Obama: Suffering from Pot Roast and Jello

Ever since Barack Obama tried to connect with the ladies of Iowa by commiserating about the high price of Arugula at Whole Foods, I've had my doubts that Barack Obama is a man of the people. That is only a problem because that theme is one that Obama and his wife turn to again and again on the campaign trail. While it took a while for people to pick up on the fact that there is a bit of the snob in both the Obamas, there now has arisen an entire genre of snide comments about the "Snobamas." Yesterday, Obama announced that his campaign needs "fine tuning," and that he would be putting renewed emphasis on his "humble roots."

Why should this matter? Obama, steeped in socialist and far-left values, is a class warrior. Central to his self-image is the suffering he has endured. It was only a week ago that we heard how he had to suffer when he scraped snow off his windshield in Chicago for lack of a heated garage before he bought his mansion. Last night I found out on TV that Barack Obama believes himself to be a man of the people because he ate a lot of pot roast and potatoes as a kid. Oh yes, and jello, too. Of late, Mrs. Obama has been regaling voters about the great hardships of her life, which is beginning to look a lot like baldface lies; if not, then certainly just old fashioned poormouthing. While less spin and more substance might be the answer to the Obama's problems, I don't think that is about to happen.

This whole situation reminds me of that noble family of Milan, the Borreomeo's, whose palaces dot the Piedmont region of Italy. Always prominently displayed is the family coat-of-arms, pictured above, and the family motto, Humilitas, Humility. Somehow, the juxtaposition of the display of vast wealth along with this motto, never ceases to amuse me. While Barack Obama is no Borromeo, there's a lesson here. Sometimes our self-image is grossly at odds with who we really are. Obama's desire to reinvent his earlier life is not only a sad commentary on his class-warfare oriented candidacy, but further evidence that we can expect to see Barack Obama's continuing identity crisis playing itself out for a long time to come.

(Do click on the coat-of-arms above. You can see the motto more clearly, along with the ermine fur, the pearls, and the crown.)