Another Two Steps in the Obama Extreme Makeover

By Ed Lasky

The unfurling of Barack Obama 2.0 (or the re-election version) continues according to plan. I speculated in January (Obama 2.0: The reinvention Begins) that among the steps Barack Obama would take to boost his appeal among Americans would be to play the "religious card." Sure enough..here he goes again.

From the Hill:

President Obama on Thursday called his Christian faith a "sustaining force," especially in the face of those who have publicly doubted it.

The president said he feels strengthened in his religious convictions when his detractors question them - a nod to those who incorrectly assert that Obama is Muslim.

"My Christian faith has been a sustaining force for me over the years, all the more so when Michelle and I hear our faith questioned," Obama said at the National Prayer Breakfast.

The president reflected on how his faith and prayers had been particularly helpful for him in the wake of recent tragedies: the attempted assassination of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) last month, as well as the ongoing turmoil in Egypt.

To repeat what I wrote last month, Barack Obama has barely attended any religious services in the last two years, has barely expressed any religious feelings (or emotional ones, for that matter). He has struck many as being rather cold-blooded. His blatant bid to appease the Muslim world has backfired politically as it has fed views regarding his own faith. Now that 2012 is approaching we will be witnesses his public baptism. All for votes.

Talk about religious hucksters....

P.S. There was also a suggestion in my Obama 2.0 column that there would be a bid to gain the support of military members and veterans. This time Michelle did her part using the Oprah Show (the Obamas and Oprah are friends and Oprah gave an invaluable boost to Barack Obama's presidential campaign back in 2008 and is doing so again). On the Oprah show, Michelle urged Americans to offer more support for the country's military families. I failed to recall that she ever made such an appeal before the November shellacking of the Democrats that sent a warning to Barack Obama regarding his own political future.

Does Michelle Obama care about military families or about staying First Lady?