Summary:
Obama begins the book with a brief overview of his political career, which has spanned a decade. After law school , Obama moved to Chicago to begin working as a community organizer in the city’s poor African American neighborhoods, while also teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago. Over the course of several years, Obama experienced both successes and failures in local and state politics. He reports that his motivation in entering politics was to cut through decades of polarizing partisanship and develop a moderate, effective approach. Obama notes that this same impulse prompted him to write The Audacity of Hope. (Source: Wikipedia: The Audacity of Hope)

Quotes or Topics from Chapter that are Compelling:

"... another tradition to politics, a tradition that stretched from the days of the country's founding to the glory of the civil rights movement, a tradition based on the simple idea that we have a stake in one another, and that what binds us together is greater than what drives us apart, and that if enough people believe in the truth of that proposition and act on it, then we might not solve every problem, but we can get something meaningful done." (Page 2)

"I am angry about policies that consistently favor the wealthy and powerful over average Americans, and insist that government has a important role in opening up opportunity to all. I believe in evolution, scientific inquiry, and global warming; I believe in free speech, whether politically correct or politically incorrect, and I am suspicious of using government to impose anybody's religious beliefs---including my own---on nonbelievers." (Page 10)

Questions to Think About:
1. What do you think about Obama political and life history? (Question Discussion Link)


2. What is your perspective on politics (partisan, moderate, compromise) and how effective are these approaches? What is your perspective on this issue? Question Discussion Link


3. How does his US Senate race compare with his current Presidential race? Question Discussion Link
4. What do you think binds us together as Americans? (pg. 2, 8)
5. What do you think are the country's greatest challenges? (pg. 9)
6. What do you think is meant by the "common good"? (pg. 9)
7. What does Obama need to do to avoid the pitfalls of politics? What do we as supporters need to do? (pg. 11)

Call to Action Idea for Obama, Minnesota, Yourself

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References:
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External Links:
1. Source: Wikipedia: The Audacity of Hope)