President Barack Obama: Dreams of My Father and Audacity of Truth
I just completed two books by President Barack Obama: both written before he was President. Dreams of my Father and Audacity of Hope.
In Dreams, written when Mr. Obama became the first African-American Editor of the Law Review at Harvard University, the stories begin when he was young child. His mother, whom he loved intensely and recently lost due to cancer, was a Caucasian woman from the the mid-west with radical ideas.
Those ideas resulted in her marrying a Kenyan man who fathered Barack and gave Barack his father's name. Apparently, after leaving the family Barack Sr. was called back to Kenya to re stake his position as a tribal leader. Though young Barack did not see his father much, he held him in high esteem, as did his mother. Later we learn Barack had extended Kenyan family fathered by Barack Sr.
His mother went on to marry and Indonesian man while living in Hawaii. This marriage proved to be less then ideal. Barack grew up to age 10 in Indonesia, where his sister was born, in slum like conditions. His mother insisted he learn American/English lessons and eventually arranged for him to move back to Hawaii to live with his white grandparents and enroll in Private school there.
Eventually Barack was accepted at a California University and then to Harvard Law School. However the impact of the book was Barack's indoctrination into the world where white American defined what the black man's plight was.
The book essentially ends there since it was written before Barack avidly entered politics. One interesting point, I found, was the title of the next book was taken from a sermon by Pastor Wright, The Audacity of Hope, which for all the negative press, was not about hating America, but rather about the hope for equality; think woman's suffrage, voting, black prejudice, and a humane nation.
In Audacity Congressman and Senator Obama speak from a political perspective. Now his message is how to take the lessons of his life and make them happen in his political life. I think the biggest take away from this book was President Obama's message about the Reagan years "framing of issues." The President acknowledges and applauds President Reagan's ability and insight to change to the dialog from one of balancing interests to creating interests to balance.
In other words Reagan mastery was in changing the issues from a discussion, and even debate, about tax structure versus human quality of life; from an economically strong middle class to welfare state. He was able to polarize the Nation and Republicans have wisely clung to that system. You are either for abortion or against it. There is no longer discussion about the rights of individuals who are pregnant. You are either for big government or for small government. Never mind that President Clinton put the U.S. in a huge economic surplus and President Bush spent all of it and created deficit by increasing government to subsidize war.
The effor since Reagan has been to undo what FDR did in the New Deal. Giving Americans security of earning enough to live, to stay healthy enought to work and live, to get an education, to get a new start through Banckruptcy and other programs.
President Obama seeks to re frame the issues to universally shared values rather then simplistic for or against issues. Values all Americans share, like individual liberty, family, societal living. If the "issues" are framed as values then may be the answers would not be nearly as partisan.
In conclusion, I feel better, as I always do, getting my information from something other then the soundbites offered by conservative talk shows or liberal talk shows, news and new media. It is vital that we form opinions and take actions based on sound, researched information.
Whether you agree or disagree with your President, read about him. I have certainly read Ann Coulter, vehemently disagreed, but , at least, came away knowing her perspective much better then before reading her message.
Finally, I cam across the followoing interview from President Obama I though interesting:
Barack Obama's first book, Dreams from My Father, was a compelling and moving memoir focusing on personal issues of race, identity, and community. With his second book The Audacity of Hope, Obama engages themes raised in his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, shares personal views on faith and values and offers a vision of the future that involves repairing a "political process that is broken" and restoring a government that has fallen out of touch with the people. We had the opportunity to ask Senator Obama a few questions about writing, reading, and politics--see his responses below. --Daphne Durham
20 Second Interview: A Few Words with Barack Obama
Q: How did writing a book that you knew would be read so closely by so many compare to writing your first book, when few people knew who you were?
A: In many ways, Dreams from My Father was harder to write. At that point, I wasn't even sure that I could write a book. And writing the first book really was a process of self-discovery, since it touched on my family and my childhood in a much more intimate way. On the other hand, writing The Audacity of Hope paralleled the work that I do every day--trying to give shape to all the issues that we face as a country, and providing my own personal stamp on them.
Q: What is your writing process like? You have such a busy schedule, how did you find time to write?
A: I'm a night owl, so I usually wrote at night after my Senate day was over, and after my family was asleep--from 9:30 p.m. or so until 1 a.m. I would work off an outline--certain themes or stories that I wanted to tell--and get them down in longhand on a yellow pad. Then I'd edit while typing in what I'd written.
Q: If readers are to come away from The Audacity of Hope with one action item (a New Year's Resolution for 2007, perhaps?), what should it be?
A: Get involved in an issue that you're passionate about. It almost doesn’t matter what it is--improving the school system, developing strategies to wean ourselves off foreign oil, expanding health care for kids. We give too much of our power away, to the professional politicians, to the lobbyists, to cynicism. And our democracy suffers as a result.
Q: You're known for being able to work with people across ideological lines. Is that possible in today's polarized Washington?
A: It is possible. There are a lot of well-meaning people in both political parties. Unfortunately, the political culture tends to emphasize conflict, the media emphasizes conflict, and the structure of our campaigns rewards the negative. I write about these obstacles in chapter 4 of my book, "Politics." When you focus on solving problems instead of scoring political points, and emphasize common sense over ideology, you'd be surprised what can be accomplished. It also helps if you're willing to give other people credit--something politicians have a hard time doing sometimes.
Q: How do you make people passionate about moderate and complex ideas?
A: I think the country recognizes that the challenges we face aren't amenable to sound-bite solutions. People are looking for serious solutions to complex problems. I don't think we need more moderation per se--I think we should be bolder in promoting universal health care, or dealing with global warming. We just need to understand that actually solving these problems won't be easy, and that whatever solutions we come up with will require consensus among groups with divergent interests. That means everybody has to listen, and everybody has to give a little. That's not easy to do.
Q: What has surprised you most about the way Washington works?
A: How little serious debate and deliberation takes place on the floor of the House or the Senate.
Q: You talk about how we have a personal responsibility to educate our children. What small thing can the average parent (or person) do to help improve the educational system in America? What small thing can make a big impact?
A: Nothing has a bigger impact than reading to children early in life. Obviously we all have a personal obligation to turn off the TV and read to our own children; but beyond that, participating in a literacy program, working with parents who themselves may have difficulty reading, helping their children with their literacy skills, can make a huge difference in a child's life.
Q: Do you ever find time to read? What kinds of books do you try to make time for? What is on your nightstand now?
A: Unfortunately, I had very little time to read while I was writing. I'm trying to make up for lost time now. My tastes are pretty eclectic. I just finished Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead, a wonderful book. The language just shimmers. I've started Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, which is a great study of Lincoln as a political strategist. I read just about anything by Toni Morrison, E.L. Doctorow, or Philip Roth. And I've got a soft spot for John le Carre.
Q: What inspires you? How do you stay motivated?
A: I'm inspired by the people I meet in my travels--hearing their stories, seeing the hardships they overcome, their fundamental optimism and decency. I'm inspired by the love people have for their children. And I'm inspired by my own children, how full they make my heart. They make me want to work to make the world a little bit better. And they make me want to be a better man.
