By John W. Lillpop

Barack Obama’s grand tour across the Middle East and Europe was supposed to shore up the candidate’s non-existent foreign policy and equally vacuous commander-in-chief credentials.

In order to control the news sent stateside, Team Obama took the extraordinary step of taking most of the mainstream media along. The idea was to chronicle the rabid fervor with which Obamamania is conquering the continent, thereby imbuing American voters with the “inevitability” of an Obama presidency.

As Europe goes, so goes America, right?

Thankfully, that is not right!

Team Obama would have hijacked scores of paparazzi for the trip as well, but decided to leave the photo freaks at home just in case John McCain collapsed from old age, or was found standing alone at a campaign rally in New Hampshire.

Strategy wonks working for Obama reasoned that John McCain could lapse into a “senior moment” at any time. Paparazzi slime balls and their unforgiving cameras would be vital to assuring that no stumble by the old man went unnoticed and unpublicized.

Despite the best efforts of Obama and his troupe of adoring news anchors, the 10-day love in with the Middle East and Europe served to confirm, with great finality, the fact that Barack Obama lacks the requisite judgment, character, and patriotism to serve as president of these great United States.

Obama’s lack of judgment became obvious when he continued to defend his wrong-headed vote against the “surge” in Iraq.

Contrary to what Obama says, the surge is generally accepted as a success by most responsible politicians; Obama’s stubborn refusal to admit that he was mistaken is nearly as problematic as his faulty judgment.

Obama’s disgusting lack of character was exposed by his outrageous refusal to visit injured US troops. Grandstanding before hundreds of thousands of America-hating Europeans was apparently more important than honoring American men and women cut down while serving in harm’s way on behalf of our country and way of life.

Questions about the candidate’s patriotism were put to rest when the emblem of American flag was removed from the tail of the campaign aircraft.

Excessive displays of patriotism and gaudy Americanism might give Europeans the wrong idea about the candidate’s commitment to neutering America in order to fit it with the rest of the world, right Barack?

Now that Obama has come home there should be no lingering doubts about his lack of qualifications to be president.

The great-unanswered question: Will American voters finally accept the truth about Barack Obama?