Barack Obama:
This Improbable Quest, by John K. Wilson


(Click for Amazon book review)

BOOK REVIEW by OnTheIssues.org:

This book is the first solid book about Obama's politics, from outside of his campaign. Obama has written several books himself, but those are necessarily biased by their autobiographical nature. We've been waiting all campaign season for a good book ABOUT Obama, rather than BY Obama, and it took until October 2007 for it to get published.* (One might compare that to the dozen books about Hillary!)

The author, John K. Wilson, was a student of Obama's, while Obama was teaching at the University of Chicago Law School. Wilson clearly admires Obama, but the book is not hagiography -- it addresses the serious issues that Obama faces about his personal past and his voting record. It's a solid analysis from a pro-Obama perspective -- useful for Obama fans who want to respond to legitimate criticisms. It's not so useful for those who are anti-Obama -- if Obama goes further, books for them will follow.

The content of the book addresses several key issues that have followed Obama's campaign: race, experience, religion, and the few scandals that have plagued Obama. The book also addresses the "Generation Obama" aspect of the campaign -- his appeal as the first Gen-X** candidate among young people and the blogosphere.

The title of the book comes from Obama's speech announcing his presidential candidacy, in which he invited supporters to join him on "this improbable quest." If Obama ever wins the presidency, that phrase could become his slogan.

* We cover two other books about Obama: Should Barack Obama Be President? and Hopes and Dreams, but both are just introductory -- quick-published books which introduce the candidate without the depth offered here.
** I'm the same age as Obama and I don't consider myself a Gen-Xer. I'm too young to be a Baby-Boomer (I define them by Vietnam and hippies) and too old for Gen-X (I define them as having grown up with computers), so I call myself "Gen-W," i.e., "before Gen-X." But that hasn't caught on....

-- Jesse Gordon, jesse@OnTheIssues.org, Oct. 2007

By the same author: The Most Dangerous Man in America: Rush Limbaugh's Assault on Reason, by John K. Wilson

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Abortion     Voted against banning partial birth abortion.

Budget & Economy     Rejects free market vision of government.

Civil Rights     Include class-based affirmative action with race-based.     Decisions about marriage should be left to the states.     Homosexuality no more immoral than heterosexuality.

Crime     Pushed Illinois bill to videotape all capital interrogations.     No extra penalty for gang association.

Drugs     Not first candidate to use drugs, but first honest about it.     2001: questions harsh penalties for drug dealing.

Environment     Organized inner-city recycling; fought environmental racism.

Foreign Policy     No Obama Doctrine; just democracy, security, liberty.     Wrote 2006 law stabilizing Congo with $52M.

Government Reform     Public submits policy ideas on Obama’s “My Policy” website.     Reduced cost TV ads for candidates; $85M presidential limit.

Gun Control     2000: cosponsored bill to limit purchases to 1 gun per month.

Health Care     Added 20,000 children to Illinois healthcare.

Homeland Security     Judgment is as important as experience.     If attacked, first help victims then prevent further attacks.     2006: Obama-Lugar bill restricted conventional weapons.

Principles & Values     First major politician of the post-Baby Boom generation.     Community politics: merges Alinsky & political activism.     Registered 150,000 young Chicago area black voters in 1992.     Criticizes voter cynicism from decades of disappointment.     On “inexperience”: he wrote policy books that media ignores.     Real estate deal with felon was “boneheaded” but ethical.     Veiled racism in dismissing Obama as “unqualified”.     Bradley effect: black candidates poll above actual votes.     Madrassa myth perpetuated by false email & fabricated story.     Apply lessons from both Goldwater and McGovern.     Uses prayer to take stock of his moral compass.     Invites supporters to join him on “This Improbable Quest”.     Resolve “most electable” vs.“most progressive” by being both.

Tax Reform     Trillion dollar giveaway: the Paris Hilton Tax Break.

Technology     Organizes campaign events via MySpace.com and FaceBook.com.

War & Peace     2002: I don’t oppose all war; I do oppose dumb war.

Welfare & Poverty     1980s: Director of the Developing Communities Project.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Barack Obama