President Obama is only papering over the cracks

Five days on and the most revealing move made by President Obama is still what he did the day before he took the oath of office.

He painted a wall in a centre for homeless teenagers.

This tells us a lot about the priorities of a man.

Facing an economic collapse described by his own advisers as "the mother of all crises", smouldering ruins in the Middle East, global warming and fighting in two wars he still found time to take off his jacket and pick up a paint roller.

Clearly Mr Obama puts great store by his media image.

In his book, the Audacity of Hope, he writes: "I am who the media says I am. I say what they say I say. I become who they say I've become".

But, of course, the newspapers and the TV stations can only report what he allows them to see and hear.

And this is the man who used to be called Barry until deciding that the more exotic form of his name might go down better, given his future plans.

This is the father who, when the family moved to Washington, insisted on being photographed taking his daughters to school. But who had, in fact, been at home for just 10 days in the whole of the previous year.

This is the unreformed cigarette smoker who is sure to never be seen smoking.

So who it is that has moved into the White House we can only wait and see.

Is it, as so many seem to believe, the politician who can solve the crisis, create global peace and rebuild the world?

Or is it simply the decorator who is capable of nothing more than getting himself photographed giving what already exists a quick coat of paint?