The audacity of hope

I'd put this book off for a long time - it was too depressing to contemplate for most of the last few years. But, with the 2020 election just a few weeks away, it seemed like a good time to give it a listen. I have the audiobook so it's narrated by the man himself, and wow, hearing the calm, reassuring voice of this intelligent, articulate former president is both inspiring and incredibly depressing right now.

It's a fairly short book, only 9 chapters or 6 hours in audio form, and it's a mix of autobiography and Obama laying out his views of American politics, where they have gone astray and can be improved, and where he hopes to improve things in the future. The book was written before he became president of course, so this is Senator Obama laying out his hopes for the future, laying groundwork for his presidential ambitions, and outlining his philosophy and values to be judged by. It doesn't seem so long ago, yet it also seems SO very long ago and such a different time. The fact that men like Obama can still exist in American politics and still believe in the systems is, I suppose, reason for some hope to remain; although whether that hope can survive any longer depends rather heavily on the outcome of the election in a few weeks, I think.

It is hard to know what to say about a book like this... first of all, Obama is obviously a shrewd politician (with all the attributes that that implies). My impression of him, however, has always been that he is a sincere one, who truly has the best interests of the country and the people at heart. I also enjoy his oratorical style, over which, i've been led to understand, he exercises great control. It is with these impressions, and in the wake of his victory in the 2008 elections, that I finally grabbed this book off my shelf to read.

The primary feeling I have about this book is that it confirms my understanding the absolute sincerity of his belief in this nation. In every chapter, it is made clear that, while there are obviously hurdles across the long road the country still has to travel, he truly believes that if we just hold to the principles set down by the founding fathers, we can continue to perfect our union, and be the beacon of hope and prosperity that can lead the world itself into an era of peace and understanding.

He takes great care in pointing out how he, and those in his position are riding that razors edge, by necessity, between remaining advocates and representatives of the people, and becoming beholden to the rich and the special interests. He shows how he and his colleagues often have to go out of their way to connect with their constituents, and not get distracted by a schedule filled with private jets, black tie affairs, fundraisers, and lobbyists. Sometimes, yes, it seems like he's trying too hard to say "but look at all these real people I've talked to," and "look how grounded I am."

A good deal of the book is about his personal journey, his political and family history. He talks a lot about his wife and kids, his mom, and his grandparents. He also talks a lot about policy, even specific policy proposals that we've seen take shape and become further defined during his Presidential campaign. He also talks a lot about the troubles we still face, with the sharp partisan divide that's plagued the nation for so long. He places blame on both sides, and not undeservedly, I should think. And yes, he talks about race and the progress that we've made that should be celebrated, and the progress that's still to be made that has its roots in all sides of the debate.

He also, talks about the founding principles of the nation, and how we relate to them, how we remember them, and how, perhaps, we should re-embrace them for the betterment of our nation. He gives facts concerning the intention of the founding fathers, their beliefs, and how, in many instances the great compromises they had to make in order to ensure we had a strong foundation from which to build.

He relates all these things to the way that we, as a nation, have to come together. How we need to stop bickering for the sake of our entrenched and unreasonable positions, and come together by defining those things that we can agree on, and leveraging those to reach compromises on those things that we can't. American is not a nation of absolute truths, and black and white moral judgements, and it never has been. The only absolute truths to be found in the DNA of our nation are these: that all are created equal, and that all have the right to live their lives as they see fit in the pursuit of their happiness. As Americans, we have a common ground, we have a common language, and we have a common goal. If we cannot see them, it is because we've allowed ourselves to become distracted on our path to a more perfect union, by thinking that "the union will only be perfect when it's perfect for me."

Ok, well, some of that was me leaking out, but somewhere in there is the gist of what he was driving at.

Bottom-line is that this a really worthwhile read. For those who are already in Obama's camp, this will surely solidify your understanding and appreciation, not just of the man himself, but of his sincere belief that we can make this a better nation with hard work and compromise.

For those conservatives and ditto-heads out there still harboring resentment and distrust of our new President, I recommend this to you even more highly. If your judgments are based on soundbites, policy breakdowns, and the haranguing of the conservative talking head crowd, you'd do well to get a real introduction to your President, straight from his own pen.