Shortly before jetting off to Martha's Vineyard to dine in gourmet restaurants with America's Betters, Barack Obama's speech writing team wrote his Weekly Address (link) which he read. He was probably gritting his teeth as he read this:

Hello from the Country Corner Farm in Alpha, Illinois! For the past few days, I've been traveling to small towns and farm towns here in the heartland of this country. I sat down with small business owners in Gutenberg, Iowa; and ranchers and farmers in Peosta. I had lunch with veterans in Cannon Falls, Minnesota; and talked to plant workers at a seed distributor in Atkinson, Illinois. And to the girls volleyball team at Maquoketa High School, let me just say one thing: Go Cardinals... Now, I'm out here for one reason: I think Washington, DC can learn something from the folks in Atkinson and Peosta and Cannon Falls... ...We still have the best workers and farmers, entrepreneurs and businesses, students and scientists. And you can see that here in Alpha. You can see it along the country roads that connect these small towns and farmlands... These past few days, I've been seeing little kids with American flags and grandparents in lawn chairs. I've shaken hands with folks outside machine shops and churches, corner stores and farms. It reminds me why I got into public service in the first place. Getting out of Washington and spending time with the people of this country [note: #12] - seeing how hard you're working, how creative you are, how resourceful you are, how determined you are - that only makes me more determined to serve you as best I can as President.

While it's great that he's broadening his horizons a bit, it would be even better if he actually meant any of that. And, no, Obama isn't a COMMIE nor does he HATE AMERICA as deranged tea parties types claim. However, just as an example, his reconquista comments which he repeated just a year ago are probably a bit closer to his general mindset.

As is, of course, being a political hack. In the Weekly Address he urges "that folks in Washington put country before party" yet not two days ago he put his party obtaining race-based power ahead of what's best for unemployed Americans. And, his administration's other recent actions and statements make clear that the Obama administration doesn't really think that "[w]e still have the best workers and farmers, entrepreneurs and businesses, students and scientists." He claims to want to put American workers back to work, but his actions keep giving them competition for scarce jobs.

That doesn't mean that the Republican Party is any better. Just that some of their leaders are slightly less fake when they get folksy.

UPDATE: Video added. See the black border at the top of his white shirt? That looks to me like Obama used a green screen/chroma key, just like a TV weatherman. For an exaggerated example of greenscreen bordering, see this. The background - supposedly from a farm - never changes except for one or two flies that dart through. He could have actually videotaped it at that farm, or he could have done it outside against a background that was replaced later, or it could have all been faked. I don't want to make a big deal out of a minor issue, but if any video experts have input leave it in comments.

But, the most important thing is that he's fake when it comes to wanting to put Americans back to work.