How Chicago Shaped Obama

New Yorker:

One day in 1995, Barack Obama went to see his alderman, an influential politician named Toni Preckwinkle, on Chicago's South Side, where politics had been upended by scandal. Mel Reynolds, a local congressman, was facing charges of sexual assault of a sixteen-year-old campaign volunteer. (He eventually resigned his seat.) The looming vacancy set off a fury of ambition and hustle; several politicians, including a state senator named Alice Palmer, an education expert of modest political skills, prepared to enter the congressional race. Palmer represented Hyde Park--Obama's neighborhood, a racially integrated, liberal sanctuary--and, if she ran for Congress, she would need a replacement in Springfield, the state capital. Obama at the time was a thirty-three-year-old lawyer, university lecturer, and aspiring office-seeker, and the Palmer seat was what he had in mind when he visited Alderman Preckwinkle.

"Barack came to me and said, 'If Alice decides she wants to run, I want to run for her State Senate seat,' " Preckwinkle told me. We were in her district office, above a bank on a street of check-cashing shops and vacant lots north of Hyde Park. Preckwinkle soon became an Obama loyalist, and she stuck with him in a State Senate campaign that strained or ruptured many friendships but was ultimately successful. Four years later, in 2000, she backed Obama in a doomed congressional campaign against a local icon, the former Black Panther Bobby Rush. And in 2004 Preckwinkle supported Obama during his improbable, successful run for the United States Senate. So it was startling to learn that Toni Preckwinkle had become disenchanted with Barack Obama.

Read the whole story: New Yorker

Comments

[charley0008]

I actually waded through all 8 pages of the NY magazine article, its entire premise is about as thin as the editors excuse for running the offensive smear cover. The fact that Obama is smart and savvy does not make his a "chicago" style politico or anything else, it makes him smart and savvy. Anyone who has ever been involved in a political campaign knows that one of the real downsides for a candidate is that you run into supporters who refuse to let go of the candidate once they are elected. I have seen it too many times. It is a peculiar situation because it is a type of possessiveness and projection onto the candidate that is not realistic and becomes a negative drag on the candidate once they have acquired their position. I have seen them become their harshest critics, because they refuse to let the candidate be their own person with a job to do as best they see fit. But when you push them on their criticisms there is never a lot of substance there, it is more a type of jealousy. I saw that same thing projected by Rev. Wright in his last antics. The article like the cover was substandard and mostly a hack job built on thin air and a few former supporters projecting that same kind of questionable behavior.

[joeyp404]

Tired of the same old Washing politics? I've got some Chicago politics up my sleeve.

[VOTER]

Tell us where you are from Joey.

I will bet we can find some real interesting and current dirt there.

[joeyp404]

I'll bet you could, but I'm neither running for president nor decrying Washington politics.

[SickoPoliticos]

Appears they taught him how to lie with the best of them.

How many more "promises", which his supporters are counting on, will be swept under the rug and become lies as well?

[joebiz]

So, Obama is a skilled politician . . . big deal. Don't most people feel better that he's not his babe-in- the-woods idealist, but a wicked Machiavellian?

As for speking Spanish or a foreign language, here in California 46-47 languages are spoken at any time, another big deal. It's one reason California is considered either the 6th or 7th economy in the world, larger than most mono-lingual nation-states.

[RApplewhite]

"Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him." ~ Aldous Huxley
Will America avail itself of the possibility of being pleasantly surprised with an Obama presidency, or, will it claim later on that it was not prepared for what they expected out of a McCain administration?
The elections can't come soon enough for some who post here... By arguing here, you are wasting the time you have rushed through life trying to save.

[ohiomark]

To say that "Chicago shaped Obama" is NOT a compliment.

[wesinohio]

A wise person's opinion evolves with knowledge and experience. Just the existance of the hand and fingers, for example, by granting hominids a tool to turn ideas into objective fact, have allowed them to test hypotheses quickly, learn quickly and develop more accurate models of objective reality.
Greater intelligence does not dig in and hold on to ideas; smarter people re-evaluate issues and ideas constantly as information is obtained and this makes them more effective as they vary the actions they prescribe for themselves in order to be congruent with fact.
For those who trumpet any little difference in Obama's message as being a sign of weakness, I say that assertions like that often mischaracterize fact; they are almost always undocumented assertions; they are usually mean-spirited and accompanied by character assasination and name-calling and reflect unwillingness to contribute in good faith to the evolution of political thought. Those people imply that it is flawed thinking to change ideas or policies, but from Obama we witness superior thinking.
I am refreshed by Obama's soundness of reason, his quickness and his alertness and wisdom and I believe, like the majority of people do across all party lines, that he will not only be our next president but will be one of the best presidents this country has ever had.

[Deaninphilly]

I do completely agree with your posting. However, are we seeing someone changing ones mind because of principles and educating oneself or are we seeing one changing because he lied in the first place. That is the question of the day, isn't.

I have no doubt the delegates are asking themselves the same thing.

[wesinohio]

Your taking cheap shots at Obama if you don't specify what those "lies" are. If you take the time to state facts instead of just muddying the water with slime, I think it will be clear to everyone that you are just throwing out mean-spirited mis-charac­terization­s.

[livesimply]

Very good informative article. It's good to know a little more about what makes Obama tick. He's a politician and he does things his way. No surprise. Anyone who aspires to be president has an extraordinary amount of ambition..­.so what's the problem or big news with that? He is obviously very skilled, learns fast, and listens to people.

[Juneau1]

What the h*!! is wrong with you people?! Just keep it up - McBush will be a shoo-in!

[AbolishTheFed]

Choice of two warmongers is NO choice at all.
Besides, O warmongers at MORE innocent countries than McCain.

[ldsrapha]

They are paid staffers of McBush. He has posted online for some time now to get them to come on these sites and stir up trouble. We just mostly ignore them. There are a few like DeanPhilly that I think are truly delusional and unstable. The rest are just ignorant and in need of a job.

[Deaninphilly]

Oh, I'm unstable, why? Because I don't believe the same as you believe? I don't just follow along like a good puppy? Never will happen. See I have a brain and I think, I think for myself. I make my own decisions and the far left liberals do not tell me what I need to think as the far right doesn't do it for me either. You should try it sometime you might find you like some of the freedom that goes along with it.

[laire]

some of the people on this site are very naive and live in some utopian society. Obama is an excellent politician and has an opportunity to make some changes to our system. I agree with many on this site I was aganist the FISA vote but I also know I will never be 100% with anyone. On core issues like ending the occupation in Iraq getting us started on universial health care looking at the educational system etc. We would be foolish not to vote for the person who most represents our ideals.

[kay]

They don't live in a utopian society. They're reciting talking points to push an agenda.

[hubris2]

Well said, Kay. Even my ninth graders have more fact-finding skills and more critically competent than some of these folks.

[SaulGoode]

Ummm...I hate to be the one to break it to ya, but he's changed his position on Iraq already.

He'll soon change his positions on healthcare and education, as well.

[kasinca]

Saying that he will talk to his commanders to set the withdrawal timeline is not different than what he said. It is what a leader must do. He didn't say that the commanders in the field will tell him when to withdraw, he said that he would have to dictate to the leaders and have them withdraw. There are so many stupid people in this world. Obama has always said he would immediately focus on withdrawal of the troops. People like you are looking for things to point to as different. Please post the the two opposing policies you are so upset about. Keep in mind that Obama is still a Senator with one vote. He is not the President yet. To imply that he is the same as McSame is ludicrous. McSame wants endless war.

[BWonka]

Shut up, name tro//.

[Deaninphilly]

Oh, he has already on education, didn't you hear the other day. Apparently we are to start learning Spanish so the immigrants won't have to learn English. Maybe that wasn't a change, maybe that was his education policy. Don't know.

[HumeSkeptic]

If not a blatant lie, what you said is pretty close to it.

It is good to be critical of 0bama's positions. But not based on lies.

[ldsrapha]

Uhmmmm, I hate to break it to you, but you are a sap of the GOP. The brainwashing has obviously overcome logic and reasoning. Obama is on the record EVERYWHERE on his position in Iraq and absolutely nothing changed.

Let me give you a tip, if someone tells you something it doesnt' always mean its true. . .

[ldsrapha]

The bottom line is that at least he is man enough to take a position on FISA, unlike McBush who couldn't bother showing up for the vote. It is one thing to miss some votes, but even Ted Kennedy who very sick was able to drag himself to the Medicaid vote the other day and guess who was the only Senator not there? Yep, McBush. He is so busy speaking out both sides of his mouth he is terrified of taking a position. I would much rather recognize we are not going to agree on 100% of a candidate's platform than to have them so fearful to even voice a position. McBush has failed at representing his own state so badly the latest Arizona polls show Obama ahead. Those living in this utopian society need to realize where this mindset got us 8 years ago when Al Gore was defeated by a few votes. Vote for Nadar and see just how likely he is to win and you get this utopian society you are wanting.

[kay]

Well, so far we've gotten morality lectures from the Great State of Arkansas, probably top ten in corrupt states, and of course, Philadelphia, which is a WORLD leader in clean government.

The conservatives from Texas have weighed in, sanctimoniously, on "Chicago corruption" because the Texas statehouse is a model of transparency. Remember when Texas GOP used Homeland Security funding to track down political enemies?

All OUTRAGED over "Chicago politics".

[kay]

And, O-H-I-O! Where half the Republican leadership were involved in a rare COIN scam, and the GOP governor was charged, and pled guilty.

Yes. Ohio. Another squeaky clean state.

[SaulGoode]

Kay, in addition to your much needed remedial geography, you might want to brush up on the facts of the Ohio political scene also.

[Deaninphilly]

I don't believe anyone is "outraged" over Chicago politics. Perhaps some reading comprehension is in order before trying to be snide. Face facts you're just upset because your little hero has been found out to be a typical politician as I and many, many, many others have stated all along, ruining your delusion.

[kay]

Baloney. I LISTENED during the campaign. I LISTENED during the debates. I read Chicago papers, and they've followed O for years.

I knew exactly who I was supporting.

Because you were NOT listening, and have an agenda to push, don't patronize me.

[cnick]

Well, most people don't even read the New Yorker, the ones who get it look at the cartoons, the articles are too long and overwritten, this magazine has had its day; I guess they felt this is a way to get some attention, and decided to go negative with this awful article and terrible cover. They've been complaining about Bush and the Iraq war for years, I guess the figure they'll get 8 years of an Iran war to write about if they can ruin Barack and help elect McCain. This is a true flip flop, shameful!!!

[hubris2]

As a Feingold enthusiast since the day he aired a commercial in front of his slogan-painted garage, I have been easily drawn to Obama's frugally-collected grassroots appeal. I have also been impressed by his candid caveats that risk policy ambiguity before scores of would-be supporters. As such, I must confess that I alarmed by the level of ambition (and hubris) this article has characterized in my selfless, maverick hero. It confirms my suspicion that he had a political reason for excluding this part of his life from his memoir. STILL, what brings me back to him is his extraordinary ability to connect with people and his desire to know their pain (and the means they have to work through it) and the ways we can, as a cohesive community, nuture and support each other's efforts. Indeed, our diverse, collective stories inform both his ideology and policy throughout both his books, convincing me that his own is certainly not the only voice that compels him to rise.

[chillmonster]

TROLLS EVERYWHERE!!!! I love the new tactic of pretending to be Clinton supporters. There must be a memo somewhere defining this comprehensive internet-troll strategy.

[Deaninphilly]

You keep telling yourself that! I think most on here realize that we are not republicans and having given up that mantra except for a few holdouts. But that's ok, if it makes you feel better you keep repeating it eventually you will come to believe it as much as the others.

[mlr710]

Oh this just further solidifies why I'm voting for Obama.