For reasons I do not understand, of all the columns I have written, “Ebenezer Obama and Trickle Down Charity (The Rather Uncharitable Obamas)” has generated more interest than anything other. I did not understand why, until a friend reminded me of a central truth about the public—which I had forgotten: You may lie, cheat, or steal, and the public may forgive you in time. But when you talk one way and live another, watch out. The public hates hypocrisy above all else.
