The Audacity of Hope：Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream

InJuly2004,BarackObamaelectrifiedtheDemocraticNationalConventionwithanaddressthatspoketoAmericansacrossthepoliticalspectrum.Onephraseinparticularanchoreditselfinlisteners’minds,areminderthatforallthediscordandstruggletobefoundinourhistoryasanation,wehavealwaysbeenguidedbyadoggedoptimisminthefuture,orwhatSenatorObamacalled“theaudacityofhope.”Now,inTheAudacityofHope,SenatorObamacallsforadifferentbrandofpolitics–apoliticsforthosewearyofbitterpartisanshipandalienatedbythe“endlessclashofarmies”weseeincongressandonthecampaigntrail;apoliticsrootedinthefaith,inclusiveness,andnobilityofspiritattheheartof“ourimprobableexperimentindemocracy.”Heexploresthoseforces–fromthefearoflosingtotheperpetualneedtoraisemoneytothepowerofthemedia–thatcanstifleeventhebest-intentionedpolitician.Healsowrites,withsurprisingintimacyandself-deprecatinghumor,aboutsettlinginasasenator,seekingtobalancethedemandsofpublicserviceandfamilylife,andhisowndeepeningreligiouscommitment.AttheheartofthisbookisSenatorObama’svisionofhowwecanmovebeyondourdivisionstotackleconcreteproblems.HeexaminesthegrowingeconomicinsecurityofAmericanfamilies,theracialandreligioustensionswithinthebodypolitic,andthetransnationalthreats–fromterrorismtopandemic–thatgatherbeyondourshores.Andhegrappleswiththerolethatfaithplaysinademocracy–whereitisvitalandwhereitmustneverintrude.Underlyinghisstoriesaboutfamily,friends,membersoftheSenate,eventhepresident,isavigoroussearchforconnection:thefoundationforaradicallyhopefulpoliticalconsensus.Asenatorandalawyer,aprofessorandafather,aChristianandaskeptic,andaboveallastudentofhistoryandhumannature,SenatorObamahaswrittenabookoftransformingpower.OnlybyreturningtotheprinciplesthatgavebirthtoourConstitution,hesays,canAmericansrepairapoliticalprocessthatisbroken,andrestoretoworkingorderagovernmentthathasfallendangerouslyoutoftouchwithmillionsofordinaryAmericans.ThoseAmericansareoutthere,hewrites–“waitingforRepublicansandDemocratstocatchupwiththem.”