Obama is on the back foot after a leaked memo had one of his trade advisors telling Canada not to worry about NAFTA. While the Illinois senator decried the free trade agreement - that’s led to a loss of jobs in rust belt states like Ohio - the memo says in discussions with Canadian officials Obama’s stance has been nothing more than political posturing.

The message was “wink wink - don’t worry.” Media are calling for answers and the issue was raised on floor of Canada’s Parliament. Canada’s PM said it was ludicrous that the country could be actively involved in selecting the next US president.

The bigger issue is the lack of understanding about the preferred candidate for president. Hillary is old news. McCain is older yet. We’ve seen them in action and have little more to learn about them.

But Barrack? He’s squeaky clean. And that’s good. He’s also largely unknown. And that’s not so good. America is making a dramatic swing to the new. But it’s also a dramatic swing to the unknown.

By rejecting Bush and all he’s done to the country, Americans are opting for a fresh start. But there’s still a lot unknown about this candidate. Who would he choose for his Cabinet? How would he handle an insurgent Iran? Can he soothe the economy?

Is Barrack Obama a visionary like FDR or a naive outsider like Carter? (Or a boob like Bush?)  When pulling the lever in November, Americans will be voting for change and a fresh start. They may also be voting in an unknown.

For the sake of the country I hope he is all he’s proclaimed to be.