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20 internautes sur 23 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile :
A prelude to the White House
Barack Obama's latest book reads like a hopeful springboard to the Presidency; indeed, the only concern he's voiced recently about a run for the White House is what his family might have to endure. Other than that, he sure looks and sounds like a confirmed candidate, and The Audacity of Hope only fuels that speculation.
Obama is my senator. I honestly...
Publié le Oct. 19 2006 par Mark Wakely
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7 internautes sur 10 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile :
A well-written and good book, but too often muddled in policitical comprimise
Sen. Obama is more of a pragmatist than an idealist -- contrary to his inspired speeches. At best, he seeks to heal the partisan divide of U.S. politics for the common good. At worst, he comprimises too often (as I Canadian, I can relate to that) and he sometimes appears to want to please everyone.
It is frustrating that his particular political mixture (a...
Publié il y a 21 mois par B. Keith
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› Voir plus de commentaires 3 étoiles, 2 étoiles, 1 étoiles |
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20 internautes sur 23 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile :
A prelude to the White House, Oct. 19 2006
Barack Obama's latest book reads like a hopeful springboard to the Presidency; indeed, the only concern he's voiced recently about a run for the White House is what his family might have to endure. Other than that, he sure looks and sounds like a confirmed candidate, and The Audacity of Hope only fuels that speculation.
Obama is my senator. I honestly can't tell you what he's accomplished for Illinois. Nothing particularly major or memorable- given his short tenure- but that's not to say he hasn't been successful; everyone in Washington seems to want him on this or that committee, and that's certainly good for Illinois. The more powerful and influential your senator, the more attention (and money) flows to your state. His voting record is what you might expect from a young freshman Democrat, but that's not a knock; he's been true to his word, and that's a plus.
He tries hard in Audacity to show he would be a builder of bridges and a healer of political wounds, and that might be true; time will tell. He's spot-on in the section titled Politics when he bemoans what modern politicking has become- far less about the issues than about how inherently evil your opponent is. Mudslinging has replaced party platforms as the main election tool, with orchestrated outrage and assertions of moral superiority at the top of the campaign agenda. Obama's call to return some integrity to politics by offering solutions rather than automatic fear and hatred of the other side is both timely and refreshing. It would be easy to argue that the polarization of the political right and left is complete and irreversible, but that's both the Audacity and Hope of the book's title.
What's not so convincing in Audacity is his portrayal of himself as a political Everyman. While he clearly demonstrates genuine empathy for those who don't share his beliefs, the middle ground he tries to capture seems more like quicksand- when you try too hard to be everything to everyone, you run the risk of being nothing instead, a perpetual question mark without a solid base to stand on. That's a risk he's obviously willing to take, but the centrist policies he then suggests are not only nothing new, they carry their own considerable risks and problems which he barely weighs. That's a concern, a surprise, and a shortcoming.
Good, effective politicians are like a good stew- there's substance in the pot, and it's well seasoned. While Obama clearly has the substance, the seasoning simply isn't there yet, which makes the Audacity in the title fitting in a way Obama hadn't intended. Americans sure are enamored of fresh, unknown faces in politics- maybe because we love Cinderella stories- but that's voting with your heart rather than your head. Now there's something to be said for intuition and "gut feeling" when selecting leadership, but when the fresh face is untested in so many ways, perhaps it would be best to go with the proven commodity- even if it isn't all that exciting- rather than the raw recruit, no matter how intelligent or charismatic he (or she) might be.
Charisma is great, but experience counts for so much more, especially in the troubled, difficult times ahead.
All that said, Audacity of Hope is an interesting look into the mind and heart of a young senator as he formulates his early political policies and tests the political waters.
-Mark Wakely, author of An Audience for Einstein
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1 internautes sur 1 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile :
Obama is the Real Deal!, Mai 5 2009
Obama's optimism in believing the world can "work it out" is contagious indeed!
He introduces solutions, rather than problems!
Basing his beliefs with indepth knowledge of how countries should be treating one another is a treat to read!
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7 internautes sur 10 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile :
A well-written and good book, but too often muddled in policitical comprimise, Mars 7 2008
Sen. Obama is more of a pragmatist than an idealist -- contrary to his inspired speeches. At best, he seeks to heal the partisan divide of U.S. politics for the common good. At worst, he comprimises too often (as I Canadian, I can relate to that) and he sometimes appears to want to please everyone.
It is frustrating that his particular political mixture (a warmed-over Clintonism) is the only one realistically possible for Democrats to be electable in the U.S. at this time... Whether that is good or bad that depends on one's political views.
That said, the book is well-written and thought out. An interesting chronicling of a major politic figure finding his way... I just hope he continues the quest forward, instead of getting muddled...
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9 internautes sur 13 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile :
Refreshing, Déc 11 2006
Illinois Senator Barack Obama encourages Americans to put their political party affiliations aside while pushing for reforms. America seems to have lost it's political way along the road to the American Dream framed by the founding fathers in the Constitution. He offers no master plan or quick fixes, but salient critical thought and a start to fixing our problems. Instead of finger pointing, Senator Obama recognizes both his own flaws and blessings and the flaws and blessings of our current political system. He calls to return some integrity to politics by offering solutions rather than automatic fear and hatred of the other side. He tries hard to show he would be a builder of bridges and a healer of political wounds, and that might be true; time will tell... Overall it is a good, refreshing reading, recommended for everyone.
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Great Read, Mai 4 2009
This is a timely, insightful look at politics in the U.S. Well written and easy to read and filled with possible solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing America right now. Obama truly does give us the Audacity to Hope........only wish politicians world wide felt and acted like this outstanding man.
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The Audacity of Hope, Mars 24 2009
Mr. Obama presents a clear and concise case of how he thinks policy in the United States should be shaped to address the existing and upcoming problems that the country faces. It is particularly interesting to read his own version of how and why he got involved in politics as this provides valuable insight on his personality and decision making process. The views he expresses about his family also allow the reader to gain a better perspective on his inner motives and future aspirations.
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Good read, good price but ousy printing, Mars 15 2009
I bought the book online because of the discount. To my disappointment, the two copies that I received the top section of the pages (from page 247 to 278) were cut too close to the text and the first sentence of the page were 'eaten' by half.
I can still barely figure out the words in the first line but it looks awkward to give away as gift. I check the ones at the local Indigo and Chapter stores, none of them are made like the copies I received.
It never happen to my previous Amazon.ca orders before. I know that Indigo/Chapter is responsible for shipping online orders for Amazon.ca, hopefully, Indigo/Chapter don't use it as a way to get rid of the defective and rejected copies in the warehouse.
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Great read!, Mars 10 2009
I enjoyed this book immensely. Being a fan of Pres. Obama probably swayed me somewhat but still feel it is a great read and very informative on the American political process. Obama writes as he speaks and has a wonderful command of the English language without being pretentious. His ideas are ones that Canada and Canadians can easily embrace. Read it, you will enjoy it too.
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A MUST read, Mars 10 2009
This book is a must read. It gives you so much hope that there is a much better way to do things politically - reasonable, pragmatic, co-operative, non-partisan, diplomatic, gentler - & that with the author Barack Obama newly elected as the US president, change will be possible. After reading it, I felt so optimistic. I even found myself highlighting certain statements in the book they made so much sense.
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1 internautes sur 2 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile :
How Politics Should Work, Nov. 3 2008
"The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream" is Barack Obama's second book, and it is his personal view of the direction that the United States needs to move in terms of the type of politics we practice. It is not a look at whether one should be liberal or conservative--though he certainly does speak to the liberal positions better than the conservative ones; but rather about moving away from the divisive politics which have become the norm in recent years. The book is only nine chapters long, as Senator Obama goes into some depth of his thinking in a variety of areas.
The first chapter, titled "Republicans and Democrats", covers the recent political history which he feels has led to the divisive nature of politics today. He discusses the difference between the last generation of politicians who could disagree with those in the other party, and yet still respect those people, as well as the institutions and the history of those institutions and offices. He links some of this to the common shared experience of World War II which united many of the members in armed services, and nearly all of them in terms of shared experience.
I agree with this, but I think he leaves out several other key factors. The length of the election cycle now has political attacks happening nearly all the time. The fear which has often served to unite the country (civil war, World War I, depression, World War II, Cold War, and terrorism) has been tapped as a device to be used against the other political party (by both parties). The newer generation of politicians still has the common shared experiences of their lives, but they are much more aware of how to use fear (among other devices) to gain money and power.
The advantage of reading this book during Obama's presidential run is that one can compare his words with his action. Most would agree that both McCain and Obama turn to the "fear" tactic less than most politicians. Both pledged to run different types of campaigns, and both have compromised on their principles in this area. The clip of McCain being booed by his own supporters for trying to quiet some of the critical comments which he and Governor Palin helped promote is one which will stay with me for a lifetime. Obama too has been much too negative on McCain, and attempting to use the fear of Bush to taint McCain.
The second chapter "Values", covers what he feels are common values to all Americans, and which might help bridge the divide between the parties. This is an interesting chapter and it speaks to Obama's general tendency to try to unite rather than divide. The world often views Republicans and Democrats as largely the same, though certainly we see them as very different. This chapter helps provide the reader with the perspective that others view us, that of as being largely the same, with many shared values and hopes and dreams. The people who make up both parties love this country, the "truths" which were the foundation of our independence from England, and the Constitution and its amendments which form the framework of what our country is.
Chapter three, "Our Constitution", is a closer look at the United States Constitution and how it can be used as common ground for moving forward. Also included in this chapter is a discussion of the senate and the filibuster, which became something of a controversy when the Republicans discussed eliminating it to achieve their goals during President George W. Bush's administration. Barack Obama also does an excellent job of discussing the issue of the Supreme Court and the differing positions on "original intent". Key to his argument is the fallacy that the original intent of the founding fathers can ever be determined, and key to that argument is the fact that the founders themselves disagreed about the intent before the ink was dry.
Chapter four, "Politics" is about the institutional forces, such as the media and interest groups that seem to be pulling the sides even further apart. Issues become increasingly politicized, making rational debate and discussion difficult if not impossible. Perhaps one of the most interesting points he makes is that he benefited from mostly positive press coverage in his election to the Senate. While is opponents suffered from scandals hurting their image, he indicates that many people feel that he never faced real scrutiny. This perception has also followed him into the Presidential race, where several reports have shown that McCain has faced far more negative stories as a percentage than Obama has.
These first four chapters are the core of the book and the foundation on which the last five chapters address from different perspectives. In each of these first four chapters Obama gives us some insight into his successful campaign for the U.S. Senate, as well as his other elections and how he navigated the rapids, sometimes more successfully than others. He also deals with what he feels are the dangers of continuing down the same path of divisiveness which the parties have been headed down since the end of the Cold War, though most of his focus is on the way the current administration has handled things since he came to the Senate in 2004.
Chapter five, "Opportunity", is a look at his own opportunities as well as those of others. For himself, he looks at how the decisions he has made have either moved him away from his constituency, or closer to them. He looks at the use of private jets in both a positive and negative light. He talks about his meetings with groups as diverse as the founders of Google and the union-leaders who were about to see the jobs leave for overseas. The opportunities of others are focused on jobs, and he presents a short history of the private sector and discusses it in relation to the current climate. He does not pretend that globalization can (or should) be stopped, but he does push for a new "economic consensus" and the need for education. His views here have stayed consistent; though have become more defined, during his run for the Presidency.
Chapter six, "Faith", looks at faith and its role in politics. Depending on your viewpoint, you may feel that he is giving the standard Democratic responses, or you may feel that he providing something new, at least in part. For myself, it is the latter view. He opens the chapter with a story about a doctor who is pro-life and who expresses his disappointment about the abortion view stated on Obama's web site, not because Obama is pro-choice, but because the statement portrayed all those who were pro-life as ideologues. The story is powerful, and Obama's response to it sets him apart from those who give the knee-jerk pro-choice response. Fundamentally, Obama recognizes that virtually everyone would like to see fewer abortions; i.e. that we all would like to see the conditions which result in a woman being forced to make such a choice reduced. There are many of us who are not ideologues for either the pro-choice or pro-life positions who would like to build on this common ground. That particular story has become somewhat famous, but this chapter has another story along the same lines, where Obama talks about how he had stated that his faith led him to the conclusion that marriage was between a man and woman, and those same-sex couples could have equal rights, but that it shouldn't be called marriage. He discusses how a young woman was offended by this, because by saying that it came from his faith, implied that he felt that same-sex couples were "bad people". Of course, Obama has not changed his view on whether same-sex marriage should be allowed, but one does wonder how that community views his position there, and if they still feel he is looking at them as "bad people".
Chapter seven, "Race", is the one which I found the most interesting. One of the most important insights in this area, is his understanding that "white guilt has largely exhausted itself in America" and the implications that has for society and race relations. Also very interesting was his discussion of Mac Alexander, a black business man who was doing his best to restore his neighborhood, and his observations and experiences with regards to having jobs for young men from these areas. There is a perception in some areas that drug dealing is the occupation of choice, rather than necessity. His experiences in this area would seem to disprove that. He has no shortage of applicants for jobs starting at $8.00 per hour. This chapter also looks at the changing dynamics between Blacks and Latinos in the Chicago area. His discussion of the move from the war on poverty, to the anger over welfare is also very insightful and worth reading.
Chapter eight, "The World beyond Our Borders", starts with a look at Indonesia, a country in which he spent some of his youth. He discusses the changes there, political, economic, and cultural and the change in attitude towards the U.S. and the west as well as the change in our perception of Indonesia. He uses this as an example to launch a more general discussion of the change in attitudes of the U.S. towards the rest of the world and vice-versa. This then moves into a discussion of the post-9/11 world, and what Obama feels the needs are for the United States to pursue globally. He talks about the need and the benefits to the United States to follow international law, and not act as if such laws are for everyone other than the United States.
Chapter nine, "Family", focuses on family issues, and features stories both from Obama's childhood as well as the issues facing his family with Michelle and their two girls Malia and Sasha. He relates his issues with those facing most families, i.e. education, budget, time, and once again looks for areas of common ground on which to build. Many of these issues were touched upon in other areas of the book, as there is a tremendous amount of overlap between family, faith, and the other areas.
Barack Obama does a very good job of using personal examples from his life and the lives of those he is close to and using them to highlight key issues which face many Americans. I like his approach of looking for common ground, and one can only hope that he should use that approach to governing should he be elected President. There is little doubt that conservatives will take issue with many of his approaches to dealing with the issues that American's face, but they may find that they have at least some agreement on the overall goals and respect for his approach. I preferred this book to his first one, as I feel his writing improved. It also contains a discussion of issues which face all of us.
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