I'm unclear from this article how audacious Obama would have to be to earn the right to say that he's a straight talker. From what I've seen of the Obama campaign (and like the author, I haven't seen every speech, but a good many) he answers all questions honestly and without the usual political manuevering, but 'honest' does not, and should not, translate to 'tactless'.

It's not necessary that Obama tell the citizens of Iowa that their pursuit of ethanol alternatives is not a wise investment of their time. This is tantamount to telling strangers their jobs are pointless, and that's an idiotic move as a human being, much less a politician, attempting to make a good impression. There's certainly room for improvement among politicians at large for saying what they believe and telling the truth about their opinions when asked, and I believe Obama has an excellent track record on these points. Do I need him to confront every group in the United States and tell them exaclty how they're not living up to an ideal standard? Absolutely not. I need an honest man, not an asshole.

(Or honest woman. I could do with Clinton pussyfooting around her issues a lot less).