In a December 20 Politico article headlined, “Obama struggles to feel voters' pain,” staff writer Carrie Budoff Brown asserted that Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (IL) “lost his common-man touch” during a December 19 roundtable with six New Hampshire voters facing financial hardship. Brown reported that “amid the heart-wrenching stories that moved even members of the media, he [Obama] betrayed little emotion.” Brown continued: “For all the charisma that Obama can show day-to-day, bringing crowds to their feet with optimistic rhetoric or lingering on the rope line to hear voters' stories, he can also appear equally detached. The dual personality of Barack Obama -- the aloof, professorial side -- emerged Wednesday at a time when he might have benefited from more of the I-feel-your-pain approach he exhibits regularly on the campaign trail.”

However, Brown did not quote any of the six voters at the roundtable or other observers supporting her characterization of Obama as “aloof,” “detached,” “betray[ing] little emotion,” or having “lost his common man touch.” To the contrary, the only person quoted by Brown commenting on the event -- 65 year-old Sandra Burt, who spoke at the roundtable about her difficulty affording medication -- said of Obama, “He is a very, very interesting man. ... He does take the time to listen to you.” Brown reported that Burt has “narrowed her choice to [former Sen. John] Edwards [D-NC] and Obama.” In a December 19 post about the roundtable meeting on The Washington Post's politics blog, The Trail, staff writer Alec MacGillis similarly reported that Burt “appreciated Obama's response,” and went on to quote Burt saying that Obama and Edwards “both have such good stands on the issues” that she and her husband are “torn” between the two.

From Brown's December 20 Politico article:

Barack Obama lost his common-man touch Wednesday at The Common Man restaurant.

His campaign assembled six voters with hard luck stories for a roundtable at the aptly-named New Hampshire chain.

There was the 25-year-old single mother with no health insurance and mounting school loans. She got choked up when another woman, cradling a 10-week-old, talked about her family's strained finances and her wish just to stay home and raise her children.

Then there was Sandra Burt, who lost her job on her 65th birthday. She cannot afford her $2,900 monthly prescription drug costs (she tried skipping doses, but ended up in the hospital). Her husband cashed in his life insurance and sold his treasured truck. They live in a 30-year-old double-wide trailer where the thermostat is set at 64 degrees.

Obama listened intently at the center of a U-shaped table, but amid the heart-wrenching stories that moved even members of the media, he betrayed little emotion.

“We put on extra blankets. We put on an extra pair of socks, whatever it takes,” said Burt, weeping at the end of the table. “What would you do?”

Before Obama could respond, Burt apologized -- “I'm sorry,” she said -- for breaking down in front of klieg lights, more than a dozen cameras and many more reporters.

“No, listen, it is outrageous,” said Obama, his voice monotone. “We are going to change this.”

For all the charisma that Obama can show day-to-day, bringing crowds to their feet with optimistic rhetoric or lingering on the rope line to hear voters' stories, he can also appear equally detached.

The dual personality of Barack Obama -- the aloof, professorial side -- emerged Wednesday at a time when he might have benefited from more of the I-feel-your-pain approach he exhibits regularly on the campaign trail.

His response to Burt was a snapshot of his stump speech.

“There is a direct correlation between the special interests agendas in Washington and your situation,” Obama said, looking down at the table as often as he did at her. “Nobody expects government to do everything for them. What people do expect is if you are working hard and doing the right thing, then you should be able to retire with dignity and respect and have some basic health care.”

“Can you fix it?” Burt asked.

“I know I can fix it if I got the American people understanding that it needs to be fixed,” he said.

When somebody handed napkins to Obama for Burt, he dropped the pile in her hands from across the table, passing up what could have been an opportunity to make contact. (Another way to look at it is he resisted pandering.)

He later mentioned the success of his book allowed him to buy a big house. He was highlighting the unfairness of a tax system that gave him a mortgage deduction not available to those who own less expensive properties, but the story seemed somehow misplaced.