When Barack Obama dreams of his late father, what does he dream about?

Apparently, Barack Obama has read Thomas Frank. But have Pennsylvania voters?

"Hope" and "change" do not a platform make. Neither do negativity and pessimism. So it's reassuring to see greater scrutiny of what exactly Barack Obama stands for. Obama's candidacy, while historic, must not go unexamined or unquestioned. Taken together, the slogans and the policy prescriptions would amount to very bad news for America.

But the good news is, Americans have plenty of time to figure that out.

My former enthusiasm for Barack Obama's candidacy is being tempered somewhat by ... Michelle Obama.

In the last few days, there have been:

* Her suggestion that her husband can help fix our souls.

* Her statement that for the first time in her adult lifetime, she's proud of her country -- because of her husband's candidacy.

Barack Obama wants to change America. But can he change Americans' souls? Michelle Obama thinks so. "Before we can work on the problems, we have to fix our souls. Our souls are broken in this nation," she told an enthusiastic crowd at UCLA earlier this month. "We have lost our way, and it begins with inspiration, it begins with leadership... I am here right now because I am married to the only person in this race who has a chance to heal this nation." (Hugh Hewitt has audio.)

Think about that for a moment.