He has his reasons, agree with them or not or call them political, but they are logical and haven't wavered throughout his career despite the heat:

Obama: "The reason that I've always been comfortable with that description is not a denial of my mother's side of the family," he told the New York Times.

"Rather, it's just a belief that the term African-American is by definition a hybrid term. African-Americans are a hybrid people. We're mingled with African culture and Native American culture and European culture."


And I remember his Democratic Convention speech where he said "I stand here today grateful for the diversity of my heritage." Which speaks for most of us, very few of us here have pure Mayflower lineage, or pure anything.