false 2167772 142073 9742 0307237699 9780307237699 2628 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255619255m/9742.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9742.The_Audacity_of_Hope_Thoughts_on_Reclaiming_the_American_Dream 3.81 12364
The Audacity of Hope is Barack Obama’s call for a different brand of politics—a politics for those weary of bitter partisanship and alienated by the “endless clash of armies” we see in congress and on the campaign trail; a politics rooted in the faith, inclusiveness, and nobility of spirit at the heart of “our improbable experiment in democracy.” He explores those forces—from the fear of losing to the perpetual need to raise money to the power of the media—that can stifle even the best-intentioned politician. He also writes, with surprising intimacy and self-deprecating humor, about settling in as a senator, seeking to balance the demands of public service and family life, and his own deepening religious commitment.

At the heart of this book is Barack Obama’s vision of how we can move beyond our divisions to tackle concrete problems. He examines the growing economic insecurity of American families, the racial and religious tensions within the body politic, and the transnational threats—from terrorism to pandemic—that gather beyond our shores. And he grapples with the role that faith plays in a democracy—where it is vital and where it must never intrude. Underlying his stories about family, friends, and members of the Senate is a vigorous search for connection: the foundation for a radically hopeful political consensus.

A public servant and a lawyer, a professor and a father, a Christian and a skeptic, and above all a student of history and human nature, Barack Obama has written a book of transforming power. Only by returning to the principles that gave birth to our Constitution, he says, can Americans repair a political process that is broken, and restore to working order a government that has fallen dangerously out of touch with millions of ordinary Americans. Those Americans are out there, he writes—“waiting for Republicans and Democrats to catch up with them.”]]> 6356 3.87 27615 6149 5 8 false Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Wed Jun 20 10:41:56 -0700 2007 Wed Dec 16 22:06:40 -0800 2009
Hope for the United States, and hope for America's standing on the world stage.

This book shows the human side of a man who is running for president. He tackles many different issues from faith, race, family life, war, international relations, and politics.

All are done in a thoughtful manner.

I get the sense that when he attempts to address an issue that he truly wants to hear from all interested parties, and work to come to an accommodation that everyone can live with.

At least that is his goal from the outset.

He gave an example of a legislative accomplishment from his days in the Illinois State Senate. It was a bill that required law enforcement to videotape interrogations and confessions in capital cases. At the beginning of the process, no one gave it any chance of passing. The police unions were opposed because they thought it would interfere with their jobs, death penalty opponents were opposed to anything which might weaken their goal at abolishing executions, the legislators were skittish and didn't want to vote for something that might seem "soft on crime," and the new governor had publicly come out against it during the campaign season.

It sounded like it would be impossible to get passed. Yet, Obama felt that there was common ground. That no one wanted an innocent person ending up on death row or someone guilty of a capital crime be allowed to go free.

It was in that spirit that he began negotiations with all the various interested parties. He changed some aspects of the bill when flaws were shown, but he held firm to his principles when attempts were made to substantially alter the impact of the legislation.

At the end of the process, all parties endorsed the bill.

He credits that one of the reasons that the process worked is that they did their best to keep this out of the media.

The bill was passed unanimously and signed into law.

I like that example a lot.

I also like that he has taught Constitutional law. He has a grounding and respect in the governing documents of our democracy.

He also has a perspective that comes from his unique biography. He speaks to our hearts because he is one of us.

He is living the American Dream. He knows the power of people when they gather together in a community. He is now trying to organize more than the neighborhoods in Chicago, he is trying to organize a nation.

He has my admiration, my respect, and my vote. ]]>