Sign in or 
| Version | User | Scope of changes |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 5 2008, 11:21 PM EDT (current) | sharkbball5 | 368 words added |
| Jun 5 2008, 10:36 PM EDT | 787683656 | 375 words deleted |
Changes
Key: Additions Deletions
Summary:
In this chapter, Obama alternates an account of the unusual campaign that ultimately resulted in his election as the junior Illinois senator with a discussion of the factors that have fostered an atmosphere of severe partisan division in Washington. He notes that according to his own observations, as well as the accounts offered by veteran lawmakers, Congress was not always as intractably divided as it is today. Obama contends that in the past, lawmakers were more willing to overlook their differences in the service of compromise and the public good, and that intra-party working relationships were more apt to be characterized by decorum, collegiality, and genuine fellow-feeling. As such, Obama disagrees with the conventional wisdom that Democrats need to develop a more coherent stance against their Republican opponents. Rather, he contends that the public has long grown weary of partisan rancor. In order to begin to win back the trust and admiration of the American people, Obama exhorts his Democratic colleagues to focus on a strategy of reconciliation and cooperation with their Republican counterparts, while remaining true to the core ideals of the party.. (Source: Wikipedia: The Audacity of Hope)
Quotes or Topics from Chapter that are Compeling:
"I imagine they (American people) are waiting for a politics with the maturity to balance idealism and realism, to distinguish between what can and cannot be compromised, to admit the possibility that the other side might sometimes have a point." (p 42)
Questions to Think About:
1. What do you think of the party labels Republican vs. Democrat? What about Independent / Green? (Question Discussion)
2. What do you think about partisan politics? (Question Discussion)
3. What do you think about a politician working with politicians in the another party on issues? (Question Discussion)
4. What does a "new kind of politics" mean to you? (pg. 17) What do you see as the roadblocks to achieve this vision? (pg. 25)
5. Obama discusses significant events that helped shape his political viewpoint. What were yours?
6. What shift needs to take place in order for our culture to move from a soundbite society to one of public discourse?
Call to Action Idea for Obama, Minnesota, Yourself
1.
References:
External Links:
In this chapter, Obama alternates an account of the unusual campaign that ultimately resulted in his election as the junior Illinois senator with a discussion of the factors that have fostered an atmosphere of severe partisan division in Washington. He notes that according to his own observations, as well as the accounts offered by veteran lawmakers, Congress was not always as intractably divided as it is today. Obama contends that in the past, lawmakers were more willing to overlook their differences in the service of compromise and the public good, and that intra-party working relationships were more apt to be characterized by decorum, collegiality, and genuine fellow-feeling. As such, Obama disagrees with the conventional wisdom that Democrats need to develop a more coherent stance against their Republican opponents. Rather, he contends that the public has long grown weary of partisan rancor. In order to begin to win back the trust and admiration of the American people, Obama exhorts his Democratic colleagues to focus on a strategy of reconciliation and cooperation with their Republican counterparts, while remaining true to the core ideals of the party.. (Source: Wikipedia: The Audacity of Hope)
Quotes or Topics from Chapter that are Compeling:
"I imagine they (American people) are waiting for a politics with the maturity to balance idealism and realism, to distinguish between what can and cannot be compromised, to admit the possibility that the other side might sometimes have a point." (p 42)
Questions to Think About:
1. What do you think of the party labels Republican vs. Democrat? What about Independent / Green? (Question Discussion)
2. What do you think about partisan politics? (Question Discussion)
3. What do you think about a politician working with politicians in the another party on issues? (Question Discussion)
4. What does a "new kind of politics" mean to you? (pg. 17) What do you see as the roadblocks to achieve this vision? (pg. 25)
5. Obama discusses significant events that helped shape his political viewpoint. What were yours?
6. What shift needs to take place in order for our culture to move from a soundbite society to one of public discourse?
Call to Action Idea for Obama, Minnesota, Yourself
1.
References:
External Links:
