[rockvillem]

he is desperately trying to portray himself as part of the American story he shares so little of with the American voters

This is a good point and one that applies across a spectrum of issues. As a similar example, I hear it with his jarring use of "folks" to describe middle America in his speeches - he sounds like an anthropologist reporting on some exotic tribe he discovered.

[kearnyirish2]

“he sounds like an anthropologist reporting on some exotic tribe he discovered.”

Well put, and probably closer to the mark than you think. Do you think in his Chicago days he ever had to deal with private-sector taxpayers and/or their issues/concerns?