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Take note, then: this book is more of an exploration into what Barack Obama thinks the role of the American government should be than what his role as President of the country should be--it lays out his understanding of how our democracy should function, and what he thinks its specific challenges are in today's global economy and international political climate. He de-emphasizes the pre-eminence of the executive branch we've become so accustomed to in the last 8 years, and thus the weight the President's personal agenda should carry.
In fact, the few pages discussing Obama's (superficially) mixed response to the issue of gay marriage contain a pretty good pointer towards "what he's for," not so easily described as an issue-by-issue Yes/No. Here's the quote you want to pay attention to: "...I was reminded that is is my obligation, not only as an elected official in a pluralistic society but also as a Christian, to remain open to the possibility that my unwillingness to support gay marriage is misguided, just as I cannot claim infallibility in my support of abortion rights."
Read The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream through the lens of that quote, and you will understand what Barack Obama is for, namely: a functional government that is willing to put in the hard work of attacking complex issues where our population disagrees, and finding public policy in an achievable consensus. To his way of thinking, the federal government is not the be-all and end-all of American governance, and he is careful to point out that there are many issues Washington has no business imposing its views on when states say otherwise. In Obama's view, the enemy is not conservatism per se but the neocon king-making that has inflated the executive branch out of all proportion to the system of checks and balances planned by the writers of the Constitution. The enemy is government-crippling political polarization: ideology, zealotry, a willingness to ignore facts that don't support our predetermined worldview. The enemy is a broken executive branch at war with the judiciary. The enemy is the broken trust between government and its citizens.
I suspect this book is unsatisfying to a number of readers: Obama is consistently careful to examine "both" sides of every issue (as if there are only two!) and to admit some validity in each POV, not just the one he is personally inclined towards. I guess it's scary to see a politician examine his opponents' reasoning before making up his mind on an issue or a piece of legislation, but grow a pair already, America, and recognize that anyone unwilling to examine the issue as critically as possible is a puppet of his party, his ideology, or his financial backers. Reading The Audacity of Hope will give you insights into how Barack Obama's mind works: what his understanding of proper government and the rule of law are, and how and why he makes his decisions. It's possible you will decide his judgment is careful; it's possible you'll realize you want no part of a low-key wild card.
The book is well-titled: the hope of fixing our government, making it transparent, trusting and trustworthy, is a bold and almost shocking endeavor, to say the least. In his chapters on the Constitution, race, family, values, faith, and our place in the larger world, Obama's main point, over and over, is that America's current problem lies in how it does business on both sides of the aisle. A fundamental shift in approach to governance, he argues, is what's needed, not a party platform. That's pretty challenging, but also mundane. It's a kind of St Crispin's Day speech for national housekeeping, a banner cry for infrastructure..."Fix the furnace!" he shouts, even though it's so much sexier to buy a new car.
The Audacity of Hope is not a road map for Obama's future actions as senator or, potentially, president; it's insight into his understanding of our country's problems and how our practice of government has created or affected those problems. Reading it shows us how he thinks, which makes it a good companion for understanding the current presidential race as well as the remainder of his political career.
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