The Audacity of Hope
Senator Obama calls for a different brand of politics--a politics for those weary of bitter partisanship and alienated by the "endless clash of armies" we see in Congress and on the campaign trail; a politics rooted in the faith, inclusiveness, and nobility of spirit at the heart of our democracy. He explores those forces--from the fear of losing, to the perpetual need to raise money, to the power of the media--that can stifle even the best-intentioned politician. He examines the growing economic insecurity of American families, the racial and religious tensions within the body politic, and the transnational threats--from terrorism to pandemic--that gather beyond our shores. And he grapples with the role that faith plays in a democracy. Only by returning to the principles that gave birth to our Constitution, he says, can Americans repair a broken political process, and restore to working order a government dangerously out of touch with millions of ordinary Americans. --From publisher description.
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What Hacker News says
- I have incredible admiration for Barack Obama. His book, "The Audacity of Hope" was logical and articulated the positions of his opponents better than his opponents were expressing those opinions themselves. He is a brilliant politician who embodies the Confucian principle of leading by example, and a man who really appreciates science and technology. I especially enjoyed his description of seeing network traffic on the World Wide Web:
The image was mesmerizing, more organic than mechanical, as if I were glimpsing the early stages of some accelerating evolutionary process, in which all the boundaries between men--nationality, race, religion, wealth--were rendered invisible and irrelevant, so that the physicist in Cambridge, the bond trader in Tokyo, the student in a remote Indian village, and the manager of a Mexico City department store were drawn into a single constant, thrumming conversation, time and space giving way to a world spun entirely of light. [1]
I love that one of his first initiatives in office was to put so many government resources online. I also loved his rational perspective of religion, and that he respects spirituality, but made it clear that we can't govern on religion alone. That everyone must find empirical justifications for their policy proposals:
We all know the story of Abraham and Isaac. Abraham is ordered by God to offer up his only son, and without argument, he takes Isaac to the mountaintop, binds him to an altar, and raises his knife, prepared to act as God has commanded. Of course, in the end God sends down an angel to intercede at the very last minute, and Abraham passes God's test of devotion.
But it's fair to say that if any of us leaving this church saw Abraham on a roof of a building raising his knife, we would, at the very least, call the police and expect the Department of Children and Family Services to take Isaac away from Abraham. We would do so because we do not hear what Abraham hears, do not see what Abraham sees, true as those experiences may be. So the best we can do is act in accordance with those things that we all see, and that we all hear, be it common laws or basic reason.[2]
I appreciate Brooks' commentary, and share his disappointment with all of the candidates running for president. No matter who gets elected, it's going to feel like a step back to me. Obama has played the long-game, and I think history will remember him positively.
- If you are going to run for president, you need some sort of residual income to make up for the shortfall of not having a job. Because not only do you not necessarily have a job, your family may not have health insurance either.
The fact that you're running for president doesn't legally prevent you from selling and profiting off a book you wrote. (Nor should it really).
I found this article in 2012 about Barack Obama. He got a $1.9 million advance for "The Audacity of Hope."
https://www.yahoo.com/news/how-barack-obama-made-his-fortune...
- This is tough.
A lot of great love stories happens at work. Recently, my wife and I were listening to Obama's Audacity of Hope and Phil Knight's Shoe Dog. Obama pestered Michelle until she agreed to go out with him. Phil Knight hired Penny when she was a student in his class cause she was cute. Then went out with her while he was her boss. They both are married to same person still. My wife thought it was so cute.
But there is so much risk involved. Personally, I never did pursue anyone at work. It is probably because I care about my career.
Also initially you think that crush is the one and you will never find anyone else as perfect as them. But then after a few months when crush is gone, and you can see all the flaws in that person and you are glad you didn't risk your job and career for them.
- The relationship between the writing of doctrines, books, etc and people rising to power is a pretty interesting one.
See also: Obama's Dreams From My Father, The Audacity of Hope. Trump's Crippled America. Hitler's Mein Kampf (the copyright on that is expiring very soon). Mao Zedong's "Little Red Book".
In Ender's Game (fiction, but compelling), Ender's siblings go on to become incredibly influential because of their writings. And it's also why things like propaganda is so powerful, why we have phrases like "the pen is mightier than the sword", books like Farenheit 451, and even, if you think about it, the Bible, Koran, Torah, etc.
Books are powerful things, and people who seek power are typically associated with them one way or another.
- Your linked article has some merit, it isn't something to dismiss out-of-hand. However, there's a significant flaw in it, where he discusses how Obama was excused but Paul isn't:
Obama did it with Jeremiah Wright, openly grappling with the past toxic association, owning it, explaining it. Paul has not had the wherewithal or presence of mind to do that. Indeed, he has not even named the association, the first step to disowning it.
But this is false, he did address it four years ago. I've linked and quoted that statement below. [1]
Also, Sullivan goes on to say "And unlike Obama with Wright, Paul got money from these newsletters."
You'll have to make your own value judgments here, but I think Obama comes out worse. It's true that Paul profited. However, it seems clear to me that Obama's relationship with the real perpetrator (Wright, in his case) was far closer than Paul's. Obama chose Wright to baptize his daughters, and used Wright's ideas for the title of his book The Audacity of Hope. This make me believe that Obama had a close, respectful relationship with Wright, and that some of Wrights ideas molded Obama's own. None of these things can be said of Ron Paul with respect to those newsletters.
[1] http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/01/08/idUS233377+08-Jan-...
"The quotations in The New Republic article are not mine and do not represent what I believe or have ever believed. I have never uttered such words and denounce such small-minded thoughts.
"In fact, I have always agreed with Martin Luther King, Jr. that we should only be concerned with the content of a person's character, not the color of their skin. As I stated on the floor of the U.S. House on April 20, 1999: 'I rise in great respect for the courage and high ideals of Rosa Parks who stood steadfastly for the rights of individuals against unjust laws and oppressive governmental policies.'
"This story is old news and has been rehashed for over a decade. It's once again being resurrected for obvious political reasons on the day of the New Hampshire primary.
"When I was out of Congress and practicing medicine full-time, a newsletter was published under my name that I did not edit. Several writers contributed to the product. For over a decade, I have publically taken moral responsibility for not paying closer attention to what went out under my name."
- Why is President Barrack Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope" available for free (not download but you can read the whole book)? Is it under public domain?
