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The Obama I Know

By merlot - March 20, 2008, 3:30PM

I found myself thinking about my experiences with Obama over more than a decade, first as his constiuent when he served as senator in the IL state legislauture, second as his constiuent as he serves in the US Senate, and third as a Democrat observing and participating in the primary campaign for 2008.

I have come to the following conclusions after examining my experiences with Obama:

A. He is genuine. His message has been consistent throughout his public and private life.

B. He understands the human condition or, the condition of being human, is that none of us, including himself, is perfect. As St. Paul wrote, "We have all fallen short of the Glory of God." And yet, he does not suffer this as an excuse for not striving to become our very best, even if our very best is not perfect. This is his hope and dream: that we will all strive for and become our best.

C. His passion for wanting to understand what others think and feel is foundational to his character. Of the dozen or so conversations I've had with Obama over the years, two of them were quite contentious as we were on opposite sides of the issues. I came away from those two conversations better understanding his position and I know he went away better understanding mine as he subsequently made changes to his legislation which substantially addressed my concerns without compromising his positions.

D. He passionately and consistently calls us to find our better angels. Yet, as a pragmatist, he does not expect perfection. If I am a C student, he calls me to find the B student in myself. And when I become that B student, he calls me to find the A student in me.

E. Obama refuses to presume the worst intentions in the motives of those with whom he disagrees. Yet, when the evidence is clear, he does not hesitate to question an opponent's motives. Sort of the old, trust-by-verify, kind of thing.

F. Finally, it is clear Obama has struggled long and hard with his own demons/issues, that he has beaten them back, and has embraced the lessons learned from those struggles. This was amply displayed in his speech on Tuesday. As Red wrote, "but it flowed and felt like something Barack Obama has been dying to say publicly for a good long time." He bared his soul and made no effort to hide the scars therein.

Tuesday's speech was a culminating event, betraying the struggles Obama has faced and demonstrating his uncanny ability in understanding the many sides to a complex problem. In his speech, he was speaking for so many of us regardless of race, gender, etc. Obama's acknowledgment of the hurts and anger experienced by all of us due to unresolved issues of race, whether we be black, white, brown, green, male, female, gay, straight, rich, poor, etc., reminds me of Carl Roger's "significant learning" outlined in his book, ON BECOMING A PERSON: the facts are always friendly. The facts, no matter had bad, are always friendly because once we embrace facts, we can actually do something about them.

Comments (23)

I would be interested in some details.
How do you know him?
Would you care to describe in more detail 1 or more of your conversations with him?

Posted by storm
March 20, 2008 3:48 PM | Reply | Permalink

If only we had Harold's Chicken Shack here in DC.

Posted by Economides
March 20, 2008 4:55 PM | Reply | Permalink

Thank you. I'd been meaning to check this post and glad that I did.

Posted by Elizabeth2
March 20, 2008 5:52 PM | Reply | Permalink

Thank you for sharing. You validate what so many of us feel.

Posted by 57andFemale
March 20, 2008 6:15 PM | Reply | Permalink

great post!!

Posted by itsmeeeeee
March 20, 2008 7:19 PM | Reply | Permalink

If that's the case, then Obama actually is who he seems to be. His actions and words have been so spot-on that sometimes I wonder if I actually had drunk the koolaid. Maybe I did, but seems it probably wasn't a hallucination at all.

BTW, how do you find out the name of the writer when the name doesn't appear after the post's title?

Posted by eliyah
March 20, 2008 7:50 PM | Reply | Permalink

I'm really glad you wrote this, it's very interesting.

]If you'll indulge me as an Obama opponent, my problem with Obama is this: issues about how to "become a person" (to cite one of your references) are not properly the issues of politicians. These are issues best left to individuals. A president should focus on helping individuals realize the kinds of lives they want, not on telling individuals what those lives should be.

I was quite moved by Obama's speech on race. I found it quite courageous. I now respect his toughness, which I doubted before.

But there is something about him that's a little too "self help" for my tastes. It'll be hard for me to ever get over the Oprah relationship (she's the ultimate self help guru, a well meaning moralist with a lot of opinions about how other people should behave and what they should believe).

I don't want my president to try to transform me personally. Indeed, I think it's arrogant and improper for a president to even try. They are there, in the end, to serve, not to preach.

Posted by destor23
March 20, 2008 11:13 PM | Reply | Permalink

In The Audacity of Hope, Obama specifically addresses this issue, I think in the chapter about values. He believes there should be a clear distinction between preaching personal values and creating law. The government cannot create good values. But he believes it is also good for people of prominence to project their values and encourage others. It is simply because government can't do everything, that we need to promote values in other ways as well.
I have no problem with him expressing himself about common decency and good will, as he did in his race speech. If I don't agree, it doesn't matter. There is no law involved.

Posted by shall
March 21, 2008 10:46 AM | Reply | Permalink

It is a quality that is called, leadership.

Posted by merlot
March 21, 2008 12:25 PM | Reply | Permalink

A gentle suggestion: Please read Carl Roger's book, ON BECOMING A PERSON. You may find that the "significant learning" I cited -- "the facts are always friendly" -- and my commentary, "The facts, no matter had bad, are always friendly because once we embrace facts, we can actually do something about them," do not contradict your own thinking.

Posted by merlot
March 21, 2008 12:24 PM | Reply | Permalink

Interesting take destor,

But doesn't your statement conflict with your support of Hillary. I mean during her whole campaign it is always what "I will do" or "When I am president" I, I, I, I.

Someone on another post wrote this statement and I found it spot on:

"Now Clinton wants us to hear what she will do “for” us, what “she” will deliver – much as a lawyer, drawing strength not from her client but from her expertise, argues a case. Obama, on the other hand, urges people to join with him in acting for themselves and each other. A former community organizer, he learned that changing ourselves and changing the world go together, and that without mobilizing the strength of people who want change, it won’t happen."

http://tpmcafe.com/2008/01/21/clinton_obama_mlk_leadership_f/#more

So now I realize the resistance of some Hillary supporters to not "follow the herd mentality" but it is also true that without a mobilization of concerned people, nothing changes.

I feel, quite honestly, that Hillary is trying to be the authority figure. "I know what is best for you"

I personally think that is a lot more scary than a president asking people to find their better selves and work together for the common good.

Don't you?

Posted by mageduley
March 21, 2008 12:33 PM | Reply | Permalink

So glad you posted this as a freestanding blog, Merlot. It stands on its own. Thanks so much for sharing this personal experience.

Posted by The Zaftig Redhead
March 21, 2008 9:03 AM | Reply | Permalink

Great post. Thank you!

Posted by Etruscan
March 21, 2008 9:14 AM | Reply | Permalink

Randall Poshek-Gladbach is a Chicago-based composer.

Posted by MarkC
March 21, 2008 10:39 AM | Reply | Permalink

MarkC: Thanks, I appreciate some recognition of my real life beyond TPM. However, I am first, and foremost, an American. I trust you are a lover of music. :)

Posted by merlot
March 21, 2008 12:31 PM | Reply | Permalink

Trust but verify on Rezko? Obama reports asking Rezko if there was a problem and believing the answer.

Gullibility is one of the known downsides to creativity.

Posted by AJM
March 21, 2008 11:09 AM | Reply | Permalink

destor23 -- I understand what you are saying AND fully agree. Don't want anyone 'reforming' me!!

But I'm not sure that is a speech that Obama should or would have if he were President. Not in the same way. But right now he's still 'just' a candidate, a private person, who has a very unique and informed opinion on something that is important and a source of trouble for our country. ... And at the time he gave his speech, he was a candidate that could have been on the brink of eliminatino, that speech **could** have been one of his last major moments on the semi-bully-pulpit of serious national candidate. (I know the math and timing was with him, but I don't think there's any overstating how close to ending the whole thing it was right after release of those videos.)

As an Obama supporter, I looked on the speech he gave as one that he had in him all along and knew he would give at some point ... a gift he could give sort of as pay-back for all the opportunites that he so improbably had. (Though thankfully he, unlike Hillary, doesn't *talk* in those terms.) Some speech had to be given because of political necessity, of course, but I do believe that he gave *that* speech because IF it didn't succeed politically, it was still something he wanted to have said, and could say, to America.

As one of his supporters, I felt very vindicated in my choice of him as a candidate and the little I've done to help him succeed as one. My overwhelming feeling was that even if he doesn't win, something very real has been accomplished simply by his candidacy. More than just another 'first' but something that I believe will have a long, rippling beneficial effect on our country, as other historic speeches have done.

This wasn't a "presidential" speech. It was personal, extremely personal and something of a visionary speech: a gift to share with those who are fed up with our dead end and helplessness and want to improve things without knowing how to begin doing so. Eugene Robinson said something about it showing us a path.

But I've truly never picked up any Ophra-like tendency to enthusiastically tell us we *must* do 'for our own good' and then leading us down the path with bouncing steps. I may be wrong but haven't picked up that feeling ...... I'm certain I haven't, since I tend to break out in a rash whenever I do.

Posted by Elizabeth2
March 21, 2008 11:46 AM | Reply | Permalink

AJM the facts are Obama wanted to buy a house. He asked a real estate developer he knew with extensive experience in that neighborhood (Rezko) to help him decide if the house was sound and a good deal. Rezko not only thought it was a good deal he thought the lot next door was worth investing in. Rezko bought the lot next door and then sold a strip of it to Obama for a handsome profit and the rest to someone else. Overall the Rezkos made over $54,000 on the lot in less than 2 years. That's not a surprise, the Kenwood neighborhood in Chicago is prosperous and the real estate market there was booming.

Despite your insinuations Rezko got no and did no favors for Obama. He simply made money on a real estate investment.

Posted by markg8
March 21, 2008 11:51 AM | Reply | Permalink

Yes I am sure he did a lot of questioning of Rev Wright's motives, besides having the Rev marry him and his wife, baptize his children, and advise him on his campaign. I am sure he did a lot of questioning of Rezco's motives, besides having Rezco giving him money, and helping him buy his house.

What a crock!

Posted by dembillc
March 21, 2008 1:18 PM | Reply | Permalink