Since today seems to be the day for Barack Obama, I thought I might mention his book, ‘The Audacity of Hope’ into which I’ve been dipping my toe. It’s described [rather surprisingly] by the Daily Telegraph as ‘aiming a missile of decency at the White House.’
I don’t expect much from this kind of book at this kind of moment. He begins by describing just that cynicism: ‘a cynicism not simply with politics but with the very notion of a public life …. nourished by a generation of broken promises.’ He’s a very able person – the book is well-written, clear. And he’s obviously done a lot of listening.
The interesting thing, of course, is the point in all of us where that cynicism risks being turned into hope – hope that this might rekindle the dream of what we thought Kennedy represented – hope that the dreadful Bush years might fade into unlamented history. In its way, the hope is as unrelated to reality as the cynicism.
Still – I’m hoping. And if you want to read what an Obama-supporting member of TEC thinks, have a look at Miss Dagurreotype
The other American – I’ve been reading Bishop Gene Robinson’s ‘In the Eye of the Storm’ – of which more another day.
Thanks for the tip of the blog hat!
I’m very curious to hear what you have to say about +VGR and his book.