The Audacity of Hope

?A government that truly represents these Americans?that truly serves these Americans?will require a different kind of politics. That politics will need to reflect our lives as they are actually lived. It won?t be pre-packaged, ready to pull off the shelf. It will have to be constructed from the best of our traditions and will have to account for the darker aspects of our past. We will need to understand just how we got to this place, this land of warring factions and tribal hatreds. And we?ll need to remind ourselves, despite all our differences, just how much we share: common hopes, common dreams, a bond that will not break.??from The Audacity of HopeIn July 2004, Barack Obama electrified the Democratic National Convention with an address that spoke to Americans across the political spectrum. One phrase in particular anchored itself in listeners? minds, a reminder that for all the discord and struggle to be found in our history as a nation, we have always been guided by a dogged optimism in the future, or what Senator Obama called ?the audacity of hope.? Now, in The Audacity of Hope, Senator Obama calls for a different brand of politics?a politics for those weary of bitter partisanship and alienated by the ?endless clash of armies? we see in congress and on the campaign trail; a politics rooted in the faith, inclusiveness, and nobility of spirit at the heart of ?our improbable experiment in democracy.? He explores those forces?from the fear of losing to the perpetual need to raise money to the power of the media?that can stifle even the best-intentioned politician. He also writes, with surprising intimacy and self-deprecating humor, about settling in as a senator, seeking to balance the demands of public service and family life, and his own deepening religious commitment.At the heart of this book is Senator Obama?s vision of how we can move beyond our divisions to tackle concrete problems. He examines the growing economic insecurity of American families, the racial and religious tensions within the body politic, and the transnational threats?from terrorism to pandemic?that gather beyond our shores. And he grapples with the role that faith plays in a democracy?where it is vital and where it must never intrude. Underlying his stories about family, friends, members of the Senate, even the president, is a vigorous search for connection: the foundation for a radically hopeful political consensus. A senator and a lawyer, a professor and a father, a Christian and a skeptic, and above all a student of history and human nature, Senator Obama has written a book of transforming power. Only by returning to the principles that gave birth to our Constitution, he says, can Americans repair a political process that is broken, and restore to working

How to Rig an Election

Fresh out of grad school, Allen Raymond joined the GOP for one reason: rumor had it that there was big money to be made on the Republican side of the aisle.From the earliest days of the Republican Revolution through its culmination in the second Bush White House, Raymond played a key role in helping GOP candidates twist the truth beyond recognition during a decade of crucial and bitterly fought campaigns. His career took him from the nastiest of local elections in New Jersey backwaters through runs for Congress and the Senate and right up to a top management position in a bid for the presidency itself.It also took him to prison.Full of wit and candor, Raymond's account offers an astonishingly frank look at the black art of campaigning and the vagaries of the Republican establishment. Unlike many "architects" of the political scene, the author takes full responsibility for his actions -- even as he never misses a trick.A completely original tale of the disillusioning of a man who enters politics with no illusions, How to Rig an Election is a brilliant and hilarious exposé of how the contemporary political game is really played.

Every Vote Counts: A Practical Guide to Choosing the Next President

The 2000 Presidential election was decided by a margin of only 269 votes, but nearly 100 million eligible Americans did not cast a ballot. This year, don't sit on the sidelines - make your voice heard! Every Vote Counts: A Practical Guide to Choosing the Next President teaches you what you need to know to make an informed decision in the presidential election on November 2, 2004. This quick-hitting guide offers unbiased profiles of the three main candidates - George W. Bush, John Kerry, and Ralph Nader - helping you understand the political and personal experiences that have shaped them, and their positions on today's key issues. The book also prepares you for the onslaught of media coverage and campaign strategy that American voters will endure in the coming months. With the help of this book, you'll be equipped to wade through the mudslinging, advertisements, and opinion polls, and decide which candidate truly deserves your vote on election day. Clear, concise information on how the presidential election process works - from how many electoral votes each state can cast, to what the registration and voting regulations are in your state. Find out what effect the media, political action committees, and campaign strategists play in getting a candidate to the White House and how you can get to the truth behind it all. Biographical chapters on each of the three main candidates include how they got to where they are today, and where they are positioned on major issues like the economy and the war in Iraq. Unsure of who the right candidate is? Take the candidate match survey and find out who stands up for what you believe in.

Campaign and Election Reform

Campaign and Election Reform deals with a large range of issues related to this topic. It examines important questions such as how candidates raise campaign funds and what contributors expect from them in return; whether there should be legal limits on how much money candidates can raise or spend; and the role of corporations, unions, and other well-funded interest groups in raising campaign contributions.