, trying to confuse our open minded, liberal friends with facts.

Obama is not rich (despite a $1.8 million per year income), nor privileged (despite being educated at exclusive private schools), nor socialistic (despite being raised so or having a mentor who was a card carrying member of the Communist party), nor anti-American (despite his apologies to the world), nor white (despite his mother's race or the fact that she and his white grand parents raised him), nor disinterested in governing (despite having attended 11 fund raisers for every 1 cabinet meeting he has had), nor anti-colonial (despite returning the bust of Churchill to UK and funding off shore oil drilling in third world nations while discouraging it here), nor callous toward the poor (despite never having helped his poor black relatives in the US and Kenya), nor incompetent (despite his record in working with Congress to improve things here), nor a Muslim (despite bowing to a Saudi Prince).

He is an all American, poor, compassionate, competent, Christian black male capitalist with this country's best interest at heart. (What he told the Russian foreign minister about being patient until he was re-elected is just diplomacy.)

You sir are a bigot for bringing up these so called facts.... (I'm sure they are not really facts because they weren't reported by NPR)....

SunCoastBlueHen wrote:Calling any politician a patholgical liar is redundant.

JohnStOnge wrote:

SunCoastBlueHen wrote:Calling any politician a patholgical liar is redundant.

Not if it's Ron Paul. Agree with him or not, he's a straight shooter.

Rick Santorum too.

On the other end of the spectrum there's Bernie Sanders and Dennis Kucinich.

And by the way I think George H.W. Bush is pretty honest too. The "Read my Lips" thing was not a lie. It was his intention at the time. I think we all know he is an honorable man.

In other cases it's a matter of degree. And the degree of "falseness" associated with Obama is really high.

Chizzang wrote:

JohnStOnge wrote:
Not if it's Ron Paul. Agree with him or not, he's a straight shooter.

Rick Santorum too.

On the other end of the spectrum there's Bernie Sanders and Dennis Kucinich.

And by the way I think George H.W. Bush is pretty honest too. The "Read my Lips" thing was not a lie. It was his intention at the time. I think we all know he is an honorable man.

In other cases it's a matter of degree. And the degree of "falseness" associated with Obama is really high.

I think you are willfully deceived by GW and his Partner Dick Cheney
Liars might be one of the first words I would use to describe that administration

JohnStOnge wrote:

SunCoastBlueHen wrote:Calling any politician a patholgical liar is redundant.

Not if it's Ron Paul. Agree with him or not, he's a straight shooter.

Rick Santorum too.

On the other end of the spectrum there's Bernie Sanders and Dennis Kucinich.

And by the way I think George H.W. Bush is pretty honest too. The "Read my Lips" thing was not a lie. It was his intention at the time. I think we all know he is an honorable man.

In other cases it's a matter of degree. And the degree of "falseness" associated with Obama is really high.

kalm wrote:

JohnStOnge wrote:
Not if it's Ron Paul. Agree with him or not, he's a straight shooter.

Rick Santorum too.

On the other end of the spectrum there's Bernie Sanders and Dennis Kucinich.

And by the way I think George H.W. Bush is pretty honest too. The "Read my Lips" thing was not a lie. It was his intention at the time. I think we all know he is an honorable man.

In other cases it's a matter of degree. And the degree of "falseness" associated with Obama is really high.

Both Sanders and Kucinich strike me as being honest but I could be wrong. Got any examples?

andy7171 wrote:

Chizzang wrote:
I think you are willfully deceived by GW and his Partner Dick Cheney
Liars might be one of the first words I would use to describe that administration

For what it's worth, he did say HW. And I agree with JSO, I think the elder was.is a good man.

kalm wrote:

JohnStOnge wrote:
Not if it's Ron Paul. Agree with him or not, he's a straight shooter.

Rick Santorum too.

On the other end of the spectrum there's Bernie Sanders and Dennis Kucinich.

And by the way I think George H.W. Bush is pretty honest too. The "Read my Lips" thing was not a lie. It was his intention at the time. I think we all know he is an honorable man.

In other cases it's a matter of degree. And the degree of "falseness" associated with Obama is really high.

Both Sanders and Kucinich strike me as being honest but I could be wrong. Got any examples?

JohnStOnge wrote:

SunCoastBlueHen wrote:Calling any politician a patholgical liar is redundant.

Not if it's Ron Paul. Agree with him or not, he's a straight shooter.

Rick Santorum too.