Obama: From Promise to Power by David Mendell Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Obama: From Promise to Power
Book Review: Very interesting...
Summary: 4 Stars
As an Obama supporter, I was interested in finding out more about "what makes him tick". I read some of both of Obama's own books, but the perspective of a third party has always appealed to me. I found this book to be well written and easy to read. I look forward to the author's new book on Obama coming out soon, in which I hope he'll pick up where he left off.Book Review: Excellent reporting on how Obama became who he is
Summary: 5 Stars
A good read, and useful supplement to Obama's own writings, fleshing out some of his background and how he developed his character over the years.Book Review: Insightful....
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is so real and authentic and reiterated my belief and support in a politician who isn't typical. This book explains who Obama is, flaws and all, and I have grown to respect this man that much more. He truly is the real deal. A politician and leader like no other. Book Review: This book convinced me to support his candidacy
Summary: 4 Stars
I voted for Nader in 2000 and Kerry in 2004. I'm a registered Democrat who did not vote in the primary in my state.
When I first saw that the book's cover(jacket sleeve) describes Obama as a superstar I was irritated. But then I read a book review which said Mendell did not particularly like Obama but the book review praised the book. I then read the book.
The book is well written and held my interest. I was impressed with a description of Obama transitioning from a highly intellectualized politician to one who's conventionally appealing, especially to the
African American voter. I had thought that Obama was a lightweight who
was not really electable. This book changed my mind about Obama.
I am not sure I completely understand how anyone could possibly think that this is a negative portrait of Obama. I think Mendell looked at Obama with a skeptical eye. As is typical of political reporters. Mendell is rather cynical about politics. Yet I got the feeling that Mendell was
basically won over, if viewing Obama as lucky.
This luckiness occured during Obama's magical Senate race, which was helped not only by the self destruction of his main primary opponent as well as his original Republican opponent both by marital scandals,but also his charismatic keynote convention speech. The best part of the book describes what occured in 2004, and it takes up almost half of the book.
I think the portrait of Obama is of a formidable presence who lost his naivete but not his moral principles as he became more successful. There is no doubt that Obama is extremely intelligent. Mendell's cynicism may put something of a damper on any "irrational exhuberance" that a supporter might feel. I have no doubt it is an accurate portrait.
Book Review: Obama: the dichotomy of idealist and politician, and more
Summary: 5 Stars
Mendell is a long-time political reporter for the Chicago Tribune, and has been covering Obama since he first ran for the Illinois State Senate. Before I tell you what I cleaned from the book, I'm going to give a quote from Mendell:
"What the public has yet to see clearly is his hidden side: his imperious, mercurial, self-righteous and sometimes prickly nature, each quality exacerbated by the enormous career pressures he has inflicted upon himself. He can be cold and short with reporters who he believes have given him unfair coverage. He is an extraordinarily ambitious, competitive man with ... a career reach that seems to have no bounds. He is, in fact, a many of raw ambition so powerful that even his is still coming to terms with its full force."
Beyond Mendell's observations about Obama itself, are his observations about Obama's luck, for the most part, in two ways: his political timing (except for challenging Bobby Rush) and his political handlers, above all David Axelrod.
Beyond that, here's some specific takes from Mendell:
First, Obama's sometime lack of specificity on policy issues is nothing new.
Second, Obama's attendance at a Chicago antiwar rally, according to Mendell, while it had a degree of idealism behind it, also had a degree of political calculation involved.
Third, Obama did pass some bills in his last term in the Illinois Senate to bolster his U.S. Senate campaign. Specifically, despite his strong stance on gun controls, he sponsored a bill to let retired cops have concealed carry. Why? To get the endorsement of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police, which he did.
Add it all up, and I see a Barack Obama of dichotomy. From his family background, international experiences and more, a person of more idealism than many politicians, even with some tempering. At the same time, as Mendell describes, he's a politician who can fight tough, and will.
The dichotomy? The two sides don't seem to converse with each other a lot, at least in Mendell's observation, which I think exacerbates the thin-skinnedness.
Finally, if you're going to compare Obama to a Kennedy, it's Bobby, not Jack. The image of Bobby's 1968 trip to South Africa turned on the light bulb for me. Same amount of Senate experience at the time of campaigning for president. Same dichotomous mix, or non-mixing, of idealism and bare-knuckle politics. Same drivenness -- Bobby had that same type of charismatic energy in a way Jack didn't.