Honest Revelations

Whether by the end of this week he will be seen as presumptuous or overly cocky, or ready enough to sit in the Oval Office to satisfy the doubters, is the overriding political question.

Perhaps Barack will take it. Presumptuous or overly cocky isn't so bad - as those reactions are so close to being 'ready.' But what Dan Balz of the Washington Post shares about Newt Gingrich's reaction to Barack's trip is fascinating.

But for Gingrich, who is no less lacking in self confidence than Obama, two questions arise about Obama -- one short-term and the other longer term. First, to Gingrich, one measure of the trip will be the degree to which Obama is willing to acknowledge that what he has seen has changed his thinking.

Who has considered such a result - that Barack could learn something on this trip, and then be honest enough to share it?

In Gingrich's formulation, no one as bright as Obama can spend 10 days overseas and not come away with insights he didn't have when he started. "If he encounters realities different than he expected, is he willing to actually share that with the American people?" Gingrich wondered.

And what if it goes a step further? What if Barack realizes that what he's been saying on the campaign trail has been naive or misguided? What if he comes away with a revelation - and then shares it, honestly, with the American people?

This is not a matter of projecting humility so much as acknowledging the possibility of errors in judgment or the intractability of problems that have eluded resolution for decades. When Obama says "never" about doubts as to his capacity to handle these problems, he projects the same confidence that has carried him through a difficult campaign. But voters may be looking to see what else he reveals about himself and the world during his week abroad.

That would explain why Barack offered his conclusions to his trip in a speech last week - before he'd even left - so that he could come home and share his 'honest' reactions. A coming to God. It's not a likely scenario - this all seems so carefully crafted - but it's fun to consider.