However, that was Obama as filtered through the lens of realpolitik and not what he would do if he had unlimited control. Reading his writings and listening to his rhetoric when surrounded by 'friends' it is clear that he would go much further towards Soviet Style Socialism than Europe currently has (not all the way probably but closer) because in his own words he considers the 'Free Market' to be the enemy.

So is he a Socialist? Certainly not a pure one, probably no closer than Glen Beck is to a Libertarian but he is probably more of a socialist than any mainstream politician out there short of possibly Hugo Chavez and Castro in Cuba but his desires are tempered by the fact that he would never get legislative support for more centralized control.