A fairly typical piece. All the boxes are ticked with the modest living conditions of the grandmother and poor relatives. I am sure Obama cares for his grandmother but she (and other relatives) are not his responsiblity.

The reaction is what interests me. "Reporter Visits Politician's Home Town - Finds Lots of Support!" -  type of pieces are hardly surprising. Granted this is not Obama's home town but they feel a sense of kinship and ownership towards him (as I do though perhaps not to the same extent).

But in many ways the adoration and excitement is no more than enthusiasm for a person with some connection to them doing well. Rather like cheering a fellow citizen at the Olympics. And enthusiasm varies by region. Certainly there is more love towards Michael Phelps in Baltimore than perhaps anywhere else in the US. Just as Kisumu is the heartland of Obama support in Kenya.

 

Like you, I fail to find any real substance in this typical fluff piece. It's predictable that the media will produce a "down home" story about the extended family. Obama's less than savory half brother, however, is notably missing from this story. Surprising?

In any case, here is the Kenyan branch of the Obama family's fifteen minutes of fame. I hope they enjoy it, because if he becomes President, that's the last we'll hear. He doesn't care about them because he doesn't need them.

The media is doing a fine enough job of telling America that we have to vote for him unless we want to be considered either stupid or racist. Fortunately, I am not a media sheep....

You stated: I am sure Obama cares for his grandmother but she (and other relatives) are not his responsiblity.

Yet Obama has run his most of his campaign on this theme as being for the middleclasses, the downtrodden with his proposals for healthcare, tax relief programs, etc. for the American people, total strangers, across our nation.

But within his very own family unit, blood relatives are lacking some basic conveniences..The old adage, charity begins at home, is still true and as a Christian, if not as a loving grandson, Obama should see that his grandmother has all of her needs met.

If Obama doesn't see the irony and hypocrisy as the world views the living conditions of his own family, compassion and love is lacking in Obama... sadly to say. And yes, it does speak volumes.

Likewise, Obama's aunt, whom he mentions fondly in his book "Dreams of My Father", lives in squalid conditions in a slum in Boston, I believe. Hypocricy, much?

For your information, the Aunt in Boston does not live in "squalid" conditions. She lives in a clean, bright apartment in Boston. Her half nephew, Obama, was not aware that she was living there. Anyway, why should he be responsible for her? He has no relationship with her and in my opinion he does not owe anyone anything, including distant relatives.

My apologies. She lives ILLEGALLY in a bright apartment in the SLUMS in Boston. :) And for your information, Obama is running his campaign on the premise that we should take care of our fellow man. If he can't start with his own family, then what good are his lofty campaign speech?

Dear Cooperdog,

For a person that shows so much compassion for the poor of this nation, it does not seem odd that he seems to no care at all about his relatives?

He has so much wealth and money, and who what does he do with it all? If he can not share with his own family, how can we expect him to do what is best for people he may not even like.

Think about what may happen, Mr Obama may be president with a very liberal congress, and we are going to place into this person all our trust with no checks or balances on his power to do as he pleases to all of us.

He is to young and unknown to place this type of power with, and if that past is any indication of the future he will miss use this power to support his goals not ours.

Look at the 1996 election, he removed everybody from the ballot, it was an election with only once choice.

We have to much at risk to trust our economic well being to Mr Obama, his tax and spend policy will bring our economy down, and his next actions will be to take people's assets, not just their incomes.

God Bless You

While her illegal residence is in dispute, Obama has nothing to do with that. My major point is that Obama does not owe anyone a hand out. He probably has many relatives ,as do a lot of us, who are not doing well economically, however, to assume that he must take care of them all is crazy. Do you take care of all your relatives? And, do you spend a lot of time trying to find relatives to support? Don't forget, Obama just recently made his money. Also, if he is his brother's keeper, should he give you money also?

I believe a lot of you are making judgements about Obama's level of caring for his vast and complex extended family that you simply can't back up. You don't know the ways Obama might have helped any of them, or what they've decided to accept or not from him.

Contrary to BellyDancer's claim, it seems clear to me that there is much affection and caring between Obama and his Kenyan family, which is great considering he did not grow up intimately with them. And, the characterization and judgement of any of Obama's eight half-siblings (or any other family member) as "less than savory" has no bearing on Obama himself as a presidential candidate. Vote for whomever you wish.

I agree...you are correct, we do not know his level of involvement with his family members from Kenya. Perhaps, it is none of our business. Nonetheless, Obama will make a transfomational president and I am hoing he suceeds.

oops, I am hoping he succeeds!

Dear ChristineATL,

I am not making judgements, but I am just looking at the facts, it seems all one way to me, I am sure I would not want my relatives living in the projects. I have done lots for my family, and I do not have anywhere as much money as Mr Obama.

I have not called anybody 'less than savory", and I have no reason to believe that because somebody is poor and wants to live in the United STates, that makes them anything except smart.

I always think it is funny how people want to kick everybody out of this place, but as a Native America, it is amusing to me, we welcomed the new poeple, gave them food and shelter, and what did we get in return, blankets with small pox.

Mr Obama is a harvard educated laywer, and please try to remember this, he is does what he has to do to get what he wants look at the election in 1996, or the fact that he is the only person running for president that did not restrict his spending.

We all should vote for who we want, but prior to doing this, it would be wise to understand what we are going to get.

Please in two years when our are much worst off, understand that Mr Bush is not in power, and it is the the fact that we have given absolute power to the Democrats that caused this issue in the first place.

God Bless You

Dear Cooperdog,

I agree if he is elected I hope he can do some of the things he talked about in the debates, but I doubt it, these messages are to get elected not what he is going to do when in the office.

When in the office he is going to create a carbon tax, and he is going to provide the money and technology to china from this tax.

He is going to tax us into a depression and blame it on Bush, and it does not have to happen this way, if we elect Mr McCain, with him we will just get a recession.

He has told us this also, but just not in the debates.

God Bless You

Sure, you are making judgements. All low income housing is not slummy and may not be "projects". I agree, we should know what we are going to get. I am sure you are aware of Keating 5 and McCains involvement, as I am also sure you are aware that McCain voted in 2005 against exanding unemployment benefits to Katrina victims and he voted against vicitms acess to medicaid. Oh well, so much for that brother keepers line.

Dear Cooperdog,

I do not care about this, or abortions, or the Iraq war, we are talking about the fact that if Mr Obama is elected and does what he says he will do, it is going to cause a depression.

Dang, I wish Hiliary had won, but after it is over, just promise you if you live thru it, you will learn that you can not tax your way out of recession, you have to grow your way out of one.

Nobody is going to be keeping anybodies bother when you are starving to dealth for lack of food, I am lucky, but other are not.

It if sad how the poor always look for help, and the people that promise the most help, always cause them the most pain.

I am aware that keating 5 was a joke, Mr McCain did nothing wrong, it was just because they did not want to only have Democrats on charges, so they put it on him also, and this if from the democrats themselves

We will need to not worry about victims of Katrina, need to worry about victims of the depression that is coming to America.

Please just remember what happened and who caused it, as Mr Obama is going to blame it on Bush first, then the wealthy second, and try to get people to think that it is okay to take the wealthy assets, as you need to just share the wealth.

We have never, ever, done this, the Constitution does not allow it, and if we do this, then we are no longer the country that I and my family have fought for, and I am out, gone, I will not stay here, and trust me, a lot of people have moved their assets overseas, and we are ready to bail on this place, if Mr Obama is going down this path.

God Bless You