I was watching the morning news the day after Donald Trump was sworn in as our 45th President, and I nearly choked on my morning coffee when I heard a news commentator say: “Because he hasn’t had a track record in politics, we probably know less about this president that the 44 who preceded him in office.” WHAT? Have they already forgotten the 44th POTUS? Barack Hussein Obama could truly be called “The International Man of Mystery”. Prior to his coming onto the national stage because of his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, he had served three terms in the Illinois State Senate. He then served a partial term as United States Senator from that state before being elected to the Presidency in 2008. His most notable political achievement was that he voted “Present” on a very large number of recorded votes. Best not offend either side on issues, prior to reaching for the stars, I suppose. But what about his life before politics?
His listed place of birth is the Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children in Honolulu, HI. After his parents divorced in 1964, his mother remarried, this time to an Indonesian citizen, who moved the family to Jakarta in 1967 when Barack was only six years old. He attended Islamic madrasas and a Catholic school prior to returning to Hawaii in 1971 and graduating from the prestigious Punahou School in 1979. As was later the case in the various colleges and universities he attended, it is nearly impossible to find anyone who remembers Barack (or “Barry”, as he preferred to be called in later years) at Punahou. He simply blended into the background. No “best friends” or former girlfriends have come forth to write about their relationships. Strange for such a charismatic individual, it would seem. What makes it all the harder to understand #44 is that all his pertinent records have been sealed as part of his “Presidential Privilege”. We are told he graduated, from the various institutions, but not what his grade average was or indeed his class ranking. He was named as head of the Harvard Law Review, but there are no published papers which would seem to warrant that honor. After moving to Chicago following law school, he joined a well known black church pastored by the fiery Jeremiah Wright, who apparently mentored him and possibly introduced him to Michelle, his future wife, in 1989. As stated, prior to adulthood, very little is known about the young man who became our 44th President. Because of the total cloak of security and secrecy which has surrounded him, and the unwillingness of the media to try to crack open the vessel which contains the real history of Obama, I doubt we ever will.
On thing is sure. Compared to him, Donald Trump’s life and history are an open book, available for all to see.