Several months ago I picked up “The Audacity of Hope” with every intention to read it within the same week. The book became a victim of neglect, cast aside because of my busy work schedule, placed behind an ever growing cue of books to be read. Thanks to a jump start during a 6 hour plane flight I was able to knock out a sizeable portion and have slowly chipped away at it since then. Last night I was finally able to conquer this thorn in my side, the book that I could never get around to reading.
Part of my reason for reading this book was frustration at not being able to get a good grasp on him from the media. It seemed that too often, depending on the host or station covering him was either a flaming liberal with little experience or a rock star. The book was an informative look into the mind of a rising young politician as he formulates his policy and world view. I was impressed with Obama’s very nuanced approach to politics and life in general. He has an ability to consistently take a non-partisan approach that recognizes that much of the time the answer doesn’t lie on the left or right, but somewhere in the middle. The idea that we don’t have to approach politics in absolute terms. Explaining the predicament caused by approaching complex political issues in terms of simply packaged absolutes he says:
Time and time again within the book he shows a nuanced understanding of both sides of the story. Democrats and Republicans are both taken to task.
His critics have often asserted that he is over-idealistic. As the reader, I was sometimes left feeling that way: wondering whether such large scale change was naïve. Whether or not this is the case, he exudes a palpable energy and vigor to conduct a new kind of politics throughout the book. His eternal optimism becomes contagious. I appreciate his desire to shake things up, wanting to ditch the polarizing politics of his elders for something more substantive and effective.
Whether one agrees with the his politics or not this book is a worthwhile read. It is not a campaign book, but an appeal to Americans that we can find solutions to the many problems that we face. It is an invitation for Americans to enter into the conversation together.
Part of my reason for reading this book was frustration at not being able to get a good grasp on him from the media. It seemed that too often, depending on the host or station covering him was either a flaming liberal with little experience or a rock star. The book was an informative look into the mind of a rising young politician as he formulates his policy and world view. I was impressed with Obama’s very nuanced approach to politics and life in general. He has an ability to consistently take a non-partisan approach that recognizes that much of the time the answer doesn’t lie on the left or right, but somewhere in the middle. The idea that we don’t have to approach politics in absolute terms. Explaining the predicament caused by approaching complex political issues in terms of simply packaged absolutes he says:
“Whenever we dumb down the political debate, we lose. For it’s precisely the
pursuit of ideological purity, the rigid orthodoxy and the sheer predictability
of our current political debate, that keeps us from finding new ways to meet the
challenges we face as a country. It’s what keeps us locked in ‘either/or’
thinking: the notion that we can have only big government or no government; the
assumption that we must either tolerate 46 million without health insurance or
embrace ‘socialized medicine’.”
Time and time again within the book he shows a nuanced understanding of both sides of the story. Democrats and Republicans are both taken to task.
His critics have often asserted that he is over-idealistic. As the reader, I was sometimes left feeling that way: wondering whether such large scale change was naïve. Whether or not this is the case, he exudes a palpable energy and vigor to conduct a new kind of politics throughout the book. His eternal optimism becomes contagious. I appreciate his desire to shake things up, wanting to ditch the polarizing politics of his elders for something more substantive and effective.
“A government that truly represents these Americans that truly serves these
Americans will require a different kind of politics. That politics will need to
reflect our lives as they are actually lived. It won’t be pre-packaged, 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 just how we got to this place, this land of warring factions
and tribal hatreds. And we’ll need to remind ourselves, despite all our
differences, just how much we share: common hopes, common dreams, a bond that
will not break.”
Whether one agrees with the his politics or not this book is a worthwhile read. It is not a campaign book, but an appeal to Americans that we can find solutions to the many problems that we face. It is an invitation for Americans to enter into the conversation together.
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