This week’s version of Hit and Miss concentrates on one person: Barack Obama. When you listen to one of his hopeful, eloquent speeches, it’s difficult to not be caught up in his cult of personality. But his actions recently have made him look like just another disappointing and untrustworthy politician.

First the hits. No one can deny that Obama is a great public speaker, as he showed just this week at a July 4 picnic in Montana. He can give one heck of a speech.

Obama pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with a goal of 80 percent by 2050, which is much better than the agreement that was reached at the recent G8 summit.

Obama has again recently pledged to end the war in Iraq, pass a sound energy policy, and reform health care (although he does not have a plan for FREE universal health care).

The guy is young, relatively speaking. At 46, he’s just a few years older than me, and that’s exciting—much more exciting, to me, than a guy born in 1936 and who in no way understands my perspective.

Now the misses. I want to like Barack Obama. I want to vote for the guy. I like his message of hope and change. But …

Back in January, Obama was proclaiming that there would be no warrantless wiretaps if he were President. He told MoveOn.org that he would filibuster, if need be, any bill that would give the telecom companies immunity and/or extend the use of warrantless wiretapping by the Federal government.

Well it must be summer because Obama is wearing flip-flops! Obama, on July 9, voted to cut off debate on the bill, and then voted for its final passage. (Virginia Senators Jim Webb and John Warner also, disappointingly, voted for the bill.) Wow, talk about a major reversal—and a major sell-out. Thanks, Obama, for stomping on the Constitution. Who cares about whether or not you wear a flag pin, I’m more concerned with the fact that you will throw the American people under the proverbial bus—while stating just weeks earlier that you would not.

Then there’s the issue of campaign finances. Remember when Obama took a stand and said he would indeed accept public financing of his Presidential campaign? Yeah, well that was before he realized that he would actually be the Democratic nominee and would be bringing in about a million dollars a day to his campaign. So Obama reversed his position and just said no to public financing. Again, a bit of trouble keeping his word.

I’m not as alarmed as some on the left about Obama’s recent support of faith-based initiatives to reduce poverty, although the separation of church and state is certainly in jeopardy in this model. On the other hand, we have more and more people each day falling under the poverty line and anything to help reduce this free-fall into poverty should be examined.

And what was up with that faux presidential seal he came up with a few weeks ago? The audacity of hope, or just plain audacity?

I wonder if the Democratic Party has buyer’s remorse right now because it looks like it may have picked a lemon.

Tim W. Jackson is the Editor of the New River Voice.