The Mystery of Obama and Columbia University

People are speculating: why is it that Barack Obama rarely mentions in public (or his books) anything about his time at Columbia University? Libertarian Wayne Root has his own opinion on the subject in a recent interview with Matt Welch from Reason magazine. Here's part of the excerpt from Maggie's Notebook:

[Welch] So tell us what we should know about Barack Obama that we don't?

[Root] I think the most dangerous thing you should know about Barack Obama is that I don't know a single person at Columbia that knows him, and they all know me. I don't have a classmate who ever knew Barack Obama at Columbia. Ever!

[Root] Nobody recalls him. I'm not exaggerating, I'm not kidding.

[Welch] Were you the exact same class?

[Root] Class of '83 political science, pre-law Columbia University. You don't get more exact than that. Never met him in my life, don't know anyone who ever met him. At the class reunion, our 20th reunion five years ago, 20th reunion, who was asked to be the speaker of the class? Me. No one ever heard of Barack! Who was he, and five years ago, nobody even knew who he was...I don't think anybody knew him. But I know that the guy who writes the class notes, who's kind of the, as we say in New York, the macha who knows everybody, has yet to find a person, a human who ever met him. Is that not strange? It's very strange.

Justoneminute speculates on Obama's whereabouts during this time. A very interesting read, which if you think about Obama's connections and his past, this sounds very very believable! Please give this other thread a read!