My latest #LIHerald column is an ode to President Barack Obama’s wonderful “A Promised Land.” Here goes….
Every life has its inflection points, moments that can steer you in one direction or another, and that direction, as poet Robert Frost would say, makes all the difference. That is especially true for former President Barack Obama, as he makes clear in “A Promised Land,” his introspective account of his personal and political life, released by Crown in November.
Impression one of this 701-page tome: Obama is an excellent writer. Impression two: His political idealism is heady and infectious — inspiring — and because he is so solidly grounded in his family and his ever-evolving faith, he is utterly relatable as a person. He’s one of us, born into the middle class, with all its attendant daily struggles and perpetual yearning for a better life — for the American dream.
Early in the book, Obama ponders a fascinating question: What if he had never left Chicago, where he was a community organizer from 1985 to 1988, and struck out for Harvard Law School? What if he had stayed, fighting, and winning, seemingly small battles to improve people’s lives, helping to repair a park or housing project or starting an after-school program?
What if he had never run for president?
To read the full column, click here.
