Posts with the tag audacity of hope

It Matters What We Believe

Rev. John Crestwell — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:53:08 EST

IT MATTERS WHAT WE BELIEVE

Rev. John T. Crestwell Jr.

December 6, 2008

It truly matters what we believe. Some of the things we hold construct, while others tear-down. Some of the things we accept allow us to be hopeful, while many other things we believe cause fear and doubt. Some of the things we believe help us to do more than we ever thought we could or to bear a heavy burden, while other beliefs castrate our sense of dignity and purpose, or push us to give up way to soon on something we want. Yes, it matters what we believe…

Appreciating Obama's Book and Why They Attack His Roots

William Henry Mee — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 15:47:24 EST

My father taught me many things about appreciating a new book. He told me that each book was like an adventurous journey and opened an opportunity for your mind to expand. He taught me how to play games with a book: to read the first sentence in it and the last sentence and see if there was something really profound that the writer was trying to communicate to the outside world.

So in Barack Obama’s book titled: The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, the first sentence is: “On most days, I enter the Capitol through the basement” and the last sentence is: “My heart is filled with love for this country.” So that I think of a half Black man entering our nation’s Legislative headquarters as a very humble and honorable thing. Quiet contrary to the criticism of this man as a latte-drinking arugula-eating elitist. A man who uses fancy words and is eloquent and intelligent and somehow threatens the average Joe—the Joe sixpack and Joe the Plumber.

Then that last sentence in his book goes to the heart of the criticism of this man as an: unpatriotic, Muslim and someone who “pals” around with terrorists. Discussions by Palin talk about the Real America and how Obama is someone not like us, a guy who would threaten our way of life. Be it gun-toting, Bible-thumping, abortion clinic-bombing culture warriors.

These are the despicable Lee Atwater-Karl Rove tactics to attack the very strengths of a candidate and then lie about them to achieve just some doubt in the minds of the voters. Then spring on them the “October Surprise.” It is a sad type of politics but it worked for George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. Senator McCain is surrounded by former Bush handlers, Karl Rove disciplines and then last month even Karl Rove himself.

“Spreading the wealth around” in their minds is ‘socialism and worse yet ‘communism.’ Senator Mel Martinez compares Obama to Castro in another desperate Florida fight for the minds and even souls of Hispanics. Yet, this year they are not buying it. We are not buying it. We are snakebit from the last few times anyone went with a Republican. Yes, even going back to Ronald W. Reagan and our foundations for this economic turndown and recession.

Obama on the National Book Critics Circle blog

Richard Tayson — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:45:50 EDT

"Critical Mass," the blog of the National Book Critics Circle board of directors, contains a posting I and others have made concerning a question the board posed to its members: which work of fiction or nonfiction or poetry best captures the realities of American political culture?

I responded with thoughts about "The Audacity of Hope:"

Barack Obama's THE AUDACITY OF HOPE is the most important book that I have read this year. The reasons: not only does Obama give a succinct history of the post-WWII shaping of the American political landscape (along with a tempered description of what is wrong with American political culture--either / or thinking that keeps politicians from empathizing with those who may not agree with them)--he also gives examples of how he has worked in government to bridge seemingly intractable differences. One such example is when he sponsored a bill in the Illinois state senate that would require videotaping of interrogations and confessions in capital crimes. This occurred after thirteen death row inmates had been exonerated because the system leading to capital punishment had been found to be so flawed that the Republican governor had decided to place a moratorium on state-sponsored executions. Against the odds, Obama succeeded, and he tells us why: "Instead of focusing on the serious disagreements around the table, I talked about the common value that I believed everyone shared, regardless of how each of us might feel about the death penalty: that is, the basic pricnciple that no innocent person should end up on death row, and that no person guilty of a capital offense should go free. . . .It passed unanimously in the Illinois Senate and was signed into law." THE AUDACITY OF HOPE made me wonder what it would be like to live in a world in which our nation's Capitol became a place where elected women and men heard the commonalities they have, rather than the barrage of noise about their, and our, differences.

See the complete blog at

http://bookcriticscircle.blogspot.com/2008/10/nbcc-reads-fall-2008.html

Being Fair to Joe the Plumber

David Banach — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:10:44 EDT

I was bit disappointed with the discussion of Joe the Plumber in the last debate. But not because McCain chose to take from the discussion an issue that divided us: Should we “spread the wealth around” in a way that might seem be more equitable through a socialist-like redistribution of income? Nor was it because it propagated the fiction that there are lots of people just like us, teachers, fireman, and plumbers, who make $250,000 a year. I expected that. What disappointed me was that Obama didn’t take the opportunity to make a case for progressive taxation that was a foundation of the economic message in his book, The Audacity of Hope.

There are values that we all share. Values that define who we are as a nation: (1) The American Dream: that every American, no matter who they are or where they come from, can achieve a good life for their family it they work hard and play by the rules; (2) Fairness: Everyone should pay their fair share of the costs for the benefits they reap from our society; (3) We Are All in this Together: In America we rise and fall together. We don’t cut and run, abandoning those who stood by us in the social compact that binds us as a nation.

The case for asking Joe, or anyone else that rises far enough to make $250,000 a year, to pay more taxes than the rest of us has nothing to do with income equity and redistribution and everything to do with these basic values. Joe benefited from our educational system and from laws and regulations that kept the playing field level for people like him. Before he became successful, he couldn’t afford to fund these things from which he benefited as much as he can now. Does he really want to deny this same opportunity to those who, though no fault of their own, haven’t yet become as successful as he has?

Joe, because of his success, uses, and benefits from, more of the resources of our society than someone less successful. If you have seven houses, you benefit much more from the fire protection budget than someone with none. Joe has benefited more from the stable economic climate our military expenditures and economic regulations have provided. His fleet of vans and the chemicals he sends down drains cost us more as a society to clean up after than a teacher does. Does he really think it is fair to not pay his fair share for the systems he benefits from?

If Joe were to become old or disabled, lose his business, or face a catastrophic illness in his family, we as a society would not abandon him. We are only as good as we treat the least of our brothers, and only as strong as the weakest of our neighbors. He depends upon his neighbors being well off enough to buy his services. His quality of life depends on the people in his neighborhood having enough hope to keep them from turning to a life of crime or drugs. He is not an island: his customers, the people who serve him when he goes out to dinner, who bag his groceries, and valet park his car all affect him and make up his community. Now that he has made it, does he really want to abandon them? Will he really cut and run on the people with whom he lives? We are all in this together.

I thought Obama’s performance was good enough. But what I really would have liked to have heard in this time when fear is overpowering hope, what I really would have like to have seen, was Barack Obama’s calm face and warm eyes looking our from my TV screen and saying: “In America, anyone can become Joe the plumber. In America, if you play by the rules, anyone make a safe home for their family. In America, even in this time of trouble, we are all in this together. This isn’t just in Red America. This isn’t just in Blue America. It’s just America, and these are the values that define us.”

Suggested Ayers response

allison — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:18:51 EDT

I'd like to see the Obama campaign turn the Ayers story into one that fits the message of this campaign: The audiacity of hope. They could do so with statement such as this:

A Curious Relationship to the Sixties

Sandra from Atlanta, GA — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 04:41:20 EDT

This inaugural post on Baby Boomers for Obama is just that: An inauguration of another conversation about this amazing time and this inspiring man in American history. I hope this blog attracts lots of stimulating and politically astute conversation, and I hope that happens right away, since we have no time to lose, election day being just over a month away.

For now, though, with the first presidential debate of 2008 still echoing in my ears, I just want to savor the moment and throw out a few random thoughts while getting more substantial ones together.

Are you reading or have you read Barack Obama’s The Audacity of Hope? If so and if you're a Baby Boomer, Barack’s confession that he’d "always felt a curious relationship to the sixties" (p. 29) must have brought a smile to your face. It certainly made me, a person who entered high school in 1960, smile–not just smile, but actually grin. And sit up a little straighter. And read a little more attentively..

I'm Back

Bob — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 19:27:22 EDT

I finished reading Dreams from My Father, and the Audacity of Hope a while ago. I thought that dreams from my father was won of the most interesting books that I have ever read. Audacity was interesting because you can see why he takes the positions he does. I would have to give both books 2 thumbs up.

all right, now that I'm done with that. Is anyone else sick and tired of hearing McCain? I mean it seems that every time this guy opens his old mouth he digs himself into an even deeper whole. "the fundamentals of our economy are strong"? wtf!? and then he said that the "fundamentals" are the american workers? Bullshit. ok. now my question is, why are the polls this close? I know that Barack has pulled back ahead, but with all the gaffs that the McCain campaign has been making lately (blackberry), but shouldn't Obama be ahead by 15-20 points. Is it just because people aren't paying attention? Are most americans just ignorant? or are the polls just not accurate? If someone has an answer please let me know.

That's enough ranting and raving for me. Peace out.

Bob

Mortality and 9/11

Breeze Bryson — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:39:35 EDT

Mortality and 9/11.

It’s seven years later and we, as a nation, are set to remember the horror and honor the dead and heroes of September 11, 2001. For some, it’s a private moment of grief that will never go away on this date because they lost a loved one. For others, it is a picture of destruction that they wish they could erase from their memory—the disbelief, the shock, the fear! Lurking in the shadows is the thought that it could happen again. It could happen to mine! It could happen to me!

So, it was reassuring to turn on the television this morning, to find several hundred members of Congress on the steps of their building solemnly taking turns with short speeches commemorating the events of 2001. Republicans and Democrats, senators and representatives in a visual demonstration of solidarity, shoulder to shoulder—a truly bipartisan occasion.

Standing out from all who stood was Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, who was seated in a wheel chair in the front row. I don’t know if he had made a speech before I tuned it, but I know he was an integral part of the proceeding because whenever something was said that touched him, he would utter words of agreement, almost like an echo. “Yes!” “ That’s true.” “We do” “Amen.”

At age 91, he is the oldest member of Congress, truly one of it’s greatest orators and defenders of our Constitution. Congress would not be the same without him. As these thoughts crossed my mind, I was moved to tears, tears for the losses of 9/11, tears for all those lost is the wars fought in the name of preventing another 9/11, and tears for a beloved legislator who doesn’t let age or infirmity keep him from keeping on and tears for how I will miss him when he’s gone.

In “The Audacity of Hope, ” Senator Obama devotes several pages to Senator Byrd. I’m sure he will miss him, too.

Breeze Bryson on September 11, 2008

Presidential Candidate Barack Obama - Bold Innovations and Opportunities

Sanjay Dalal — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 23:36:36 EDT

Presidential Candidate Barack Obama - Bold Innovations and Opportunities

"If we act boldly, then our economy will be less vulnerable to economic disruption, our trade balance will improve, the pace of U.S. technological innovation will accelerate, and the American worker will be in a stronger position to adapt to the global economy," states Barack Obama, the Democratic U.S. Senator of Illinois and now the Democratic nominee for President, in his (new) book "The Audacity of Hope". Senator Obama lays out a vision for reclaiming the American Dream aided by a government built on our best traditions, representing our everyday lives, uniting our common hopes and dreams, and creating an unbreakable bond.

Senator Obama was (has recently been) picked to represent the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee, along with the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee. He says keeping the American people safe should always be our top priority. He will also work for the Foreign Relations committee, and the Veterans' Affairs committee. Working simultaneously in four different committees is an honor, a measure of respect, and a remarkable feat for any U.S. Senator. (He was also on the cover of Time Magazine hinting of a run for the presidency in 2008.)

Three Innovation Opportunities

Senator Obama is not only focused on promoting economic growth and bringing good paying jobs to Illinois, but also creating substantial innovative opportunities in education, science and technology, and energy for America. In his book, he talks about how "investments in all these three key areas (education, science and technology, and energy) would go a long way in making America more competitive." He agrees that none of these investments will produce immediate results; these investments will actually cost money and resources in the near term. However, he believes that such investments in R & D and education, increasing fuel efficiency of American cars (e.g. Tesla, Toyota, Honda, Ford, and future electric cars by GM), instituting performance pay for public-school teachers, understanding the feasibility of school vouchers and evaluating the viability of hydrogen fuel cells are necessary.

"But while the means we use to accomplish these ends should be subject to vigorous and open debate, the ends themselves shouldn't be in dispute," states Senator Obama in a prose reminiscent of President Abraham Lincoln. He emphasizes that "like those before us, we should be asking ourselves what mix of policies will lead to a dynamic free market and widespread economic security, entrepreneurial innovation and upwards mobility." He even asks us to be guided by President Lincoln's simple maxim: "that we will do collectively, through our government, only those things that we cannot do well or at all individually and privately."

Globalization

Whereas Senator Obama observes that globalization has brought significant benefits to American consumers such as lowered prices on goods including big-screen TVs and winter fruits, increased the purchasing power, kept inflation in check, boosted stock returns, created new markets for U.S. companies overseas, and even reduced poverty in foreign countries; however, globalization has also increased economic instability for millions of ordinary Americans as more U.S. companies have automated, downsized, outsourced, and offshored. Obama believes the effects of globalization create a so-called "winner-take-all" economy where a rising tide doesn't lift all the boats. Knowledge workers such as engineers, lawyers, consultants, doctors, marketers are doing well now; however, blue-collared workers whose skills can be automated, digitized, outsourced or offshored for less are clearly hurting.

Senator Obama asserts that "our greatest asset has been our system of social organization, a system that for generations has encouraged constant innovation, individual initiative, and the efficient allocation of resources." The classic paradox is whether we should consider our free-market system as a given and let it ride naturally - "laissez-faire", or whether our government should take action to open up opportunity, encourage competition, and make the market work better. In the past government has been called upon to build the infrastructure, train the workforce, and lay foundations necessary for economic growth. For President Lincoln, the essence of America was opportunity, the ability of "free labor" to advance in life.

Government Innovations

Senator Obama provides several examples on how our government has provided individuals the tools to adapt and innovate in a climate of constant technological change. From the GI Bill that made college education available to millions, to the creation of public schools, universities and institutions of higher education, formation of National Academy of Sciences, Homestead Act, Hoover Dam, interstate highway system, Tennessee Valley Authority, Darpa, Internet, Human Genome Project, Federal Reserve Bank, Food and Drug Act, Meat Inspection Act, FDR's New Deal, Securities and Exchange Commission, FDIC insurance, tax cuts, Social Security, forty-hour workweek, child labor laws, minimum wage act, National Labor Relations Act, and the Great Society programs including Medicare, Medicaid, Welfare, EPA and Occupational Health and Safety Administration -- countless innovations through out the history led by our great leaders.

Senator Obama makes a fundamental point that "capitalism is not standing still." The unavoidable globalization, competition, and technological revolution stifle our economy and frustrate our people. He makes a strong case for investments that can make America more competitive in the global economy: investments in education, science and technology, and energy independence. He provides examples of schools in Chicago where students only get a few hours of school each day: the number one issue being the school district cannot afford to pay the teachers for one whole day. He talks about workers who have lost their jobs because companies want more profits or can't compete. He discusses the rising gas prices and our dependence on oil to the tune of $800 million dollars every day.

Education Innovations

It is evident that Senator Obama deeply cares about education. He emphasizes innovation and bold reforms in education. He recommends that we should "identify those reforms that have the highest impact on student achievement, fund them adequately, and eliminate those programs that don't produce results." He provides some examples of education reform and suggests that we have many good ideas, but we don't do a great job of executing on them. For instance, challenging and rigorous curriculum with emphasis on math, science and literacy skills; longer hours and more days to give children the time and sustained attention they need to learn; early childhood education for every child, so they're not already behind on their first day of school; meaningful, performance-based assessments that can provide a fuller picture of how a student is doing; and the recruitment and training of transformative principals and more effective teachers. He believes that teachers should be held accountable, and at the same time rewarded for their effectiveness -- even salaries of $100,000 a year based on experience, performance and qualification. Obama also emphasizes need for higher education reform, especially for science, engineering and technology, and management of rising cost of public college tuition that has risen 40 percent over the last five years. Finally, direct help in meeting college expenses in the form of grants, low-interest loans, tax-free educational savings accounts, or full tax deductibility of tuition and fees.

Science And Technology Innovations

Senator Obama has a concrete plan for maintaining our scientific and technological edge that will spearhead future innovations: the plan will cost $42 billion over five years. He recommends that "if we want an innovation economy, one that generates more Googles each year, then we have to invest in our future innovators -- by doubling federal funding of basic research over the next five years, training one hundred thousand more engineers and scientists over the next four years, or providing new research grants to the most outstanding early-career researchers in the country." He believes this is necessary to maintain America's competitive edge. He refers to the Morrill Act signed by President Lincoln that created the system of land grant colleges, institutions of higher learning, and nation's primary research and development laboratories. He asserts that these institutions have inspired and created nation's innovators, and applied research from such institutions has resulted in commercial applications.

Energy Innovations

Finally, Senator Obama calls for energy independence. He believes that if we are to become more competitive, we have to build an energy infrastructure. U.S. demand for oil will jump 40 percent over the next twenty years; further our dependence on foreign oil only serves the interests of volatile regimes. Oil erodes the environment. When U.S. has only 3 percent of the world's oil reserves, and uses 25 percent of the world's oil, alternatives must be sought: create renewable, cleaner energy sources for the twenty-first century. He proposes that "we should end every single tax break the industry currently receives and demand that 1 percent of the revenues from oil companies with over $1 billion in quarterly profits go toward financing alternative energy research and the necessary infrastructure." Obama touts Brazil as a good example where a mix of regulation and direct government investment has developed a highly efficient biofuel industry and 70 percent of new vehicles run on sugar-based ethanol instead of gasoline. Obama believes that regulation when applied with flexibility and sensitivity to market forces can actually spur private sector innovation and investment in the energy sector. Fuel-efficient cars and alternative fuels are the future of the auto industry. Obama proposed legislation called "Health Care for Hybrids" that makes a deal with U.S. automakers: "In exchange for federal assistance in meeting the health-care costs of retired autoworkers, the Big Three would reinvest these savings into developing more fuel-efficient vehicles." Obama thinks that investments in alternative fuel sources will lead to creation of thousands of new jobs.

Uncommon Insights

Senator Obama shares with us insights from Robert Rubin, the former U.S. Treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton, and Warren Buffet. Rubin suggests that "there's no limit to human ingenuity." The insight gained from Rubin is that we can slow globalization, but can't stop it. For instance, when one buys an American good, it could be developed by overseas software programmers and packaged outside our borders. Billionaire Buffet shares an uncommon insight that he will be paying a lower effective tax rate than his receptionist. Not only that, he is paying a lower rate of tax than the average American. Buffet believes that "some of that wealth (rich people) has to be plowed back into education, so that the next generation has a fair chance, and to maintain our infrastructure, and provide some sort of safety net for those who lose out in a market economy." What Buffet is essentially reverberating is a "change in spirit, a willingness to put our common interests and the interests of future generations ahead of short-term expediency."

Bottomline:

Senator Barack Obama is a visionary, a real leader, an innovator who can bridge the nation whole, analytical yet convincing, grounded in history and tradition, and progressive in his prescription for change. He is a creative innovator who believes in a proactive government creating an environment that facilitates reforms in education, science and technology, and energy. He believes that strategic investments in these three key areas will empower America to create a stronger economy that will create countless new opportunities for innovators and workers alike.

References:

Barack Obama: The Audacity of Hope. Thoughts On Reclaiming The American Dream.

Originally published: November 20, 2006. Reposted with some revisions.http://creativityandinnovation.blogspot.com/2008/08/presidential-candidate-barack-obama.html

The Audacity of Hope Part I

Ben Garves — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 22:10:28 EDT

I have been reading the Audacity of Hope, Obama's second book, over the last few days. Today I stopped and put it down after reading past chapter five. I sat there on the couch, and took a few seconds of my day to think about what I had just read. I have never, or would never think it possible that I could sit down and read the entirety of someone's public policy or agenda without being forced to. Not only did Obama make the thing interesting, but it is damn good too. I am winding down on a six week trip to Italy, and after reading six pages of this book, the only thing that I can think about is getting back to Washington so I can help this man campaign.

Back in late winter- February, i think- I was blessed with the opportunity to see the senator live at Seattle's own Key Arena. I went alone with my trusted camera, and took picures of the massive crowd. As Seattle's Mayor, Greg Nickels opened with a statement, and Christine Gregiore- Washinton's Governor- officially stated her endorcement of Obama, I continued to snap photos. Finally, when Barack stepped onstage with a microphone and began his captivatingly inspiring speach, I looke d around. I was sitting in a section filled with women from the Nurses union. The woman next to me was crying out of pure joy and belief in what the man onstage was saying. Barack obama was the man for the job and the 25,000 people filling the stadium that day knew it. I myself was so enthralled with Obama's speach that I never did take any photos of him speaking.

This is the kind of man that I want as a president.

Cable Be Gone!

Bombaycowgirl — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 04:16:15 EDT

This is in response to my first post. I'm going without and wow -- what a joy. You don't know what you got till it's gone...

Life without Cable TV is good. I just watched a video on FORA.tv of Obama on his Audacity of Hope book tour. The video is about an hour long but totally worth it. This FORA.tv video paints the picture of his mind right before he announced running for President. It's very interesting... very good!

Let me know if you watch it and what you think. Peas out.

The Audacity of Hope

Dylan Price — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:06:26 EDT

Official 'pay it forward' music video of collaboration for the song 'hope is alive'.
Song written by Dylan A Price/Wayne Cohen, sung by Dylan A Price, video written/directed by Geoff Fairbanks, video edited by Wasim Muklashy.
Keep your HOPE alive and spread our thread of hope.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xzdZWI1QAY

To Believe or Not to Believe, the Audacity of Hope

Nick Danger — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 02:15:24 EDT

How often do we ask for our Daily Bread to be given and really believe that it will be done because it already is in motion according to devine law? Not really Obamistic blogging just reciting a mantra for change in my personal life. But isn't this election all about change for most Americans? It's about change and new beginnings, change and new life injected into the lifeless...This is an election about "Hope"... For so many of us it is about having the opportunity offered to compete with the best and to become the best we possibly can in all areas of our life. Barack Obama offers this hope and it is up to all of us to get that message out to those on the fence and even a few on the other side. What are your strategies to reach out? I've got my ears to the ground...

They don't know him

Andrew Pulrang — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:06:02 EDT

More than race, more than ideology, more than the stupid rumors, I think the biggest barrier to people voting for Sen. Obama for President ... people who would vote for him in a heartbeat if all they saw was his party affiliation ... is that he's new. They don't know him. I think a lot of people need to feel a personal connection and familiarity to vote for someone. I don't feel that way. Although a more personal insight does help, I don't feel I need to relate personally to a candidate.

This past weekend I bought Sen. Obama's two books in audiobook format. I'm almost through "Dreams From My Father", and it's wonderful ... informative, moving, and funny. I wish there was a way to get his books ... hard copy or audio ... into the hands of masses of people who say they don't "know" Barack Obama, people who are "uneasy" about him. There is no way you can read or hear his books without being impressed with and attracted to his intelligence and wisdom.

So, how can we help more people to meet our candidate through his own words?

Was It A Dream?

Nancy Lloyd — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:28:51 EDT

When I woke up this morning, that was my first thought -- did Barack Obama become the Democratic nominee last night? Then, YES, He DID!! That, I know, is a universal circular thought process in the human mind. And so often, it has happened after negative events. I still wake up sometimes wondering if the weirdness of 9/11 really happened. Perhaps because here, in Pacific Time, it was something that I awoke directly into on that day in 2001.

I was listening a little while ago to pundits on MSNBC discussing children 7 or 8 years old who now believe that a black person or a woman can be President. The boomer-age people like me wondered in amazement, and stated that they kept saying, is this really happening? And I thought, yes, indeed.

I knew the dream of hope long ago when I looked into the eyes of my baby grandson, now a toddler, or as he likes to call himself, a Big Boy -- I saw the future there in his eyes as I heard behind me on the TV the words of Barack Obama as he announced that he was going to run for the Presidency of the United States.

When I speak to the little boy's 22-year-old mommy I hear happiness yet casual apathy about the nomination. The epiphany for me is that this is a victory. While her generation has studied the history of the U.S. and race relations and MLK, and she has personally seen the prejudice in society, even to that age group, it is a given that any worthy person can be President. Many younger people are directly responsible for the hard work that went into this nomination, because they, unlike the middle-aged among us, absolutely knew that it was possible, they believed in the URGENCY OF NOW, and had the AUDACITY OF HOPE.

It is time that all of us who have worked on this campaign, who have believed in Barack Obama, who voted for him, and those that are now coming aboard, to pay the AUDACITY OF HOPE forward.

--Nancy Lloyd 06/04/08

The Audacity Of Hope

Joel Lazo — Sat, 17 May 2008 21:34:38 EDT

Inspirational passages and sections of books that I find striking and touch on an issue or emotion that is very close to my heart almost always come from works of fiction. The remarkable journey of Holden in Salinger'sCatcher in the Rye, the story of ultimate adventure and loyalty found in Jack Kerouac's On the Road, and the controversial yet inspiring poems of Alan Ginsberg - these and other great and compelling works are my ordinary forum for inspiration. These are the books that when we revisit them years later, we find underlined paragraphs, highlighted portions, and a jotting of personal reactions in the inviting margins; things we forgot we marked to remember in the future but still ring as true and strike the same unnerving chord as we read the words years down the road.

I cannot remember ever having an "evolutionary" and emotional experience such as this when reading a work of nonfiction - especially not an autobiographical one. However, I found this happening constantly while reading Mr. Obama's The Audacity of Hope. Feelings of nostalgia, of excitement, and of pride came rushing over me while reading some of Senator Obama's experiences growing up - his broken home upbringing, his grassroots story of overcoming the odds to grab at success. These are all aspects of his life that ring true of mine as well. Things I can not only be inspired by but that I can identify with.

OBAMA '08 ~ Audacity of Hope

alyce rocco — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:49:39 EDT

Got this from an excellent OBAMA '08 Community blog post this morning.

The Audacity of Hope (pg.105): “Neither ambition nor single-mindedness fully accounts for the behavior of politicians…. There is a companion emotion, perhaps more pervasive and certainly more destructive, an emotion that, after the giddiness of your offical annoucement as a candidate, rapidly locks you in its grip and doesn’t release you until after Election Day. That emotion is fear. Not just fear of losing – although that is bad enough – but fear of total, complete humiliation.”

OBAMA '08 ~ Audacity of Hope

alyce rocco — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:47:06 EDT

Got this from an OBAMA '08 Community Blog this morning.

Audacity of Hope (pg. 25): “That politics will need to reflect our lives as they are actually lived. It won’t be prepackaged, ready to pull off the shelf. It will have to be constructed from the best of our traditions and will have to account for the darker aspects of our past. We will need to understand how we got to this place, this land of warring factions and tribal hatreds. And we will need to remind ourselves, despite all our diferences, just how much we share: common hopes, common dreams, a bond that will not break.”

Barack's books

David — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 12:53:18 EDT

I started with "Dreams From My Father" last September and finished it this winter, now started "The Audacity of Hope". They've been great. I thought the first book was good because it was written before he got so far down the road he has taken working in representative government and politics. Barack's service ethic is something I respect greatly, and also strive to practice in my own life.

I very much enjoyed what I have read so far. It gives me a deep appreciation for Barack's intelligence, perspicacity, diversity of background and experience; his sense of identity, his determination and work with all kinds of people who felt they were without a voice are cause for great respect as well.

I truly believe that Barack Obama is a great unifying leader, and a listener who will help us move this nation forward at such a troubling time. Like nobody our nation has seen in the Presidency since perhaps Abraham Lincoln.

It is finally time to get beyond the polarized politics of the past, and Barack Obama is doing a great job leading us in that direction so far. He consistently takes the high road and shows, like Dr. King did, that there is a real and Christian way to respond to violence and evil without resorting to it oneself.

I'd love to hear the CDs, but am happy my wife was able to get our books signed by Barack during his visit in early March here to Ohio.

OBAMA '08 OBAMA '08

Mindboggling Prophecies in Audacity of Hope...

Julie Hensley — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:09:09 EDT

While reading Audacity of Hope in the last few days it is quite startling how effectively Obama has addressed the concerns regarding his campaign. Everything from race to faith is carefully explored.

If you want to consider yourself an Obama supporter, if you want to be able to answer questions -either yours or others - you defintely need to read Audacity of Hope. If you want to help the campaign, get several copies and pass them around. Ask people to pay it forward - to read it and then forward it to others.

Get the word out. Let Obama explain... read his books and commit passages to memory if that is the way that works for you.

I would love to quote passages here but to be honest, I see something of merit on nearly every page. From page 56-59 where he discusses how to approach difficult and challenging problems to virtually the entire chapter on Faith.

This information is critical in assuring those people who have taken these issues with Rev. Wright and emailed rumored to heart.

The Road Map Forward..

Scott from Dos Palos, CA — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:54:52 EDT

The road map forward is for us all to ignore all incendiary comments and coventional opinions for a non-conventional leader,ie not Washington Baptized and confused. Lets ignore all those gossip columns and stop dignifying them by our responses. Get Barack's here:

http://www.malltropolitan.com/product_info.php/products_id/1763382

Let us tell them to get his books so that in knowing him, they may come to understand him and see in him what we have been honored to see.

http://www.malltropolitan.com/product_info.php/products_id/1598561

There is a company called malltropolitan.com which no one is talking about, at least not yet, that has gone all the way to promote and showcase Barack Obama in many ways, even against conventional wisdom. Let's hope that many companies like that would sprind up such as Huffington Post, the Cos Media, etc. Let us uplift Barack and show our love even for those who disagree with us.

Thank you for saying it

NYCubsFan — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:32:43 EDT

There is bravery, there is boldness, and then, there is Barack Obama. What he did yesterday went beyond anything I have seen from a politician in my lifetime. It means even more, that it was in his own words. I can only hope that the attention given Reverend Wright in recent days will some day be looked back at with mixed emotions, like events of the 60's, that provided a turning point in race (and religious) relations in America.

For any politician to open himself up in the way Senator Obama did yesterday is rare. For a Presidential candidate to come out with this sort of naked truth is the stuff of legends. What may be even more rare for a Presidential candidate is having an intellectual conversation with voters. I think Kerry avoided it. But he didn't have the eloquence of Barack Obama.

I actually read the speech before seeing the video. It took me back to reading Audacity of Hope. I guess in part because it came from the same author. When reading his second book, I wondered how he would express the complexities of his policies and beliefs. I think that is one reason he has been criticized for not having substance. It is difficult to speak to voters in non-pandering ways. Voters typically don't want to hear any hard truths. Why do you think there is so little discussion of obesity? No one wants to hear about how we are fat and unhealthy.

Senator Obama, I applaud you for your strength, your passion and your dedication. I pray for you, your family, and your candidacy.

Jeremiah Wrights's "Audacity of Hope" Sermon

Chip Roberson in Sonoma, CA — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 19:42:29 EDT

To give some counterbalance to the alarming statements of Reverend Wright which are causing the current tempest, Andrew Sullivan has posted the full text of Rev. Wright's "Audacity of Hope" sermon from 1990. If a man can be condemned for a few comments inside a sermon, what are we to do when one offers a whole sermon in defense of that condemnation?

From THE ATLANTIC online: Full Text of Jeremiah Wright's 1990 Sermon

Mark Ungemach (Democratic Committee Person, Franklin Township, Landenberg, PA) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 11:16:06 EDT

16 Mar 2008 10:38 am

The full text of Jeremiah Wright's "Audacity To Hope" sermon in 1990:

Several years ago while I was in Richmond, the Lord allowed me to be in that city during the week of the annual convocation at Virginia Union University School of Theology. There I heard the preaching and teaching of Reverend Frederick G. Sampson of Detroit, Michigan. In one of his lectures, Dr. Sampson spoke of a painting I remembered studying in humanities courses back in the late '50s. In Dr. Sampson's powerful description of the picture, he spoke of it being a study in contradictions, because the title and the details on the canvas seem to be in direct opposition.

Reverend Wright, Media Sensationalism, Dirty Politics

Jacki C. — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 17:51:29 EDT

I just wanted to say that I have been listening to am1090seattle (a progressive radio station). I listen to them via the internet as I am unable to get a radio station on my radio here in Granite Falls, WA. I enjoy listening to progressive radio as they are able to give me both sides of an issue in language that I can relate to.

The separation of church and state was put in the Constitution for a reason. Any church that preaches politics from the pulpit should lose their tax-free status.

Preaching politics from a pulpit is nothing new. In 1962, I attended a wedding of a school mate at a Lutheran Church. I was appauled when the minister gave a sermon and spoke about the Viet Nam War. I was disgusted that a minister would speak about the War at a ceremony that should have been a happy celebration.

Due to the media's sensationalism of Reverend Wright's sermon, I am finding myself in the position of damage control. I can't help but feel that this is a tactic of dirty politics by opposing forces trying to bring Barack Obama down. I am disgusted to think that our current campaign for President has come back to dirty politics (dirty politics as usual).

As a supporter of Barack Obama, I am very proud that he has been able to maintain his composure under the attacks that have been launched against him. Barack has shown me what a positive role model he is.

I am currently reading, "The Audacity of Hope" and am still a believer that we can turn our country around and become the World leader again. This book has brought me back to the value system that my parents and grandmother had given me, that I unfortunately had strayed from.

I am still, "FIRED UP AND READY TO GO". I will not stray again from the values my parents gave me and that Barack Obama has brought me back to.

I hope that some of you will give am1090seattle a listen sometime.

The Audacity of Hope: An extract from the 2004 Keynote speech

Dave — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:29:07 EDT

See below the brilliant extract from the 2004 Keynote speech delivered by Senator Obama:

Hope -- Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope!

In the end, that is God’s greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation. A belief in things not seen. A belief that there are better days ahead.

I believe that we can give our middle class relief and provide working families with a road to opportunity.

I believe we can provide jobs to the jobless, homes to the homeless, and reclaim young people in cities across America from violence and despair.

"I believe that we have a righteous wind at our backs and that as we stand on the crossroads of history, we can make the right choices, and meet the challenges that face us.

America! Tonight, if you feel the same energy that I do, if you feel the same urgency that I do, if you feel the same passion that I do, if you feel the same hopefulness that I do -- if we do what we must do, then I have no doubt that all across the country, from Florida to Oregon, from Washington to Maine, the people will rise up in November...

Thank you very much everybody. God bless you. Thank you."

Read the full article and also watch the video by following this link

Know the Issues

no one — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:32:41 EDT

An acquaintance of mine (can't really call him a friend) recently tried to say that Obama is "100% communist." Of course, we all know that is a ridiculous statement and completely untrue. However, I realized that I could not recite Obama's stance on all issues, especially details on social and economic views, in order to debate his ludicrous statement. i knew what he said was not true but I couldn't find the words I wanted because of my own ignorance.

It was then that I realized how important it is to arm ourselves with knowledge. A group "Roman Catholics for Obama" is going to make a checklist to show how Obama's stances on many issues coincide with the beliefs of the Church. Granted, we all know that abortion does not line up with the Catholic faith - but neither does sending troops overseas to maintain status in an unjust war. As I've said, 'what is for the greater good of many.' That's an important part of living in a democratic society.

So, I've made it a goal to be 100% armed information within a week. It's easy to find out this information when looking at the website structure. I also recently received The Audacity of Hope and plan to read that on the airplane when I travel for an interview this weekend.

Read - read - read and arm ourselves with knowledge.

Footnotes to "Audacity of Hope"

Andrew from Santa Rosa, CA — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:25:36 EST

Citations for quotations and statistics in Obama's book The Audacity of Hope can be found at:

http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/barackobama/sourcenotes.html

Did Hillary Use Obama's Words?

Dianne from Littleton, CO — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 19:42:26 EST

Yesterday morning after the latest debate, I started reading Obama’s book, The Audacity of Hope, and was surprised to read Hillary’s words, or a paraphrase thereof, from the debate: “When people at dinner parties ask me how I can possibly operate in the current political environment, with all the negative campaigning and personal attacks, I may mention Nelson Mandela, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, or some guy in a Chinese or Egyptian prison somewhere. In truth, being called names is not such a bad deal.” (pg. 22) Sounds a lot like what Hillary said at the end of the debate, doesn’t it?

This interests me because the one place in Thursday’s debate where she faltered was in accusing Obama of plagiarism, saying that he represented “change you can Xerox” rather than simply “change.” There has been pundit talk for a week about Obama’s words not being his own but a political ally’s, Governor Patrick of Massachusetts. Obama’s reply to this attack: "The notion that I had plagiarized from somebody who was one of my national co-chairs who gave me the line and suggested that I use it, I think, is silly.”

So Hillary’s point was moot and she rightly got “booed” for it. But then she overcame her gaffe at the end of the debate by saying something that Obama had basically, in my opinion, already written. So not only did she beat him in the debate, according to commentaries, but she did it by plagiarizing his words/ideas after accusing him of stealing someone else’s words. Even though the pundits say that her words when accusing Obama were not her own but someone’s on her committee, and that they had been obviously rehearsed, what is more important is that at the end of the debate she used Obama’s words/ideas to beat him.

I could tell that Obama wanted to say something, but the crowd gave Hillary a standing ovation and the debate was over. He did the gentlemanly thing by pulling her chair out for her, but you could tell he was disappointed to have let her have the last say and to do it so well. Perhaps he could have pointed out that she had used his words/ideas from his book, but Obama doesn’t stoop to such bashing like Hillary stooped to last night. He’s actually practicing what he preaches – a new kind of politics. That’s the change he is talking about.

Unfortunately (because it probably helped her cause) Hillary quickly and perhaps finally learned that negativity just doesn’t work against Obama, that she has to instead connect with the voters on her own terms. It was obvious on Thursday night that her political personality adapts quickly depending upon her audience’s reaction. After her mistake, she attempted to become Obama-like with her ending rhetoric, using what could easily be construed as Obama’s own words or at least his ideas – or am I now being silly?

Day One

Woolley — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 10:59:00 EST

Today, it all begins.

I've unpacked the British and French cheese from my luggage, contacted the people I need (one of whom commented, "I've missed these offbeat conversations... welcome back"), and unloaded my travel companion, Lester (a stuffed monkey), from my bags.

The last 3 days have proven useful. After reading Madam President: Is America Ready to Send Hillary Clinton to the White House?, I am convinced that the answer is still, simply, "no."

It was interesting contrasting this book with the Audacity of Hope, as the case for Clinton was very strongly a case for feminism. To be fair, Madam President is written by a pundit, whereas Audacity of Hope is in Obama's own words. However, Clinton is portrayed as a lifelong feminist: despite living in her husband's shadow she has created positive, long lasting relationships that helped her establish her own political career. Thus, a vote for her is an endorsement of this progressive practice. Obama, on the other hand, specifically discusses his governing philosophy and the changes he'd like to see in the US. For him, being part of a minority provides a perspective to build a broad reaching coalition rather than providing a special interest for him to challenge. In his words, "I reject a politics that is based solely on racial identity, gender identity, sexual orientation, or victimhood generally," but "I can't help but view the American experience through the lens of a black man of mixed heritage."

Thus, Hillary argues that feminism would make her a great first female president, whereas Obama argues that being black would make him a great president.

The difference is significant considering the current debate over torture. Viewed from the narrow lens of a feminist movement, this torture can be viewed as macho culture, and from a racial perspective, this can be viewed as dominant aggression. However, from a broader scope, the issue lies in the ideals we live by... that we are committed to preserving individual freedoms and to curbing the government's natural disposure to compromise human rights for bureaucratic, political, or short-term national interests. Only from this "lens" can we justify systematic checks on the government's leeway into human rights.

Considering "Audacity"

Julie Hensley — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 08:28:41 EST

Are any of Obama's books being used as campaign materials? I've read (blogs), heard and was told of too many people who recognized their next President and favorite candidate as a result of Obama's books and wondered if it made sense for us to work to find used copies and get them in the hands of people. Lots of ways to do it. Just wondered if it made sense to anyone else.

In my area, for example, it could be a great way of helping bring people 'to the force'. Since Obama was only 18% in this area there likely wouldn't be much 'preaching to the choir'. ARGH. Unfortunately. If we stated now, it could have solid effect by November.

I know he compares very very very favorably as a thinker and writer to anything out there by any other candidate. Heck, it's one area he's already 'defeated' the Clintons! His spoken work (audiobook) beat out Bill's audiobook for a Grammy.

So... think so? Should I get several copies and create my own, outreach? Gentler, more effective than my testimonials and frees me up to finding people that aren't 'for' Obama but would read his book?

Barack Obama Iowa Victory Speech Remix

DJ Matt Werner — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:04:08 EST

Check out my Barack Obama Remix at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oemzuoKB08

The piano instrumental to Kanye West is by David Sides. For the original, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpI6VNvRTII

The Audacity of Hope

Tricia — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 09:56:43 EST

Hello All,

I just did a read of The Audacity of Hope. I know, I should have read it before now, but I'm so glad that I finally did. You know, it's rather a beautiful book, and I found the analysis of government fascinating. I read out long sections to my eighth grade son who is studying the founding of the American government, it's elements and moving on to study the constitution.

As fascinating as that was, I think the book lives and breathes when Obama is relating the stories of his personal life, his love for his children, his meetings with various people, his adoration of Michelle. This stuff is lovely to read, and I like his continual assertion that with the exception of a couple of folks, the politicians he's met, even George Bush, are in fact people after all. It's a statement that needs to be made and asserted if we are to find the common ground Obama constantly advocates.

There's a passage when he's speaking to Senator Byrd, who is clearly about to apologize for his activity in the Klan to Obama, that reminds me very much of a statement Bush made that has always upset me. Bush claimed that he prayed every night, and that he felt secure and confident in his abiity to lead. Obama leaves this matter up to God (by God's grace), instead of assuming prayer is going to put him on the right side of every issue, and he confers this grace to Senator Byrd in their conversation, by not even letting him make the apology. His humility (we all make mistakes!) is such a contrast to the surety Bush expressed in his thought that prayer made him feel "at peace" in terms of his decisions.

In fact, throughout the book, I got the sense of an intellectual and empathetic man who is never going to be quite satisfied with his judgments. He will question where he is on the issues, and he will soul search to come to decisions. He takes a parental role toward his constituents, and he agonizes over what to do. He expresses the same doubts when he analyzes his parenting ability, and his responsibility as a husband.

It struck me that this type of thought and scrutiny would serve us so much better than the person who walks into the presidential office with so much ego that they never second guess their decisions. It takes considerable thought and empathy to represent a nation rather than a constituency, to be for the people rather than for a party.

I am more than ever so hopeful (audaciously so)about Obama's ability to lead us into a political change that could improve our nation forever.

Unity,

Tricia

Chapter 6-Faith

George — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 20:13:18 EST

This was probably the single most challenging chapter for me so far. I consider myself a Christian but I do tend to have a knee-jerk reaction to any attempt to advance a religious agenda in the public space. Obama, however, really did a good job of arguing for a perspective that celebrates all of our religious traditions and our secular traditions in a way which is uplifting to everyone and oppressive to none. He tells a story of conversion that I can relate to, a thoughtful story of how an intelligent adult made a decision to come to Christ. That's a decision I'm still struggling with.

For all of its challenges, I locked onto one fairly simple, understandable message which Senator Obama argues very strongly and convincingly and which is similar to some of the more abstract arguments advanced by the political philosopher John Rawls. For millions of Americans, faith is a large part of what inspires their public morality and their involvement in public life and there's no need to hide this. People should feel free to say openly and honestly what rich tradition they draw on in addressing some of the most vital issues in our society. Nonetheless, if they're talking about public affairs, they have to also use arguments which appeal in a reasonable way to people of all faiths and of none, based upon the idea of a reciprical relationship between citizens.

New Hampshire Primary

Alfredo Guitron Jr. — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 14:10:22 EST

Tuesday, January 08, 2008 New Hampshire Primary

The measure of someone's success isn't measured in how easy things come to them. It is in overcoming struggle. It is a measure of a person's tenacity, drive and endurance to overcome what seems to be an impossibility, that inspires. Tonight's New Hampshire primary is keeping Senator Barack Obama in a situation that he has been in all of his life. So I have no doubt that a loss in New Hampshire will not slow him down, it will have the exact opposite effect.

While I don't doubt that Sen. Obama never thought this nomination of the Democratic party would come easy, I fear that for those that were thinking about voting for the first time may have not voted, thinking that Sen. Obama would win hands down. This is why voting is so important. As we all learned from the last Presidential election, surprises come at the most unexpected times. As I watched CNN's coverage of the primary, Lou Dobbs said it the best.

"She's not supposed to be there." Referring to Hillary's victory speech of the New Hampshire Primary.

" Neither was George W. Bush." was what I said out loud.

I will say this, in watching both Clinton and Sen. Obama give their speeches, Sen. Obama once again struck a chord in me. One that provides hope, vision and inspiration. He was graceful, endearing, and inspirational. He seemed, "Presidential". Hillary's speech seemed more about herself and her own agenda, she did not say anything that made me feel as though she represented my values and beliefs of what my America is.

So regardless if you are voting Republican, Democrat or Independent; whether you're for Hillary, Sen. Obama or Rudy Guliani, it is important that you take the time to cast your vote. It is your opportunity to let your values, hopes and beliefs be heard. This is our most fundamental and important right, use it. People have lost their lives to ensure that your voice can be heard, our loved ones are risking their lives now so that you can continue to be heard and make a difference, whether you believe you are or not...

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
~ Abraham Lincoln

~me

I Believe in the Audacity of Hope – For Barack Obama

m2violin — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 01:20:43 EST

On the evening of January 3, 2008 I joined with other Tulsa County Democrats in watching the Iowa Caucus returns come in. I was one of those cheering when Senator Barack Obama of Illinois started pulling ahead of the other Democratic candidates. It was thrilling for me to see Iowans embrace Senator Obama’s message of hope for a better America.Barack Obama believes in the politics of hope, of unity – not the fear and polarization brought to us by 8 years of the Bush regime. With his message that “we are not a collection of red states and blue states. We are the United States of America. And in this moment, in this election, we are ready to believe again,” Barack Obama is inspiring Americans to believe in a government that is truly “of the people, by the people and for the people.”

Barack Obama opposed the Iraq War from the beginning. Back in 2002, when many others were going along with the drumbeat towards war, Barack Obama, then a Senator in the Illinois Senate, was speaking at rallies opposing the war. Senator Obama supports a woman’s right to make her own decisions regarding reproduction. He believes in protecting Social Security and strengthening private retirement plans so all hard-working Americans know they will live their final years in security and comfort. Barack Obama believes workers should have the freedom to join unions without harassment or coercion from their employers, and is a co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act. He has created a plan to provide comprehensive, affordable and portable health care coverage for all Americans. To find out the details of Barack Obama’s stance on these and other issues, visit http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/resourceflyers/ .

More important, Barack Obama has established a record of accomplishment in both the Illinois and the United States Senate. In Illinois he created the state Earned Income Tax Credit, which in three years provided over $100 million in tax cuts to Illinois families. He was also instrumental in expanding early childhood education programs, and in passing a state law requiring videotaping of all police interrogations. In the U.S. Senate he has pushed for greater accountability and transparency in government, for better treatment of our veterans and active duty military personnel, and the promotion of alternative fuels and higher fuel efficiency in our vehicles.

Barack Obama has accomplished all the above through cooperation and collaboration with others – often, persons who hold widely divergent opinions. In the Illinois Senate Obama was known not only for reaching across party lines, but for reaching out to senators from rural, downstate districts whose priorities often differed from a senator from Chicago’s South Side. In the U.S. Senate he collaborated with none other the Senator Tom Coburn in writing legislation requiring greater accountability and transparency in our government.

After we have been forced to endure the regime of the Worst President Ever, we need a president who will look forward, not backwards. A president who will step forward confidently into a new, brighter future for all Americans, not just a favored few. A president who will reach out to all Americans, and find the common ground that all Americans share.

Americans hunger for someone who can unite our country, not divide it. As Senator Obama said so eloquently on January 3: “You said the time has come to move beyond the bitterness and pettiness and anger that's consumed Washington. To end the political strategy that's been all about division, and instead make it about addition. To build a coalition for change that stretches through red states and blue states. Because that's how we'll win in November, and that's how we'll finally meet the challenges that we face as a nation. We are choosing hope over fear. We're choosing unity over division, and sending a powerful message that change is coming to America.”

I invite you to join me in helping to bring this change to America, and to elect Barack Obama President of the United States.

Audacity of Hope

Margaret S. — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 12:19:05 EST

I just started reading Obama's book. Wow. Although I have just begun, I feel much more aligned and excited about my choice in candidate.

I think about those that have changed our world, our country, our lives and they have often been people who believed in the seeming impossible. BUT it takes a following, a supportive group that grows and grows. We need to all support this campaign in whatever way we can.

Anyway, The book is a great read and helps me to feel less ignorant of who Barack is. Pick it up. Read it. Give it as a gift.

Is there any "hope"?

"Barbara Gordon" — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 19:07:48 EDT

Barack kicked off his campaign with a discussion of the audacity of hope. And we were all hopeful that together we could turn politics around in the US. But is there any hope remaining? Sadly, it's beginning to look like the Dem nomination is all locked up. For more:

http://republicansforobama.org/?q=node/152

Greater equity, justice, and prosperity

*Richard Zack* — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 20:26:39 EDT

“Our challenge, then, is to make sure that U.S. policies move the international system in the direction of greater equity, justice, and prosperity – that the rules we promote serve both our interests and the interests of a struggling world. In doing so, we might keep a few basic principles in mind. First, we should be skeptical of those who believe we can single-handedly liberate other people from tyranny. I agree with George W. Bush when in his second inaugural address he proclaimed a universal desire to be free. But there are few examples in history in which the freedom men and women crave is delivered through outside intervention. In almost every successful social movement of the last century, from Gandhi’s campaign against British rule to the Solidarity movement in Poland to the antiapartheid movement in South Africa, democracy was the result of a local awakening.”

– from The Audacity of Hope, by Senator Barack Obama, page 316

Definition of Purpose

Homme — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 23:33:23 EDT

I've stated to many people that this is the first campaign I've ever supported financially. Based on the Obama Podcasts, "Audacity of Hope", and more importantly this community, I've changed my outlook and ambition for this election cycle. I see Obama as a candidate who will re-energy this country to face the issues which drag us down, and engage this country in a debate that we a) haven't seen an a long time and b) have drastically needed. Every other candidate in this primary looks to me like the same rhetoric machine that continues to try and stuff their position down the our throat. That is what we have in the oval office right now, and I do not want that in a president.

Wow!

Alex in Kansas City, Missouri — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 18:44:05 EDT

Last week when a supporter on the BarackObama.com blog said he would donate ten copies of Audacity of Hope to The Obama Book Project, I was psyched! But when I got home today and there indeed was a package that had arrived with those ten books, I was incredulous!

Obama's Policy Team Loaded With All-Stars

Lisa Beyer — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:53:22 EDT

Obama's Policy Team Loaded With All-Stars, September 17, 2007

_________________________________________________________________________

Thank you,

Lisa Beyer

Precinct Deputy Captain in Las Vegas Precinct 6475

Why I Support Barack Obama for President
MYBO Profile
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Southern Nevada for Obama Testimonial
Southern Nevada for Obama - A Grassroots Campaign Effort

Did you know...

On January 19, 2008, Nevada will be the 2nd state in the nation to caucus for a presidential nominee!

Democrats will meet at their designated sites at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 19, 2008
NV Democratic Caucus FAQs
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Reframing The Campaign: How the Consensus Media Opinion Changes Reality by a Thousand Tiny Cuts

Mark — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 23:26:57 EDT

Part of the message of the campaign is to defeat the public perception that is fostered by the "drive-by" media. The "drive-by" media is a colorful term invented by Rush Limbaugh that implies that a significant swath of the media (including a "consensus" media opinion) is continually being referenced over and over in stories about any given subject. The "consensus" media opinion is difficult to argue with, because it frequently appears in the background context of stories or is clearly absent or doesn't fit with the story's subject.

How Lies Are Created

I have never forgotten the tense moments in the past when the Freeze movement and Greenpeace were battling the Reagan Administration over the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban. The Reagan Administration had been abiding by the then unratified agreement and was about to launch a test in violation of the informal state of the ban. Coverage of the protest was all over national television. Sam Donaldson was reporting for the ABC evening news on the scheduled day of the test. Donaldson had a reputation for being liberal and prided himself on dogging the administration for real answers. Well, against a bright sunny background, he stated that the test was delayed "by the weather." I nearly threw the TV set out the window. They weren't flat screens in those days. Two days later, the LA Times revealed that two Greenpeace backpackers were on the test site grounds and were removed before the test was run. This whole episode and how it played out in history was completely squelched by media suppression.

The actual story, which was never reported anywhere, was that a movement of popular public opinion was not only seriously opposed to the Reagan nuclear policies, but was beginning to become effective in opposing them publicly. The Democratic controlled congress had rolled over and was totally useless in the battle.

The Media Consensus on Cigarette Smoking

Back in the day, the battle in court regarding the attempts to litigate the tobacco companies and prove that cigarettes had harmed people was the media consensus debate frame. More recently, the debate is framed around second hand smoke effects and how extensively should public bans of smoking be made. In this arena, for over 60 years at least, the media consensus debate frame ignores the most obvious question. In a world where products are sold, legally they contain an implied warranty that they are safe. If any company sells a product that can cause significant damage in the course of its use, the manufacturer can be sued and the product will likely be recalled. The implied warranty argument is completely relevant to cigarette smoking in that the product causes direct negative health impact including death to the normal user of the product. This argument has never entered the media consensus frame because if it did, Phillip Morris would go out of business.

The Emerging Media Consensus on the Obama Candidacy

This consensus is being painted around the surge in excitement, hope and passion that seems to be a part of the Obama campaign. Well passion isn't always well placed and can be artificially stoked as well. Once upon a time, I held onto my vinyl albums passionately and refused to buy CD's. In retrospect, this seems ridiculous. But passions are passions. It seems that Obama's combination of charm, sensibility and vision are resonating intensely with most people. Since he was smart enough to publicly admit any negative personal habits at the start of the campaign and proved he could raise money and derive that money from everyday people, it is clear that he has become the leader of a powerful grassroots public movement of feeling overnight. In the 1980's, the public felt that they just didn't want to see the world end in a nuclear nightmare. Since the 1940's, the Arab peoples desire a leader to stand up and make their wishes and grievances against the West known and redeemed (in their point of view). Passionate public feelings can become attached and defined by people, campaigns or organizations.

Oprah was reported to have said that she was driven by a sense of destiny to support the Obama candidacy. This is no small statement and amplifies the perception that most involved in the campaign feel. Once again, the consensus media opinion fails to ask the obvious question. "Why does Oprah feel this way about the Obama candidacy?" "Why does anyone need to feel impassioned about a candidate?"

Think to yourself about this fact. Where is all the hoopla that "for the first time in American history, a woman will become President?" Now this is a fact that liberals normally would become passionate about. But its absence in the media consensus opinion and in the calculations of the Clinton campaign is curious and notable. Hillary's election would indeed be a historical moment on a par with the moon landing in 1969. But her campaign can't get everybody to be passionate about that. Why?

The Corporate Viewpoint

The history of multinational corporations and their relationship with our country's government has been changing over the last 40 years. In the 1960's and early 1970's, corporations would skirt laws that were social in nature and resist social policy change with varying degrees of success. In the end, however, most corporations would cave and self regulate if the government threatened to regulate them. The sea change that happened under the Reagan administration was that the federal government became much more corporate friendly. As corporations gained control of the media, they became more aggressive in regard to government relationships. Corporations now perceive the flow of tax money into the government as a potential source of income for themselves. Corporations use the government relationships to defeat other corporations. In effect, public policy ceases to exist.

The prime method of controlling popular opinion and reality through the media is to target the casual audience. The casual audience is targeted to hear the "media consensus opinion". What corporate America really needs to do is to have any ultimate President subject to its desires at least by implication. The Republican race this year is remarkable for the absence of any strong candidate. Already, the perceived leadership has shifted from McCain to Giuliani and maybe further to Romney. Suddenly, there is a new candidate, Thompson in the mix. It gives me the feeling of watching a woman at a high end dress shop while the employees rush in and out of the back room exclaiming, "Maybe you would like this dress better?"

On the Democratic side, Corporate America does not want a strong candidate to rock the status quo. In fact, corporate lobbyists and executives may feel that it is more useful to let Hillary feel chastened by the popular surge for Obama. At this rate, Hillary is not going into the White House with a popular mandate for change. Corporate America would love to see Barack's popular movement run in second place until late in the campaign before losing. As a President, he is potentially dangerous to their ambitions.

Now this is not conspiracy theory but it bourne out from years of reading between the public lines and in company advertising. A recent visit to Fidelity Investments website revealed introductory and friendly three minute videos on the technical analysis of charts and options trading. The mode and level of complexity imply that you can and should educate yourself to use these tools to make more money. The reality (i know from 1999) is that the casual observer of the ads will make more trades and certainly lose money. The ads are completely and deliberately irresponsible and misleading. But Fidelity doesn't care about that.

The Target Audience of the Campaign

The target audience of the campaign is the people who are not paying any more attention to the campaign than what they hear on a casual basis. Statements like "he is off his groove", "he is still not making up the gap in the polls", "the heavy hitters did not attend the meeting", "he is the wine candidate with little pull with labor and nonactivists", "he is the candidate of the passion wing of the party which includes Dean and Gary Hart" and "he has a history of little foreign policy experience" are crafting the media message to the casual listener. In the NFL analogy, he is kind of like the San Diego Chargers, a team with a recent history of great defense and a tremendous offense. But they are not the Colts. And they are not the Patriots either. So it is fun to be a fan but don't expect to go through the playoffs to the Super Bowl. The casual listener will turn off to the candidate's message which has been supplied by the consensus media implication.

How the Campaign Can Defeat the Consensus Media

Unlike the opinion of many bloggers here frustrated about media coverage or lack thereof. The campaign should not respond to all of these statments. Responding in depth to a charge like "he lacks experience" bores the casual listener who does not have enough time to listen to the details. In fact, an Obama sponsored debate on the experience issue is not only unproductive and unneeded, but will reinforce the casual listener's misperception and underscore the consensus media opinion.

The campaign must not respond to charges, but must frame its own campaign them that works with the casual listener. One example I would suggest the campaign spend advertising dollars on, is to repeatedly stress this question, "Why is there passion for Obama?" "Where does the passion come from?" "Why isn't Hillary getting the passion?" "Who is this guy anyway?" "Why should Oprah care about Obama and talk about destiny? She is a wealthy woman and can spend her life relaxing if she feels like it." This type of approach leads the casual listener into the obvious question. Why is everybody excited about this guy and I don't know anything about him? People will motivate themselves to discover more about the candidate and may even become excited.

I have to stress that the campaign professionals here must create a theme that realistically fits with Obama's character and his books and hammer and amplify them over and over again. The fact that the 1984 Reagan presidential campaign was called the "Morning in America" campaign meant that it had an identifiable theme.

Obama's KPCC Radio Interview - 10/27/06

Laura Lee-Chin — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 14:16:31 EDT

Obama discusses his book The Audacity of Hope, Iraq, education, healthcare among other topics in his radio interview with KPCC's Larry Mantle on AirTalk (an NPR station in Pasadena, CA) on October 2006.

http://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/index.shtml

Read and discuss Obama's books

ReadObama.com — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:26:00 EDT

Are you interested in reading and discussing Barack Obama's books? ReadObama.com is a place for the thoughtful and respectful discourse on the ideas and thoughts expressed in Barack Obama's writings. We believe that by closely examining the texts of his books and speeches we can come to a deeper understanding of the man and his beliefs. We are fortunate that Obama has provided us with the tools to see what most other politicians would be hesitant to show: to see who he is, where he is coming from and what he believes in.

Book study groups will be formed which will work through a book a chapter or so at a time and discuss each section on a weekly basis. We will begin with The Audacity of Hope and move to Dreams from My Father and then repeat the process. There will be an ongoing discussion of the "Democratic Convention" speech.

We hope that you will join us and share your ideas and insights. We can gain more insight by listening to other people’s views and perspectives, especially when those views force us to reexamine our own beliefs. Please feel free to come look around or join in the discussion when you can.

http://www.readobama.com

BARACK OBAMA is different! *and here's why

Rebeca Pitts — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 16:20:20 EDT

That was the highlight of my week! Some supporters were invited to a conference call because we were not selected to dine with Mr. Obama. I feel so priveledged that Senator Obama took the time out of his busy schedule to address some of the questions that his supporters had.

I'm a little further into my reading of the book "Audacity of Hope." I'm still in the chapter called "Republicans and Democrats." Obama talks about the appeal that Ronald Reagan had with the American people. He said that he "spoke to America's longing for order, our need to believe that we are not simply subject to blind, impersonal forces but that we can shape our individual and collective destinies, so long as we rediscover the traditional virtues of hard work, patriotism, personal responsibility, optimism and faith."

Who knows that better than BARACK OBAMA? Coming from the circumstances of his birth many would have written him off. Many would not have believed he would ever be able to rise to the prominence of national leadership as he has. He's beating those odds right now, and he's going to be the best President we've ever had.

Why? Because he's not caught up in special interest groups, he doesn't want the money from those kind of contributors. He truly is in this as a PATRIOT, and a STATESMAN. In the tradition of our founding fathers, he's sacrificing personal gain, personal safety, and the rest of his life to LEAD our nation in a very critical time. He sees what needs to be done, and he's willing to do it.

Barack Obama is different. He's not in this for himself, for power, to sell a book (he's already done that!) Barack Obama is in this for YOU, for ME, for the American people that he obviously loves. He wants us to be better together! He wants to move us beyond petty politics and greed. He wants our nation to be what is has always been destined to be. A place where all men are created equal and are endowed with inalienable rights. A nation that embraces diversity, but celebrates it's heritage. A nation where children are safe in their beds asleep. A nation where a family is valued. One natiion, under God, with LIBERTY and JUSTICE, for ALL.

If Bush Had Written Obama's Book

Tristan — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 21:03:39 EDT

Alternate Titles to Barack Obama's Book The Audacity of Hope If It Had Been Written by President Bush:

The Impertinence of Facts

The Insolence of Public Sentiment

The Nerve of Congressional Oversight

The Hubris of Habeas Corpus

The Effrontery of Climate Change

The Nucular Hope

Why the Obama Groundswell Keeps Growing

V, aka VCubed/Virginia V — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 23:57:42 EDT

Great article just came out of Broward County in Florida (The Broward Times) on Barack's background and his personal connections to Rev. Wright. It raises both Barack and Rev. Wright up from the recent right-wing muckraking put out by their press about the Reverand. Rev. Wright is not a preacher of militancy and separatism, as he's been made out to be lately, but like Obama a man who tried different philosophies before choosing the one that benefits the most people. Rev. Wright is a brilliant scholar and a worthy spiritual guide for our next President, Obama. Read on; it's inspiring! Link by Al Calloway
Barack Obama: "The Audacity of Hope" - Part IIWritten by Al Calloway

Strong Support for Obama in St. Cloud!

Yolanda (MN) — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 21:07:30 EDT

St. Cloud for Obama continues to have fun together as we seek to share our excitement about Obama's campaign with others! We have found that amongst our group there are many gifts, talents, and resources that can be used for voter education efforts, as well as to advance our ultimate goal of seeing Barack Obama in the White House.

We knew that our excitement about Obama was truly contagious when the youngest member of St. Cloud for Obama, who is just 2.5 years old, lisped "O-MAMA" during our April organizational meeting.

Like most Obama supporters, we are continuing to bask in the success of last month's house parties. Right here in St. Cloud there were two known parties with over 60 people in attendance. It was awesome to know that we were two of over 5000 house parties taking place simultaneously in all 50 states of our great nation!

As we get to know each other, we are learning to appreciate the unique ways in which all of us are able to offer leadership within our local Obama organization. Amongst our membership there are writers, public speakers, professors, mothers, fathers, teachers, community organizers, politicians, students, and at least one salesman! All of us are looking forward to working within our own unique spheres of influence to share Obama's positions on issues that matter to every day Americans like us.

As we look at Obama's recent victories, we are thrilled to be in support of such a great man! Who would have guessed that Obama would raise $25 million dollars in the first three months of the year, half of that on the Internet, and more than half of that from small donors like ourselves? Who could have imagined that this early in the campaign 20,000 people would show up in Atlanta and then again in Austin, and that 9,000 or more would turn up in Los Angeles all with the express purpose of lending their voices, money, and support to the junior senator of Illinois? And isn't it wonderful that Obama has now pulled to within two points of Hillary Clinton in recent polls?

There is something magical happening in our country. People are actually beginning to believe in the audacity of hope. And it is audacious! But as Americans, we have always been audacious in our hopes and dreams and aspirations for ourselves, our children, and our world.

Obama represents hope for the future of our nation. He has become the face of change; and it is so refreshing! Recently I saw a picture of a woman proudly holding a handmade sign that said, "Republican for Obama." That one sign spoke volumes to me about Obama's unique ability to bring people together, find common concerns and interests, and build lasting and effective alliances for positive social change.

These attributes are the reasons why so many of us have committed to community canvassing, hosting house parties, writing letters to the editor, publishing blogs, meeting with community leaders, and organizing community events. These attributes are why so many of us have pasted bumper stickers to our cars, pinned buttons to our jackets, and pulled Obama t-shirts over our heads. It's why I know people who work for $5.25 an hour have found a way to send Obama two, three, and four hours worth of wages per month. And it is why even my six year old daughter has signs hanging around our house that say, "Go, Obama, Go!"

The first of the democratic presidential debates will take place Thursday 7:00pm EST and I am looking forward to even more people seeing what I already see.

Barack Obama is good for me, good for Illinois, and ultimately he is good for our country. He brings a fresh approach to leadership and to community service that is long overdue!

Barack Obama said at Knox College in 2005,

"Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. You need to take up the challenges that we face as a nation and make them your own. Not because you have a debt to those who helped you get here, although you do have that debt. Not because you have an obligation to those who are less fortunate than you, although I do think you do have that obligation. It's primarily because you have an obligation to yourself. Because individual salvation has always depended on collective salvation. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential."

Let us pray that each of us individually and collectively realizes our full potential in the months ahead! GO, OBAMA, GO!

I Took The BarackObama.com Group Less Traveled By, And That Has Made All The Difference

Kevin — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 19:57:38 EDT

As you all know there’s many groups on the BarackObama.com site: 5,622 at last count. About two fifths of them are locally oriented (e.g., Baton Rouge for Obama); the other three-fifths have a more national scope, such as America 4 Obama. Some are lighthearted; some are serious; all, of course, are for Barack.

I perused –all- 2,261 current national groups. Take a moment to review some of the gems listed below. Some will make you chuckle, some will make you think - and some you may well want to join! It might also inspire you to start your own group – for example, there are groups for dog and cat lovers, but currently none for other pets, at least as of the moment. One helpful tip to search for groups you like is to check the “Also search group descriptions” box; this will expand your search and often come up with more results.

I’ve joined a few groups as a result of the search: “Bad Bowlers for Barack” and “Mets Fans 4 Obama" (only 2 members?!? Mets fans, where are you all?) There’s 39 members of the “Chicago White Sox Fans for Obama”; the White Sox is Barack’s favorite team. Interestingly, both Yankees and Red Sox fans have yet to create a group (but don’t expect them to run a joint one!)

Here’s a shameless plug: if you were born in 1961 as Barack and I were, please join “People Born in 1961 for Barack Obama”. 1961 is one of the border years between the Baby Boomers and Generation X, and it will be fascinating to join with other people born that year to see what’s on our collective 45/46 year-old minds.

Finally, if you’ve read this far and found this post useful, please feel free add me to your friends network by making a Friend Request! And if you have a group that's, well, unusual, please let me know.

All the best as we work to see Barack take the Inaugural Oath on January 20, 2009!

Kevin

PS to procrastinators: you haven’t started your group yet!

"Audacity of Hope" Book Donations for Obama: a GREAT idea: donate Barack's books to local public libraries.

"The Secret" Believers for President Obama

Agnostics for Obama : Because we're different from Atheists!

Agoraphobics For Obama

Artists for Obama – several groups available…take a look!

Babies for Obama (3 separate groups)

Bad Bowlers for Barack : We may stink but Barack is a perfect 300.

Barbers For Obama

Battlestar Galactica fans for Obama

Canadians for Obama (several)

Cats for Obama (35 members!) (Meow!)

Chessplayers for Obama

Citizens Against Fox News - res ipsa loquitur.

Classical Singers For Obama

Data Miners For Obama - If a need arises throughout this campaign involving the analysis, manipulation and presentation of data, someone here can help.

Dodgeball for Obama - no, not the memorable(?) grade school sport. See the Dodgeball site to find nearby Obama supporters using your cell phone.

Dog Lovers For Obama – but only 3 members! The cats are beating you more than 10 to 1!

Draft Colin Powell Into The Obama Campaign (as a military and foreign affairs adviser.)

EBay It For Obama : turn that “junk” into dollars for Obama.

Erics for Obama (see also Caseys for Barack)

Exsmokers for Barack

Flight Attendants For Obama

Goths For Obama!

Hillary Defectors : 52 members and counting

Hotties For Obama: “He’s hot. We’re hot. It all works out”

Interfaith Clergy, Spiritualists and Psychic Mediums for Obama (Can’t the psychics tell us by how much he’ll win NOW?)

Investment Bankers for Obama

Italian Buddhist Cowboy Lawyers (and Others) for Obama

Jedi For Obama (Winner, Best Group Photo)

Knitters For Obama: 75 people mending the fabric of American politics.

Lefties For Obama

Massage Therapists and Bodyworkers for Obama

Math Lovers For Obama!

NYC Republicans for Obama

Obama Heads (Deadheads group) / Obama Deadheads Unite / Deadheads For Obama

Obama Pajama Party

Octogenarians For Obama

Parents of Marines : Help bring our boys and girls home from this futile war.

People Born in 1961 For Barack Obama (Barack was born August 4, 1961.)

Rollergirls For Obama!!!

Rusties For Obama (Neil Young fans)

Shakespeare Lovers for Obama

Singles Older Than Obama for Obama

The Audacity of Halliburton (Halliburton shareholders concerned about … the way that Halliburton exploits the loophole in U.S. law that bans commerce with nations such as Iran, Syria, and Libya… Shareholders are invited to contribute to a blog about this dance along the edge of legality.)

UPSers for Obama (couldn't find a FedExers for Obama, though)

Wellesley Alumnae For Obama / Wellesley Students For Barack Obama (Wellesley is Hillary's alma mater)

Wikipedians For Obama

World of Warcraft for Obama

At the drycleaners...

Song Slinger — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:19:30 EDT

I stopped by to pick something up from the drycleaners today and as I was checking out the woman behind the counter beamed at me and said "I like your bumper sticker!" At first I wasn't sure which of the three she meant - maybe the one that says "God bless the people of every nation," or the "Justice-Yes, War-No" sticker. Then I realized, and said "Oh, the Obama sticker?" She lit up like the Manhattan skyline and said "He's so REAL!"

Why I am here

Brent — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 06:13:42 EDT

Like so many others, I first became captivated by Barack Obama upon viewing his Keynote Address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. My father, a Republican for the last forty years or so, has always been an open-minded person. He recorded the Democratic Convention even though he had no intention of voting for John Kerry because he wanted to hear the speeches. The next day, he handed me a VHS copy and said, "You have to hear the speech from Barack Obama." "Barack O-who?" I replied. "He's running for the Senate from Illinois and he is an amazing speaker. Trust me, you need to watch this speech."

I put the tape in the VCR. Seventeen minutes and forty-three seconds later, with tears streaming down my face, I knew I had just heard a man who would one day be elected President of the United States. What I didn't realize then was that it would be so soon. Which is not to say that it is too soon. No, contrary to what some of the pundits are saying, Senator Obama has the exact right amount of experience for the job. The longer any otherwise good-intentioned politician stays in Washington, the more likely they become either corrupt or disillusioned. The time is right for Senator Obama. His message of hope, his innovative approach to problem solving, and his ability to reach people of all political stripes and create consensus is exactly what this country needs right now.

The Audacity of Hope

Genevieve — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 12:42:00 EST

Forgive my shameless plug for this, but has everyone picked up a copy of Obama’s "The Audacity of Hope"?

If you believed in him before, as I did, this book will serve to re-inspire you!

If your interest was merely piqued, you could likely throw in your full support!

If you were a skeptic, you may very well raise an eyebrow in interest!

Who thought a political ethnography of sorts would be so riveting and at once easy to read? I’ve hardly been able to put it down, devouring it as I would a juicy novel. As I’m reading it, and this may seem a bit odd, I am underlining sections that are particularly profound in their simplicity. How refreshing to have a politician so clearly grasp the fundamental needs of Americans!

Obama has masterfully captured in as little as one sentence or paragraph an issue in such a way that you no longer feel the need to agonize about the injustice or nonsense, but rather feel comforted that there is someone who ‘gets it!’ I never realized how much I actually needed to reaffirm this; not that I ever thought of myself as being wrong, per se, but simply did not see or hear my own beliefs and values very often in politics.

Some great “talking points” on Obama’s stance you can use to recruit the grassroots fundraising and also, for your own comfort and well-being! A great source of information for political debates, history, and general information about our candidate and his path to where we are today.

Read the Book!

Andy — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 13:36:53 EST

I think we can all agree that the most important part of campaigning for a candidate is knowing his/her views. I strongly encourage everyone that has not already to read "The Audacity of Hope." If you like Obama without having read the book, you'll LOVE him after reading it. While you can get a basis for his stances on the issues from the website, the book is a complete and comprehensive roadmap to what the man believes is best for this Country. It is a huge advantage for us that he has written this book. When people ask us what we like about him, we don't just have to say "I like his stance on education." We can say "Obama has a plan for improving the quality of our education system by improving the quality of educators. He has a plan to work with teachers unions, school districts, and the states to come up with an evaluation system. The teachers then can get more pay if they are evaluated as effective in the classroom. This will cause current teachers to be on top of their game and encourage more intelligent college grads to become teachers, because the pay isn't so bad." Having that kind of specific knowledge can do wonders in our grassroots campaign.

One of the other things that I found out from reading the book is that unlike most politicians, Obama is not obsessed with the past mistakes of the "other side." Yes, he acknowledges what went wrong, but he focuses more on how to do it right. He has plans for the issues, and lays them out for us in the book.

So please, if you haven't already, read the book. And then when you're done, pass it along to a friend. And no, I don't work for the publisher.

-Andy

Why Obama (one passage from Audacity of Hope)

Jason Kiely — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 00:17:19 EST

"I've never been entirely comfortable with the term 'special interests,' that lumps together ExxonMobil and bricklayers, the pharmaceutical lobby and the parents of special-ed kids. Most political scientists would probably disagree with me, but to my ind, there's a difference between a corporate lobby whose clout is base don money alone, and a group of like-minded individuals--whetehr they be textile workders, gun aficianados, veterans, or family farmers--comign together to promote their interests; between those who use their economic power to magnify their political influence far beyond what their number might justify, and those who are simply seeking to pool their votes to sway their representatives. The former subvert the very idea of democracy. The latter are its essence." (from p. 116)

Right on, Obama.

Good graciousness!

Leo — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 18:59:16 EST

Barack's strategic equation is a hard one to solve: his appeal comes from being unlike the other politicians, but to seem presidential to voters he will be tempted behave like them.

He should resist the temptation.

Barackin' America Techno Remix

Kevin Bondelli — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 18:41:51 EST

Barackin' America

Barackin' America Remix

Barack Launches the Century of Change

robert foley — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 21:36:02 EST

Not since the presidency of JFK have we had a candidate who set a course for real change, based upon hope, citizen responsibility, and sacrifice. I hope all of the disaffected, and especially those between the ages of 18 and 35, get the message and opt for the audacity of hope and change, grabbing the strings of grass roots power and pulling the process of politics out of the muck that it is in, elevating it once again to an honorable calling by citizen participation.

Audacity of Hope. A Review

sepoy — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 18:09:32 EST

I don't usually read anything written by politicians during their run-up to declaring candidacy or elections. Hence, I have missed out on <a href="Link or <a href="Link or <a href="Link, etc. etc. (you get the point and I am tired of searching on Amazon for Richard Nixon's campaign books). And yet, a few days ago, I walked into a bookstore and plunked down cold hard plastic for Barack Obama's <a href="Link Audacity of Hope</a>. Apparently unmollified by such a brash act, I proceeded to read the whole thing over the next few days and I even got a little teary-eyed.
The <a href="Link, here, there, everywhere, is about Obama's sudden rise and plans for the presidency. They complain about his funny names (um. Bush?), his style (see lapata below), his lack of experience (8 years as a community leader in Chicago; 7 years in the state legislature, partly as a minority party, in which he still managed to pass substantive bills), his lack of work in the Senate (primary sponsor of some 152 bills and resolutions; and serves on that all-important Foreign Relations Committee), his rockstar-ness (ok, <a href="Link legit</a>), and varied and sundry matters. To all chatter-ers, I heartily recommend that they read The Audacity of Hope - because it will tell you the following, at the very least: Obama wil most likely run for President; he has a long and fairly accomplished legislative record; he is very thoughtful, smart and cares deeply about his country; and he has some very specific and some very smart ideas about improving the civic and social life of this country. The book is rather formulaic, insofar, that it arranges all information into chapters taken from the political platform grid: Values, Faith, Family, Politics, Foriegn Policy, etc. The narrative structure is simple: An event/meeting/memory from Obama's present life - the greater issue facing America - a reminiscence from Obama's past - his recommendation for dealing/discussin the greater issue facing America. No, Pynchon obviously didn't ghost write it. In fact, it is clear from the very first sentence that no one ghost-wrote it - there is a cadence and clarity to the sentences, a feeling of revision and emphasis in the paragraphs, that is unmistakably his. So, perhaps it isn't great literature, but to know his positions on core issues and, more importantly, how he arrived at them - this is the text.

Rather than bore us all to tears [remember, I didn't tell you why I got teary-eyed] with a summary of Obama's policy and civic recommendations, I'd rather focus on the things that shine out from the text: his humanity, his empathy, his pragmatism and - this notion of hope. To the last, first. The title, and the theme, comes from the speech Obama gave at the <a href="Link DNC convention</a>. The word "hope" - coupled with audacity - brings to mind, at least this mind, some evil robot of Kathie Lee Gifford variety, intoning and demanding that we smile and butter our toast the right side up. But, in Obama, this hope is the hope of a struggle and a commitment to a future, perhaps impossible to attain. In sentences scattered throughout, again and again, he shows that he understands the darkness and the futility that grids our public and social existence - the intransigence in public discourse, the failed experiments of yesteryears, the debilitating crush of our racist and imperialist past.

The theme carries over throughout the book - both in meaningful and pragmatic ways. When he speaks about the inner-city and the urban ghetto - about how the public discourse congealed on the subject of Welfare reform and no more and how the only existence of the urban poor is to be oh so brilliantly depicted in our entertainment [The Wire!] and be completely missing from our national conversation. And yet, he hopes that we can start anew and find ways of achieving equality in opportunities for all. Or about immigration (and Sam Huntington's <a href="Link of a Brown Planet</a> - we will leave the Newts and the Pats aside), he writes about the pain of outsourcing on little communities, of the reality of capitalism and the abuse of borders. Still, he recognizes that the America has always grown and expanded and gave meaning to generations of immigrants. Or the red/blue state conundrum, wherein we have a political body where "no one's listening" (15).

In essence, Obama's hope comes from a deeply realistic reading of the past and the present. This brings me to the last thing that I would like to mention:
The best I can do in the face of our history is remind myself that it has not always been the pragmatist, the voice of reason, or the force of compromise, that has created the conditions for liberty. The hard, cold facts remind me that it was unbending idealists like William Lloyd Garrison, who first dounded the clarion call for justice; that it was slaves and former slaves, men like Denmark Vesey and Frederick FDouglass and women like Harriet Tubman, who recognized power would concede nothing without a fight. It was the wild-eyed prophecies of John Brown, his willingness to spill blood and not just words on behalf of his visions, that helped force the issue of a nation half slave and half free. I'm reminded that deliberations and the constitutional order may sometimes be the luxury of the powerful, and that it has sometimes been the cranks, the zealots, the prophets, the agitators, and the unreasonable - in other words, the absolutists - that have fought for a new order. Knowing this, I can't summarily dismiss those possessed of similar certainty today - the antiabortion activist who picket my town hall meeting, or the animal rights activist who raids a laboratory - no matter how deeply I disagree with their views. I am robbed even of the certainty of uncertainty - for sometimes absolute truths may well be absolute. (97)

To speak of absolute truths, in a world torn asunder by shrapnel of such truths, is a dangerous proposition. After all, we already have a President, and an Establishment, that believes absolutely in their own Truths. However, this passage highlights for me the one quality above all that shines throughout the book: empathic understanding - his desire to try and attempt to understand the other position. This is the genuine quality that attracts me to Obama. Not as a presidential candidate, or even as my Senator, but as a thinker.

The Audacity of Hope

Christopher Wilcox — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 00:38:20 EST

It seems we have quit listening to each other and as a result we have become all too willing to adopt sound bites as the basis for convictions we are all but willing to die for. It is as if we have made conclusions about how the world is and no amount of advocacy of a divergent point of view can be entertained. Many of us have subscribed to a "that's the way the world works" belief and have accepted that there are things that we can not change.
I would suppose that man chooses to limit himself out of a sense of laziness or convenience as Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, Austrian diplomat, said in the 17th century, "Religion, morality, legislation, economy, politics, administration, all have become common and accessible to everyone. Knowledge seems to come by inspiration; experience has no value for the presumptuous man; faith is nothing to him; he substitutes for it a pretended individual conviction, and to arrive at this conviction dispenses with all inquiry and with all study; for these means appear too trivial to a mind which believes itself strong enough to embrace at one glance all questions and all facts. Laws have no value for him, because he has not contributed to make them, and it would be beneath a man of his parts to recognize the limits traced by rude and ignorant generations." My God, it is as if he were our contemporary as those words ring so true today.
Run Suskind, in an October 2004 edition of the New York Times Magazine reported that a high level White House Aide told him, "Judicious study of discernible reality is not the way the world really works anymore. We are an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality - judiciously, as you will - we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're histories actors…and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do." That is the reality that the Bush Administration would have us believe but we can change the things in the world that need changing. All we need to see that change is hope. Augustine said, "Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.
Perhaps there is no better time for hope than now. Barack Obama, in a speech June 4, 2005 said, "The true test of the American ideal is whether we're able to recognize our failings and then rise together to meet the challenges of our time. Whether we allow ourselves to be shaped by events and history, or whether we act to shape them. Whether chance of birth or circumstance decides life's big winners and losers, or whether we build a community where, at the very least, everyone has a chance to work hard, get ahead, and reach their dreams." Such is the audacity of hope. I heard on the radio the other day, "Too many people in this country have been born on third base and believe they have hit a triple". We can change that. We can make this a country where we all have a chance to round third base and hit the proverbial home run that is the American Dream.
To do that we will need to take that challenge from the Bush administration and judiciously seek out and support a leader who can make a difference, a leader who will be responsive to all Americans. "There is not a liberal America, there is not a conservative America, there is a United States of America." Barack Obama. Barack is that leader.