Mary Jackson,
I have a pile of about 5,000 cuttings and never put pen to paper until I have links for the Pajamas Media team to insert (you will note that there are numerous links provided in all PJM published material); the reference to the humble roots of Barack and Michelle Obama has been made over the past few months as I listen to Talk Sport, Radio Five Live, BBC and LBC. The concept of ‘poor’ or humble roots (Nixon, Clinton, Wilson, and now Obama) always generates lively discussion and inspired Janet Daley in the Telegraph to write about the class-conscious British social discourse that prevents the kind of dynamism seen this year in the American election process. I was on Radio Five Live a fortnight ago on the Gabby Logan Show hosted by Dom Joly and afterwards was inundated with phonecalls from friends who said they were so glad I had brought in evidence from history and specific references. My new book has scores of references and the editor, Clive Liddiard, recently emailed me that ‘it is a testament to your wiritng’ that he had only a handful of minor corrections to make in the final proof.
