God and Politics and Obama

The NY Times article on God and Politics describes Obama as influenced both by Rauschenbusch and Niebuhr, almost in equal measure. Interestingly, the author thinks the current malaise around Obama's presidency is related to his lack of connection to the middle class. He's got a poverty pedigree (community organizing), and upper class distinction (Ivy League), but lacks the connection to the middle class. Similarly, his religion is less connected to middle class Protestantism and evangelicalism, than to high church liberalism, which is what has folks like Glen Beck up in arms.

Seems like an apt assessment... Personally, I wish he'd tend more toward Rauschenbusch and less toward Niebuhr...