Took twenty years to learn that did it?
It was like a pol belonging to the Knights of Columbus. Enabled him to make acquaintences and contacts in a culture that was alien to him until he met his wife. In short, he was learning the role of “ black American.” He still didn’t lose that strange voice of his. When he talks black he still sounds less authentic than Bill Clinton, who doesn’t try to get into black dialect but just get more “Southern” —like a white Pentacostal preacher.
It took twenty years to organize that part of Chicago to set up his network of supporters for his eventual run for office, first at state levels and then for Senate, and finally for president. He didn’t do all that for a chance to put women in burqas and leave them barefoot and pregnant.
At the local level he was content to play the part of a church member. At the state level he needed to broaden appeal to more than one little neighborhood and so he learned to speak like an Illini and sound just like he just came in from a day of combining soybeans. At the national level he had to appeal to such a broad variety of groups- muslims, cheristians, jews and whatevers; he didn’t need Wright much any more and he threw that burden under the bus. The chamaeleon takes on whatever the color of the surroundings are- he is whatever he needs to be to be accepted.