Recent days have seen renewed interest in exactly who Barack Obama is.  Ascertaining his true identity and beliefs is difficult for several reasons.  First, his public record is short and thin.  Second, his public speeches tend to focus on broad, essentially empty terms such as "hope" and "change" but provide little of substance.  Third, he tends to address specific issues in highly nuanced terms designed to allow escape routes should his position be confronted.  Fourth, he changes positions on issues without explanation and even goes so far as to say that his inconsistent statements do not indicate any change in his thinking.  Finally, he has not been forthcoming and has outright lied about some aspects of his history.  So, since we can't get straight talk from Barack Obama during this election season, where do we go to find out about him?  His writings and, because birds of a feather flock together, whom he has sought out as associates and allies.

Phyllis Schlafly did an excellent review of his autobiography, Dreams From My Father here at Townhall.com.  She points out that nowhere in this book does Obama express any positive feelings towards the United States.  He sees U.S. history as one of oppression.  He sought out an angry, black, racist identity and considers integration as a process of giving up one's identity and accepting that of the dominant culture.

It is important to understand Obama's early personal history in considering this transformation.  He was the son of a Kenyan father and a white mother from Kansas.  He was raised in Indonesia and Hawaii.  Hawaii is the epitome of multiculturalism and whites are a minority.  When I lived there in the late 1960's, race was never really brought up.  In my school class, I think there was one other white student and I had no white teachers.  Racial injustice had occurred in Hawaii, victimizing the native Hawaiians in the same way Native Americans were mistreated on the mainland.  The group that received the most prejudice was the Filipinos.  Clearly, Hawaii is not the deep South or the inner cities of the North.  Thus, Obama does not have a traditional African-American heritage and, in fact, some African-Americans have accused him of not being "black enough".  He does not have a personal or family history of the kind of oppression he came to identify with.  His angry, racist attitudes were not evolve out of his circumstances, they were manufactured.

Another recent article by Thomas Sowell points out that Obama does not have the credentials to support his mantra of change and hope.  At the start of his political career, he chose not to associate himself with reform candidates but rather to seek allies within the Chicago Daley political machine.  The relationships with these individuals, along with earlier influences, will be examined further in the following.

Frank Marshall Davis
Obama's autobiography mentions an influential relationship during his time in Hawaii with a man named Frank.  With a little digging, investigators have identified this individual as Frank Davis, a prominent black poet and writer.  Mr. Davis was a longtime member of the communist party and a vocal supporter of communist party leaders targeted by McCarthyism.  His political writings focused on themes of colonialism, exploitation, racism, and classism.

Obama's grandfather introduced him to Davis at age 10 and their relationship continued for nine years.  Obama would seek advise from Davis on matters such as race, exposing him to Davis' world view.  The Telegraph reported that Davis wrote a graphic pornographic, supposedly autobiographical book under the pseudonym Bob Greene, detailing sexual perversion including pedophilia.

Of interest here is that Obama was exposed to a fairly radical world view at a young age.  Also, rather than proudly asserting that he knew this famous man during his childhood, Obama chose to cloak the relationship in anonymity.

Malcolm X
In his autobiography, Obama states that he favored the writings of Malcolm X.  The only work left by this extremely influential civil rights leader was his autobiography.  This indicates his family had been subjected to considerable racial violence.  As a young adult, he was involved in crime and in 1946 he was sentenced to eight to ten years for burglary-related charges.  While in prison he was exposed to Nation of Islam teachings.  He subsequently became one of its most prominent leaders but broke away from this group in later years. 

Malcolm X described white people as devils that were created by a black scientist and that blacks would resume their dominant role some day.  He saw white people as "the common enemy".  He described Christianity as the white man's religion and Islam as the only religion for blacks.  In his early years he said blacks should have their own country but later supported black nationalism.  He rejected nonviolence as a means to racial equality.  He was a harsh critic of American government and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  His rhetoric took a softer tone shortly before his assassination.

In conclusion, Obama's preferred reading was the works of a well-known militant and radical leader.

Reverend Jeremiah Wright
Obama describes Wright as his spiritual mentor who brought him to Christianity and the title of his second book, The Audacity of Hope, was inspired by one of his sermons.  He was a member of Wright's church for 20 years and donated over $27000 to the church in 2007.  Wright performed Obama's marriage ceremony and baptized his children.  Obama appointed Wright to his presidential campaign's African-American Religious Leadership Committee in 2007 but this role ended in March 2008.

Wright is a proponent of black liberation theology and his inflammatory rhetoric has been widely publicized since first being reported by ABC News on 3/13/08.  He has made repeated statements that are hateful, racist, and clinically paranoid.  For example, he characterized the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks as "America's chickens are coming home to roost"; that the U.S. supported state terrorism; that the CIA helped imprison Nelson Mandela; that the U.S. lied about Pearl Harbor; and the government invented the HIV virus to perform genocide against minorities.  He has called the U.S. "a "Eurocentric wasteland of lily-white lies and outright distortions."

When Wright's statements were first publicized, Obama said he had never heard them.  Five days later, in his 3/18/08 Philadelphia speech he acknowledged that he had heard Wright make objectionable statements.  The New York Times  reported that Wright, who was initially scheduled to perform the invocation at Obama's presidential bid announcement ceremony on 2/10/05 was subsequently uninvited because it was felt his views might be too Afrocentric.  Wright said Obama explained, "You can get kind of rough in the sermons, so what we've decided is that it's best for you not to be out there in public."  Obama prayed privately with Wright before the event.

Several points can be made.  Despite his initial denials about being aware of Wright's statements in March 2008, it is clear that Obama and his campaign knew of Wright's "kind of rough" rhetoric  in 2005 and took steps to avoid having Obama publicly associated with Wright.  The Philadelphia speech appears to be an effort to rationalize his way out of the Wright dilemma.  I suggest that anyone who has had a close friendship would find it unbelievable that Obama could have a 20 year relationship with Wright and not know his basic beliefs and attitudes.  It seems even less credible that Obama, influenced by Davis and the writings of Malcolm X, found himself in a congregation such as Wright's by accident.

Rashid Khalidi
Rashid Khalidi was born in New York City to a Palestinian father and a Lebanese mother.  He was educated at Yale and Oxford.  He is well-known as an authority on the Middle East and is currently a professor at Columbia University.  He was an advisor to the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) during the 1991 Madrid conference and has been a PLO supporter despite their designation as a terrorist organization.  His extensive writings include viewing of Israel in terms of colonialism and as occupiers.  He justifies PLO terrorism as resistance to this occupation.  He has described Israel as an apartheid and racist state.  In 2005 he was dismissed from the New York City teacher training program for his "past statements".  This move was criticized by Columbia University president Bollinger as a violation of First Amendment rights; this is the same Mr. Bollinger that invited Iranian President Ahmadinejad to speak at Columbia.

At a 5/22/08 event with Florida Jewish voters, Obama was asked about his relationship with Khalidi.  He acknowledged knowing Khalidi because "I taught at the University of Chicago", that they had conversations, and that their children went to school together.  In fact, a Los Angeles Times article states Obama was a frequent dinner guest at Khalidi's house and he spoke fondly of their conversations.  In 2000, Khalidi held a political fundraiser for him.  Obama paid tribute to Khalidi at his 2003 going away party when he left Chicago for Columbia University.  Michelle Obama attended the wedding reception for Khalidi's daughter in early 2008 along with William Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn (see next section).  Khalidi has said Obama's public support for Israel is necessary to win elections in the U.S.

Once again, we see Obama allying himself with an individual who has radical views and, when confronted, he minimizes this relationship.

William Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn
This married couple lives near Obama in Chicago.  Ayers obtained a Ph.D. in Education from Columbia University in 1987 and Dohrn obtained a law degree in 1967.

Ayers joined the radical Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and rose to prominence.  In 1969 he splintered off from the SDS and cofounded the Weather Underground (WU).  Dohrn was also a leader of this radical, domestic terrorist group.  In 1969, Dohrn along with other WU members met with North Vietnamese and Cuban officials in Cuba.  The group organized a 1969 Chicago riot and in 1970 they published a Declaration of a State of War against the U.S.  In 1970, three members of the group were killed when a nail bomb they were building exploded.  The group exploded multiple bombs in the early 1970's, including New York City police headquarters, the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, and a judge's house.  The couple turned themselves in to authorities in 1980 but escaped punishment because evidence against them was not admissible.  Dohrn subsequently served seven months for refusing to cooperate with the investigation of the 1981 Brinks robbery by members of the Weather Underground and Black Liberation Army.  A guard and two policemen were killed in this crime.

In 1994, Dohrn said she continued to be a radical.  In 1995 Ayers characterized himself as a radical, Leftist, communist.  In 2006, Mr. Ayers stated "education is the motor-force of revolution" at a meeting in Venezuela with Hugo Chavez at his side.  He went on to criticize "capitalist education" and to praise Chavez.  Ayers has a school reform agenda that focuses on teaching social justice, that capitalism is unfair and oppressive and that the U.S. is a racist nation.

When asked about his association with Ayers, Obama initially said he was a guy that lived in his neighborhood and their children went to school together.  In fact, there is a generational gap between their children, so they could not have gone to school together.  Also, the relationship is much closer than Obama stated.  Obama kicked off his political career at an event hosted at Ayers' home in 1995; he would have us believe he received what was essentially a political endorsement from someone he hardly knew.  Obama authored a very positive review of a book Ayers wrote in 1997 on the failed juvenile criminal justice system.  They subsequently held a public panel on this topic organized by Michelle Obama in 1997.  They served together on another public panel in 2001.  Obama and Ayers served on the Woods Fund board from 1999 through 2002, during which time grants were approved for Reverend Wright's church and a project associated with Rashid Khalidi.  Perhaps most important is their work on the Chicago Annenberg Challenge.  Ayers applied for this grant to promote political awareness and to radicalize students in Chicago public schools.  He received $49.2M and Obama headed the grant from 1995 to 1999, during which time he obtained an additional $60M.  Obama dispensed money from the grant according to its goals, not to schools but rather to external organizations such as ACORN and the Small Schools Workshop founded by Ayers.

Again, Obama associates with former terrorists who continue to hold radical views.  When confronted about the relationship he minimizes it and outright lies.

Michelle Obama
Barack Obama has said family should be off limits.  I agree except with regard to statements that are clearly political in nature or that are made as part of the campaign.

Ms. Obama's 1985 senior thesis at Princeton discusses integration as assimilation into a white culture in which she would always remaining on the periphery.  She said she would use her resources to benefit the black community first and foremost.

In discussing the need to work together, she said "our souls are broken in this nation".  On 2/18/08 she uttered the famous, "for the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country."  In March 2008 she was interviewed for The New Yorker magazine.  She said "we're a nation of cynics, sloths, and complacents".  She said the U.S. is a divided nation guided by fear and it is "just downright mean".  She felt things have gotten progressively worse throughout her lifetime. 

In her DNC speech, she spoke of "the world as it is" and "the world as it should be"; perhaps coincidentally, these terms were used in Alinsky's Rules for Radicals.

On 2/11/07 she was asked on 60 Minutes about fears of her husband becoming president.  The point was made that Colin Powell's wife opposed his running because she was worried about "some crazy person with a gun."  Ms. Obama said, "as a black man, you know, Barack can get shot going to the gas station."

Ms. Obama's thesis suggests she feels disenfranchised and marginalized.  It is reasonable to assume that, with her husband running for president, Ms. Obama would be on her best behavior in recent years.  Despite this, she has made a number of very negative statements about the U.S. and at least one that has racial overtones.

There is also an interesting overlap in the histories of Ms. Obama and Bernardine Dohrn.  Ms. Obama and Ms. Dohrn both worked at Sidley & Austin, a prestigious law firm, in 1987 and 1988.  Ms. Dohrn had been hired there as a favor to Tom Ayers, her father-in-law.

Conclusions
Here we have a brief description of the major figures in the Obama: Who are You? story.  The supporting cast includes other controversial people like Fr. Michael Pfleger, Michael Klonsky, and Marilyn Katz, but I won't delve into them here.  I think I've presented enough information to begin to draw some conclusions.

Taken in moderation, concerns about the plight of the less fortunate, fighting the injustices of prejudice, and distrust of big business and free markets are core planks of the Democratic party platform.  However, these people do not represent moderate beliefs; Obama has surrounded himself with people who take these ideas to a radical extreme.  These include communists; people who endorse and even practice terrorism; people who are anti American; people who are fundamentally opposed to capitalism because they consider it unfair; people who would use education for political indoctrination and revolution; and people who are obsessed with issues of discrimination and oppression.

Obama's various relationships and influences are curious artifacts when taken individually.  Taken together, they form a pattern.  Obama presents himself as a moderate reformer but the evidence clearly speaks otherwise.  He has sought out relationships with extremists.  When these relationships are uncovered he has denied and minimized the associations, at times even lying.  This suggests he is aware that the inconsistency between these relationships and the image he is trying to sell to the public is a problem for him.  My concern is this.  As a community organizer Obama was well aware of principles developed by Saul Alinsky and that he is basing his presidential campaign on these principles.  I fear that only if and when he is elected president will we be shown the true Barack Obama.