The Audacity of Hope

Another Democratic author. What is happening to me?! This book actually rocked me too. I embrace the journey of discovery and the fact that we are all in process. The world is many more shades of gray than simply black and white. Enjoy!

Synopsis "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." from The Audacity of Hope In July 2004, Barack Obama electrified the Democratic National Convention with an address that spoke to Americans across the political spectrum. One phrase in particular anchored itself in listeners’ minds, a reminder that for all the discord and struggle to be found in our history as a nation, we have always been guided by a dogged optimism in the future, or what Senator Obama called "the audacity of hope." Now, in 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 improbable experiment in 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 also writes, with surprising intimacy and self-deprecating humor, about settling in as a senator, seeking to balance the demands of public service and family life, and his own deepening religious commitment. At the heart of this book is Senator Obama’s vision of how we can move beyond our divisions to tackle concrete problems. 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 -- where it is vital and where it must never intrude. Underlying his stories about family, friends, members of the Senate, even the president, is a vigorous search for connection: the foundation for a radically hopeful political consensus. A senator and a lawyer, a professor and a father, a Christian and a skeptic, and above all a student of history and human nature, Senator Obama has written a book of transforming power. Only by returning to the principles that gave birth to our Constitution, he says, can Americans repair a political process that is broken, and restore to working order a government that has fallen dangerously out of touch with millions of ordinary Americans. Those Americans are out there, he writes --- "waiting for Republicans and Democrats to catch up with them."

Comments

[Emily DeWan]

Hooray Obama! I've heard excellent things about this book; it must go on my to-read list.

[Christopher Palmentier]

Barack Obama favors drivers licenses for illegals. Okay. Some questions: Do they need to purchase auto insurance like I do? Will they need auto registration tags like I do? Inspection stickers? What happens when are pulled over for a traffic violation? What obligation do they have to appear in court or even not to disregard the citation completely - I mean, they're illegal anyway... How are they to be held accountable?

Another question - My wife waits 3 years and we spend more than $15,000 on attorney fees and visa apps to get her here from China legally. Is this fair to us?

Bold statement on blog - being "non-judgemental" does not make someone a nice person.

Bold statement #2 - liberals use their "non-judgementalism" to alleviate themselves of their personal guilt the same way they use carbon credits to alleviate themselves of their lifestyle guilt. Both are completely innefectual.

[Joe Photo]

Thanks for your comments Christopher. I can see you feel very strongly about these issue's. Thanks for making your voice heard!

[Jimmie]

this book touched me and showed me a new side of the government