The Obama He Doesn't Want You to See

President Obama’s ability to control his image seems to be spinning out of control, with several damaging narratives taking hold in the public consciousness. Politico breaks down the narratives Obama is most threatened by:

• Obama the Big Spender: Though economists cheered on the stimulus, the backlash was severe among independents. Obama intends to stress fiscal discipline in his 2010 State of the Union, but actually clamping down on spending will be tough.

• Obama the Chicago Strongman: Obama’s team is populated by brass-knuckled insiders, but voters took Obama seriously when he talked about creating a reasoned, nonpartisan White House.
• Obama the Wimp: Contradictory with the Strongman story? Sure. But time and again, Obama has drawn a line in the sand only to let people walk over it, as when he asked Congress not to go on recess, or told Israel to freeze settlement construction.

Click here for four more versions, including "Obama as Spock."