That belief, the Los Angeles Times says, does not come from listening to the Illinois senator's speeches or reading campaign literature.

Rather, they are suggested by comments that some say Obama made in private and from his association with the Palestinian American community in his hometown of Chicago.

And, there are his many talks years ago at the home of Rashid Khalidi, a famous scholar and advocate for Palestinian rights, which Obama says are "consistent reminders to me of my own blind spots and my own biases."

"Barack's belief is that it's important to understand other points of view, even if you can't agree with them," said David Axelrod, his long-time political strategist. Obama "can disagree without shunning or demonizing those with other views."