When the word ‘authenticity’ crops up in a phrase intoned by a campaign shill, it’s usually as a device to move the discussion away from what a candidate says to how he or she says it. In the real world, of course, it’s the former that ought to count, not the latter. With that in mind, let’s see how an Obama spokeswoman reacts to the news that the National Journal has rated Obama’s voting record as the most liberal in the 2007 Senate:

Asked whether the liberal ranking could be used against Obama in the campaign, [campaign spokeswoman Jen] Psaki said that voters appreciate that [Obama] is up front about his positions on issues, even if those positions don’t line up with their own. “Part of the reason he’s appealing to some Republicans and independents is, he has that authenticity,” she said. “He’s very clear from the beginning that we can’t do this alone and we need to work across party lines and focus more on uniting than on dividing.

Eh? Obama is what he is, and what he is is an authentic liberal with a nice line in flowery, if vapid, oratory. That’s a good reason for liberals to vote for him, and for everyone else to be alarmed. Authentically so.