REVIEW: The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama

As many of you know, I'm an avid West Wing watcher. I've probably seen every episode a few times. The reasons are many. For one, the acting is wonderful. The writing is exceptional and plots are both realistic and fantastic. Most of all, however, I find myself continuously intrigued by the many forces that pull on politicians at the highest ranks in their effort to serve both their constituents as well as their own ambitions. Mr. Barack Obama's book, The Audacity of Hope, provides a similar view on such forces and, similarly to the fictional President Bartlet, makes one yearn for a political candidate that seems to truly represent the many feelings most of us share about politics.

The Audacity of Hope is not what I expected. When I cracked open the book I looked to find one politician's manifesto - written to advance his bid for the next office. Instead, I found a cross between a biography and window on political life ...interspersed, of course, with tidbits of political speak that refer back to Mr. Obama's platform. On the whole, however, the book is both well written and interesting; one that you will want to finish once you start. 

Just like the reasons for which many believe The West Wing was so popular, it provides the reader with hope for what our leadership could be. It provides us with hope for what government can be. I don't agree with everything for which Mr. Obama argues in his book, but I did find myself marveling at his ability to empathise and play devil's advocate on many of the issues he does address. It is this simple act that attracts me to him as a candidate for the American Presidency.

I am naive, or so I've been told. It's likely true. I always like to believe that people are good and that what they say are either true or are believed to be true when said. Mr. Obama never made me feel otherwise. Politicians, of course, are known for speaking the words and ideas that their constituents want to hear - I am not so naive to not acknowledge this. I will say, however, that I have found that Mr. Obama convincing.

When speaking on subjects in which we don't truly believe or understand, there is a tendency for anyone to speak in broad generalities and use metaphors to relate the listener or reader to the ideas presented. When we speak on subjects about which we truly believe, however, we have a tendency to use our own experiences from which we learned the lessons we hope to share with others. Mr. Obama's The Audacity of Hope comes across as the latter and if his words are only partly representative of the President he may become, then it is no wonder that he has been so successful in organizing such broad support for his campaign cost to coast.