This blatantly positive profile of
presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama presents the man, his positions and specific
responses to the criticisms against him. Extensive direct quotes from the
candidate himself plus 30 pages of footnotes buttress the book’s powerful, if partisan, presentation. John K. Wilson, a former student of Obama’s, omits some important things, however, it is only fair to note that some hot campaign topics (such as Reverend Wright) emerged after the book''s publication. Wilson also makes a few odd comments (for instance, drawing a link between low black unemployment and the high incarceration rate under Bill Clinton). Still, he sets forth a compelling case for Obama and provides observations about the Senator’s formative years, accomplishments and policies. He offers some good insights, for example, he discusses the role cynicism plays in politics and the role of white guilt. While Wilson sometimes gets carried away with his support of the candidate, he notes that both the far right and the far left have attacked Obama, so he must be doing something correctly . getAbstract recommends this to voters who want the story (albeit somewhat sunny) behind the candidate and to Obama supporters seeking more information about their
presidential hopeful.