In 1991, when Barack Obama was a third-year student at the Harvard Law School, I was serving as Dean of the University of Chicago Law School. I had heard through the grapevine that there was an extraordinarily talented African-American student at Harvard who was president of the Harvard Law Review and who was planning to come to Chicago after graduation to do public service law and to write a book about his experiences as a community organizer.
After checking with some members of the Harvard faculty, who assured me that this fellow Obama was, indeed, remarkable, I invited him to become a Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School. This would give him support for his research and connect him officially to the Law School. He accepted, and over the next dozen years Obama became a Senior Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School and a highly respected and much admired teacher of Constitutional Law, while at the same time pursuing his other interests.
In 2003, having served several highly successful terms in the Illinois legislature, Obama announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate. This seemed to me an utterly hopeless quest. Peter Fitzgerald, the Republican incumbent, seemed unbeatable, the Democratic field had already drawn several very strong candidates with more established statewide reputations than Obama, and Obama had recently failed in his effort to unseat Bobby Rush as the Congressman from Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. Obama's candidacy for the Senate seemed pointless.
Shortly after Obama announced his candidacy for the Senate, I attended (and, indeed, co-hosted) a major fundraising event in Chicago for the William Jefferson Clinton Foundation. At one point, I spotted Obama moving gracefully through the crowd, chatting amiably with each individual, dutifully pressing the flesh. As I observed him, I thought to myself, "What a waste. This is demeaning. Barack should forget politics and become a full-time law professor. Then he could really make something of himself."
A few minutes later, I found myself standing next to Obama at the shrimp bowl. Although it was really none of my business, I decided to impart some of my wisdom. "Barack," I said, "I've been watching you out there, making nice to all these folks. Why are you doing this? Given the realities of politics, you know as well as I that there's no chance you'll get the nomination, let alone defeat Fitzgerald. Why don't you just pack all this in and accept a full-time position on the faculty?" Barack smiled and thoughtfully replied, "Geof, I know where you're coming from, but, you know, I have to do this. I believe I can make a difference. I have a responsibility to try." As he blended back into the crowd, I thought, "What a waste."
Governor of Wisconsin endorses Barack Obama.
Drip, drip, drip.
Bill Bradley endorses Barack Obama.
Drip, drip, drip.
John Kerry endorses Barack Obama.
Drip, drip, drip.
While I remain skeptical of Obama's true commitment to progressive ideas, I remain convinced of his integrity, and hopeful regarding his intentions.
Should Edwards bow out at any point, I will wholeheartedly support Obama.
One might make that harsh comment about lawyers
& lawyering in general.
Certainly, politicians ought to be lawyers,
if anybody should be, before they are professors.
Senator Obama’s greatest weapon is how his political opponents usually see him as weak, naïve and easy pushover at their own detriment. Senator Obama is the embodiment of many superlative ingredients that is rare in one person; he comes off as authentic, honest, humble, cerebral, eloquent, and mild-mannered with rare inviting temperament of all seasons. Hilary is about to get a dose of what makes Obama tick as a politician. Did l say that he is also a very good looking, dishy and delicious. Go figure.
The word came to us from downtown that Obama was the "machine's" candidate. I researched Barak's bio and was immensely impressed. Yet I doubted my lily-white, extremely conservative neighbors would follow "orders" and vote for Barack.
I sincerely wished him well, based on what I already knew about his accomplishments. I voted for him in the primary and in the senatorial election, and I even got my parents to vote for him.
Imagine my AMAZEMENT when Obama swept not only the city of Chicago, but specifically the lily-white 23rd ward!! Ever since then, this fact was cited incessantly by Dem politicos as PROOF that Obama could carry EVEN lily-white, conservative voters.
It all started there, in 2003, on the southwest side of Chicago. That's where Obama proved his "electability." And the beat goes on.
He's always going to be the underdog. Washington politics rewards the calculating, deceptive crook, not the honest, selfless intellectual.
But the theory of Democracy is just the opposite, and Barack Obama's very candidacy is based on the hope that democracy works. In this time of despair and cynicism, we need that voice of hope.
Obama/Edwards '08 or Edwards/Obama '08
Thanks for the honest 'fess up.
When in 2004 Barack came to Los Angeles via the Demmocracy For America organization the impression of him was very good, so perhaps you can credit your confrontation as a further motivating factor for Barack.
If the pundits dont point out that you can switch and trade votes for caucus delegates from party to party candidate and that no mischief was afoot they are not pundits worth the salt that made them.
please people calm down and use your head.