1/ People are getting so worked up about Obama's comments on Rahul Gandhi, it reminds me that we still seem to suffer from a post-colonial hangover need for external validation and are very touching when we don't appear to get it.

2/ Combine this with shades of the durbari excessive deferential reverence that has characterised so much of the dynastic hegemony of the family over the party and which really is a turn-off for those who never were followers or supporters of the party.

3/ Moreover, though it seems to indicate a certain type of political immaturity especially in the way we still insist on deifying our leaders. FWIW, I think Obama's comments were unfortunate and mistaken.

4/ Unfortunate in that they reflect his opinion of Rahul Gandhi when he met him, which was some years ago. Even staunch critics of Rahul will admit that he is not the same person he was pre-2014. The sheer torrent of abuse and malice he has had to face, has changed him.

5/ For the better I think and made him much less of the unformed youth Obama commented he was. This doesn't mean that he is capable to taking on the Modi juggernaut or has become an adept politician for these challenging times for oppositional politics in India.

6/ But he has definitely become better. However, something we need to bear in mind is that this reflected Obama's opinion of him when he met him and is his honest assessment.

7/ Having interviewed and worked with several high-profile politicians in different countries, which I have been lucky enough to do, one thing which has struck me is that so often how different they are from their public personas.

8/ The reality of the man and the woman is often quite at odd with the image that is projected in the media both by their opponents and themselves. Which is to say, unless you meet or know them; you will really have little idea of what they are like really.

9/ What you see, mostly is a carefully crafted representation made by a range of interested actors with their own agenda. So even if Obama's impression is mistaken and maybe expressed harshly, it does come from his actual experience which he, unlike most on here has.

10/ For that if for nothing else, it should be respected, while being critically evaluated instead of just being rejected completely often in a histrionic fashion as if he has just trashed a beloved family member.