Talk:Barack Obama

I'm not sure an unsubstantiated Bwog comment is substantial enough to add the assault accusation... Pacman 21:50, 27 September 2007 (EDT)

Google ad

Anyone else notice the ad on this article is for John McCain? I wonder if he monopolized the market on Google Ads for pages with the keywords "Barack Obama"... Pacman 12:48, 3 March 2008 (EST)

Very sad

It's sad to think the wiki encyclopedia for Columbia University would make such a negative spin on Obama's association with Columbia. Why not just state facts and give a more balanced view of his life at Columbia than spinning it in such an obvious negative fashion? It sounds like McCain campaign staffers wrote the article on Obama.

And here to think I once had respect for Columbia University. Obama may be on to something: the "bile" does appear to flow freely out Columbia University.

Dear anonymous commenter,

I'm not sure how you can claim that an article which contains such abject praise as "Obama's professors and classmates...confirm that he was a brilliant, standout student and that he was an active participant in seminars. Baron said he was one of the top one or two students in his class" could constitute a "negative spin on Obama's association with Columbia". Many of the other features of this article, including snippets of Obama's residential life, were lifted directly from his memoirs. As for the criticisms of Obama's distancing from the school, they are true: he has shown little willingness to talk about his time at the university, which is a source of frustration for students - but mostly because they see the association as positive, and wish he would talk it up.

Please also keep in mind that this wiki is not an official publication of Columbia nor is it exclusively authored by Columbia students - in fact, you are more than welcome to make your own changes and contributions to the article, provided they are justifiable. It ought not reflect on your opinion of the university in any way. Pacman 13:51, 29 October 2008 (EDT)

The "Small Consulting Firm"

I know it may be difficult to find information on Business International since it merged with the Economist Intelligence Unit years back. However, BI had offices in major cities of the world and published newsletters containing top-notch research on doing business around the world. It was the premier publisher in this area of business. Subscriptions were costly, and every multi-national corporation subscribed to these publications. Senator Obama's description is accurate, and the nature of BI's publications could lead a person of Senator Obama's background to feel that he was "selling out." There are many online, erroneous reports about the nature of this company, but if you search you can find something closer to the truth.

Attending Columbia

I want to know WHY no one ever heard of Obama in Columbia. Why won't he release his background information/paperwork??? Is it because he NEVER went there? Every other President has presented his complete past and background to the American People...What's with this guy????

• It's because Columbia treated him as a second-class citizen, a tradition that continues with most undergrads to this day. It's worth noting that ever since Obama entered high-level politics, transfer students have been very well treated. Nateoxford 19:24, 10 February 2010 (EST)

• Note that this article actually discusses several people who knew Obama at Columbia. Isn't there a tea party protest you should be at? Pacman 18:42, 11 February 2010 (EST)

• Really? What "people who knew Obama at Columbia"? George Stefanopolis, by no means a Tea Party supporter, graduated in the same class that Obama supposedly graduated with. However, not even GEORGE STEFANOPOLIS could remember one of his own classmates! Raises the question about a Manchurian Candidate, eh?

Please actually read the article before making unsubstantiated comments. First of all, George Stephanopoulos was not in Obama's class; he was one year ahead. And even if they did graduate in the same year, it's not at all unlikely that Stephanopoulos wouldn't have heard of Obama at a large university like Columbia; I didn't know most members of my own graduating class (we don't have a very social campus or cohesive community in general). What's more, Obama was a transfer student who lived off campus, which would have made him difficult to get to know, and claims that he spent much of his time burrowed in the library (where a lot of Columbia students do put in inordinate amounts of time). Still, we have accounts from his roommate, Phil Boerner, and Professor Michael Baron. Obama even published a feature length article in Sundial, a now defunct student magazine. 66.65.63.29 20:49, 8 January 2011 (EST)