Obama: From Promise to Power

very disappointed

A very good read and seemingly objectively written. He seems to call it like he sees it and not trying to butter up to Obama. He is critical in what seems a proper fashion and is not afraid to offer complementary remarks where appropriate. Gives you the feeling that you are getting an honest view of Obama. Mendell's writing does not get in the way of what he is trying to say.

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.

How good was this book? Two nights ago, already one-third the way into it, I hunkered down with this plan: 30 minutes of reading and then get to sleep. Four hours later, it was 3 a.m., and I'd read more than 200 pages. I finished it up the next day. In "Obama: From Promise to Power," David Mendell delivers thorough, thoughtful and insightful reporting; detailed, engaging, sometimes-humorous, front-line storytelling; vivid exposition of characters; and a coherent organization that allowed for intermittent interweaving of various individuals and their roles in Obama's life. Throughout, Mendell effectively captures and conveys the myriad facets of this fascinating public figure. As a citizen trying to decide whom to support in the coming election, I found this to be illuminating and most helpful in understanding the dynamics of Obama, his supporters and handlers, and the race overall as it progresses. My high regard for Mendell's work comes largely because I know just how tough his job has been in covering Obama the past five years. I am a longtime newspaper reporter who has also covered (significantly less notable) public figures, and (much more local) political races. Much of my work has been as a freelance writer for the Chicago Tribune, for which Mendell writes and the basis for his interactions with Obama. I should note that I do not personally know Mendell.

This book starts a little slow, with too many early references to what was already written in Obama's bestselling memoir "Dreams from My Father". Eventually, the book by Mendell picks up with another view on Obama's ups and downs, including Obama's failed bid to oust Bobby Rush from his congressional seat in 2000. (Ironically, Rush is now backing Obama for President in 2008) The book also has good insights into the specific results that Obama has delivered for African-American constituents in Illinois. The strategies and tactics of David Axelrod (Obama's consultant) made for compelling reading, and were a big part of Obama's overwhelming victory in the 2004 race for the Illinois seat in the U.S. Senate. Overall, the book is a nice complement to "The Audacity of Hope" by Obama himself. I would just read "The Audacity of Hope" first, then Mendell's book. Thomas Brooks Award-Winning Author, A WEALTH OF FAMILY: An Adopted Son's International Quest for Heritage, Reunion, and Enrichment